Section #: 590986
Class Time: TR 1:30PM - 2:55PM
Room: 7/277
Instructor: Douglas H. Laurence
Office: 7/135
Office Hours: M, T, W, R from 3:00P - 4:00P
For this course, you will be required to buy two items:
- Textbook: Physics, 5th ed., James S. Walker. MasteringPhysics will not be used in this class, so you don't need to purchase a copy of the book that provides the code or buy an individual code. In place of homework, we will have weekly quizzes, though study assignments will be assigned from the textbook, so to maximize your studying capabilities in this course, I recommend buying the current edition of the required text.
- Other Materials: A scientific calculator, NOT a graphing calculator or any type of programmable calculator, which will NOT be allowed on exams
During the semester, we will cover the following topics:
- Mathematics review
- Electrostatics
- Electrodynamics/Circuits
- Magnetism
- Geometric Optics
- Introduction to Modern Physics
- Relativity: Special relativity (Ch. 29) and Cosmology. Relativity is Einstein's study of objects that are either moving very fast (special relativity) or are very massive (general relativity).
- Quantum Mechanics: Quantum physics (Ch. 30); Atomic physics (Ch. 31); and Nuclear physics & nuclear radiation (Ch. 32). Quantum mechanics is the study of the really small, like particles, nuclei, and atoms.
The exams will be a mixture of multiple choice questions and free response problems, with 10 multiple choice questions worth 2.5 points each (total of 25 points) and 3 free response problems worth 25 points each (total of 75 points). There will actually be FOUR available free response problems, of which you only need to answer THREE; you CANNOT do the fourth problem for extra credit. The material covered on each exam is going to break down like:
- Exam 1: Chapters 19 - 21
- Exam 2: Chapters 22 - 23 and 25 - 26
- Exam 3: Modern Physics (Chapters TBD)
- Final: All material covered on previous exams
At the start of every week, on a Tuesday unless otherwise stated, we will have a short quiz at the end of the first class. This quiz will have two questions: one conceptual, multiple-choice question, and one problem involving computation, which may or may not be multiple-choice. Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped in the calculation of your final grade.
Tentative Course Schedule:
Updated June 19
| WEEK | TUESDAY | THURSDAