ME 200 – THERMODYNAMICS I
COURSE POLICY – Spring 2017
7:30 AM in Room 1130 ME, Prof. Fisher ([email protected]); Division 3
10:30 AM in Room 1130 ME, Prof. Hess (
[email protected]); Division 2
12:30 PM in Room 1130 ME, Prof. Sojka (
[email protected]); Division 1
2:30 PM in Room 1130 ME, Prof. Ardekani (
[email protected]); Division 5
4:30 PM in Room 1130 ME, Prof. Naik (
[email protected]); Division 4
Distance learning, Prof. Sojka (
[email protected]); Division 6
1. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: There are four learning objectives associated with this course:
To successfully employ the systematic Engineering Approach to Problem Solving
To master applying the Law of Mass Conservation when analyzing thermodynamics problems
To be proficient in the use of the 1st Law of Thermodynamics so you can perform energy accounting when
solving thermodynamics problems
To be a competent user of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics so you can solve thermodynamics problems
2. TEXTBOOK: Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics, Moran et al., Wiley for Division 3 (Fisher @
730 AM), Division 4 (Naik @ 430 PM), and Division 5 (Ardekani @ 230 PM). The 8th edition, or previous
ones, are all acceptable. Note, however, that reading assignments will be keyed to the 8th edition.
A LectureBook will be used for Division 1 (Sojka @ 1230 PM), Division 2 (Hess @ 1030 AM), and Division
6 (Distance Learning) and will be provided as a series of pdf files.
3. PREREQUISITES: The material in ME 200 requires mastery of: (i) calculus, including ordinary
differentiation, integration, and partial differentiation; (ii) physics, including Newton’s laws, concepts of work
and energy, simple DC circuits, and gravity; and (iii) chemistry, including concepts of moles, molar mass
(molecular weight), and the ideal gas law. Consequently, students must have successfully completed CHM 115
and PHYS 172, in addition to MA 261 before enrolling in ME 200. If you cannot meet these requirements you
should drop this course immediately.
Because a background in physics and chemistry is required, you must be conversant with the CHM 115 and
PHYS 172 material, or review it on your own. A very brief summary of material you are expected to have
memorized is posted on the ME 200 website. Because of this, ME 200 class time and resources are reserved
for developing your mastery of thermodynamics as provided by the learning objectives listed above.
4. THERMO-NUMBER: Each student will be assigned a four-digit thermo-number before the start of class.
The first digit will be the number of your division. You must include this number on all assignments
(homework, quizzes, exams, etc.) as it is used for rapidly sorting and alphabetizing the nearly 500 weekly
homework assignments, in-class quizzes, and examinations.
5. ASSIGNMENTS: The course syllabus is provided as a separate document. It provides a list of topics to be
covered during each class period, the reading to be completed before that class period, as well as the
corresponding homework assignments. Duplicates are posted on the ME 200 course website
(https://engineering.purdue.edu/ME200/).
6. As basic preparation for each lecture, you should read the assigned material before coming to class. In-class
discussion and examples are designed to help prepare you for homework assignments. Homework problems
are illustrative of those found on quizzes and examinations. However, quiz and exam problems are designed to
test your mastery of the four learning objectives; so they will not be “just like the homework.”
In addition to the reading and homework assignments, you should review your past class notes on a
daily basis. Another suggestion that is known to lead to success is to work additional problems to hone your
skills. See your instructor when you decide to do this.
You are responsible for all material listed in the syllabus and discussed in class. Note that even if your
instructor does not cover each and every topic on the course syllabus in the order that it is listed, or may not
have time in class to cover all the material listed in the syllabus, you are still responsible for all the material
that is listed in the syllabus.
7. HOMEWORK: Homework assignments consist of problems made up by the instructor. They will be
available on the ME 200 course website (https://engineering.purdue.edu/ME200/).
Homework problem(s) are assigned each class. You should attempt to solve them before coming to
class. This helps you to formulate questions about the material and concepts to be discussed in teams, as
think-pair-share, and in larger groups, plus it also helps you begin to accomplish the learning objectives.
When completing all homework problems you must follow the engineering approach to problem solving
outlined below to receive full credit.
All homework solutions must be submitted through your division’s GradeScope site. Only pdf files will
be accepted. There is a scanner in Room 2028 of the ME Building if you need one.
Homework assignments will typically be due on Friday at 4:30:00 PM. They must be submitted to
your division’s GradeScope site. The only scheduled exceptions are during the three weeks when
evening exams are held. In those three cases, the homework is due on the Monday immediately
following each exam, again at 4:30:00 PM. If there are extenuating circumstances, the course-wide
homework submission deadline may be altered. However, otherwise late homework is never accepted.
Solutions to assigned problems will be posted on the ME 200 course website
(https://engineering.purdue.edu/ME200/). Note that copying homework directly from a friend, or from a file,
or a solution manual (or any other resource) is cheating and will be handled in the same manner as cheating
on quizzes or exams (See Section 10).
Problem Solution Format
A. Use 8 1/2 by 11 inch Engineering paper, only one side and only one problem per page. If more than one
page is needed for a problem, all pages must be transmitted in order. At the top of the engineering paper
there are 5 boxes. Starting from the left:
i. Box 1: leave blank
ii. Box 2: put your name (last, first, middle)
iii. Box 3: put the problem number, e.g. SP1, SP17, SP27, etc.
iv. Box 4: put your thermo-number, e.g. 4000
v. Box 5: put the page number out of the problem/total pages for this problem, e.g. 1/3, 3/3, 2/4, etc.
B. Underneath the boxes add the information listed below. Note that substantial credit is given for each
piece of information from the following items (i through v), not just for the final answer.
i. Find: List what the problem wants you to find. You use this information to decide on the system you’ll
be analyzing, and how you’ll sketch the appropriate Energy Flow Diagram (EFD). This information
will also drive your choice of basic equation(s) for problem solution since the one(s) you chose must
include the quantity (or quantities) of interest.
ii. Energy Flow Diagram (EFD): An Energy Flow Diagram (EFD) will indicate where energy and mass
flow into/out of your system, and which forms these flows take. Your EFD will guide your choice of
terms in the basic equations that you either keep or reject.
iii. Given: Given information serves three purposes. First, it helps you determine which terms in your
basic equations you can settle on immediately. Second, it helps you determine how many basic
equations you need – the number of basic equations must be equal to the number of unknowns. Third, it
provides guidance for constructing your EFD.
iv. Assumptions: Assumptions are listed to help you eliminate terms in your basic equations. e.g.
“Steady state,” “Uniform flow,” “Ideal gas,” etc.
v. Basic Equations: Your basic equation(s) must be one(s) listed on the ME 200 basic equation sheet.
This sheet is posted on the ME 200 course website (https://engineering.purdue.edu/ME200/).
vi. Solution: Analysis of the problem, including correct units.
vii. Answer Precision: All answers, with the exception of entropy-related quantities, must be reported
using three significant figures. This is known as “three-sig-fig”. Entropy-related quantities are reported
using five significant figures.
8. EXAMINATIONS: There are three 90-minute evening examinations and one 120-minute comprehensive
final examination. The 90-minute examinations are on Wednesday evenings, starting at 8:00 PM and
ending at 9:30 PM. Make-up hourly examinations are not given. If you are ill (with acceptable medical
proof from a physician or nurse practitioner), have an emergency (with proof), or have prior approval from
your instructor to miss an examination, your score for the missed examination will be your percentage score
from your final exam. In all other cases, you will receive a grade of zero for the missed examination.
Make-up final examinations are only given in the case of a registered conflict. You must resolve this
conflict with your instructor prior to 4:30 PM on Friday, April 28. If you have a letter from the Dean of
Students indicating you won’t be taking your exam with the remainder of the students, you must notify your
instructor in the first week of classes (by Friday, January 13) so as to make alternate arrangements.
All examinations, including the final, are closed book and closed notes. The same is true of quizzes.
A list of basic equations is supplied for exams as a separate document. An identical equation sheet will be
provided to you as part of each quiz or examination.
Most importantly, the only calculator allowed during quizzes and exams is one from the TI-30X___
series. There are no exceptions to this rule. You should bring to each examination your TI-30X___
calculator, pencil(s), an eraser, and a straight edge for help when drawing systems.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The use of PDAs, Droids/iPhones (or other smart phones), Blackberries, cell
phones, laptop computers, iPads, or any other sources of communication (wireless or otherwise) are strictly
prohibited during examinations. Doing so is cheating.
If you bring a cell phone/smart phone/smart watch, or other communication device to an
examination, it must be turned off prior to the start of the exam, stored out of sight and below your
seat, and only used after you leave the examination room for the final time. Otherwise it will be
considered a form of cheating and treated as such.
9. EXAMINATION PREPARATION: In order to be properly prepared for examinations, you should be: (i)
attending and actively participating in your scheduled classes; (ii) reviewing your notes on a regular basis
(i.e. every day); and (iii) completing and studying all the homework assignments. If you neglect any aspect
of this trio, you almost certainly guarantee yourself a poor grade. In order to perform well on examinations,
you must master the four learning outcomes listed above, as well as have a clear understanding of the basic
thermodynamic concepts. This is because the examinations are developed to test your mastery of the four
learning outcomes through various types of questions that are not exactly like those you have already seen.
10. EXAMINATION GRADING: Points will be deducted if you do not follow the engineering approach to
problem solving outlined above and covered in greater detail during class. The problems will be set up so
that the Given and Find can be easily identified.
Points will be deducted if you do not construct an appropriate energy flow diagram (EFD), if you do not
list your assumptions, or if you do not list the basic equation(s) you have used.
In addition, you will lose points if you do not provide sufficient detail during your analysis so that the
grader can understand what you have done and why you have done it, i.e. which terms you dropped from
any basic equation(s) (as well as your justification for dropping those terms), where the energy interactions
are and in which direction energy flows, etc.
Finally, you must carry units through during your analyses, avoid sign errors, and correctly identify the
direction of energy flows. Problem solutions that cannot be followed because of illegibility will also lose
points.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Any form of dishonesty (including cheating) on an examination (or quiz or
homework), as defined by Section III.B.2 of the University Regulations, results in a grade of zero for that exam,
or a semester long zero for quizzes or homework, and a letter will be sent to the Dean of Students
recommending that you be placed on academic probation. After more than one such instance you will receive a
failing grade for ME 200 and a letter will be sent to the Dean of Students recommending that you be expelled
from Purdue University. Any dishonesty on the final examination will result in a zero on the final examination
and the final examination will be given the 45% weighting when calculating the course grade.
11. QUIZZES: Your instructor may give announced or unannounced quizzes during class periods for two
reasons. The first is to indicate whether you as an individual have completed the reading prior to class. The
second is to determine where the class is having difficulties with particular concepts so that the discussion
can be tailored to help resolve confusion.
There will also be ~25-minute Review Quizzes (RQs) during two of the class periods immediately prior
to each of three evening examinations. Their purpose is to help you evaluate your mastery of the learning
objectives, and each new concept, prior to being tested on the examinations.
12. HELP: There are several sources of help available outside of class. The first is the ME 200 tutorial room
(Room 2142 in the ME Building Gatewood Wing), the second is instructor office hours, the third is
Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions held each week, and the fourth is Guided Practice Session held on
the Monday prior to each evening exam. Tutorial room hours are MTWThF from 7:30 AM until 4:30 PM.
Instructor office hours will be posted on the ME 200 course website. SI session times and locations will
also be posted on the ME 200 course website
When you bring a question to the tutorial room or instructor’s office, the TA/instructor will ask to see
what you have accomplished and where you got stuck. In particular, they will ask you: to identify what you
are trying to find, to draw your EFD, to be told what basic equation(s) you think you should be using, to be
informed as to what information you were given (so they can determine if you have an equal number of
equations and unknowns), and to be provided with a list of assumptions you have made (to help reduce the
number of unknowns to be equal to the number of equations and to eliminate terms in the basic equations).
If you have not completed these steps, you will receive only suggestions as to how you should proceed
toward solving the problem. The tutorial room or instructor office hours are not for obtaining easy answers.
They exist only to assist you in the process of mastering the learning outcomes.
ME 200 supplemental instruction takes the form of four 50-minute sessions each week that are outside
of your regular class hours. These sessions are hosted by a qualified instructor, who may make a brief
presentation on a topic that is causing students some difficulty. The SI instructor may also work example
problems, answer individual student questions, etc. All are welcome to attend. SI hours, locations, and
instructors will be posted on the ME 200 course website (https://engineering.purdue.edu/ME200/).
13. COURSE GRADING: Your course grade is based on the higher score obtained from the following two
algorithms:
Three 90-minute Examinations 45% or 30%
One 120-minute Final Examination 30% or 45%
Homework 10% always
In-class Quizzes 15% always
Your instructor reserves the right to employ the left hand distribution should you miss any of the 90-minute
examinations; this eliminates the need for any make-up exams. Note that the above grading scheme allows you
to still earn a good grade for the course, even if you do poorly on one examination.
Course grading will not be more stringent than a straight-scale (90 ≤ any A; 80 ≤ any B < 90, etc.).
Grade break scores may vary from straight-scale, and may be curved; however, this cannot be known
until the end of the semester. Please don’t ask as your instructor is unable to predict the future. If
s/he were able to do that they would have won the $1+-billion lottery from a year or so ago.
Scores for homework, quizzes, and exams will be posted on Blackboard. You will need to check for any
and all discrepancies before the final exam.
14. CAMPUS EMERGENCY POLICY: In the event of a campus emergency, the course requirements,
deadlines, and grading percentages are subject to changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester
calendar. In such an event, your instructor will advise you of the new course policy by email.
15. CLASSROOM RULES: Common courtesy while in the classroom is a pre-requisite for learning. The
following is the minimum expected of all students in ME 200:
Mute all cell phones/smart phones/smart watches, PDAs, pagers, beepers, etc. before entering the lecture
room. It distracts and annoys those sitting near you when your watch, phone, beeper, or pager goes off
during lecture. If your watch/phone/PDA/etc. does go off during class, you will be called upon to
answer the next question.
No head phones on during class.
Do not read the newspaper (or any other non-course material) once lecture has started. Those behind
you cannot see the board/overhead screen through the paper. It is also insulting to your instructor.
Remove newspapers, drink cans/bottles, candy/food wrappers, and anything else you bring into the
lecture room when you leave. There are trashcans outside for any refuse, as well as containers for
recycling.
Class time is not for socializing. Conversation is welcome as it is an integral part of discussion.
However, please restrict your conversations during class to topics related to ME 200. You are welcome
to discuss course related topics while lecture is progressing. However, it is distracting and annoying to
those sitting near you if you are talking about non-class issues. Plus, you will invariably miss important
information. Finally, it is disrespectful of your instructor
16. SOME ADVICE: It is expected that you will ask questions when you don’t understand, you will actively
participate in class discussions, you will be prepared to answer when called upon and generally be alert in class.
It is also expected that you will only use your laptops or phones for ME 200-related business while in class.
Reading assignments and reviewing your class notes, and working the homework problems on a daily basis,
plus completing additional problems, is the best way to ensure you learn the material, master the learning
objectives, and are well-prepared for quizzes and examinations. Hard work is generally required because ME
200 is often the first course engineering students take where their success requires them to adopt the
engineering approach to problem solving. Do not procrastinate – once you fall behind in this class, it is very
hard to catch up.
If you continue to have difficulties, consult your instructor. S/he can almost always provide suggestions on
how you can study to improve your grade.
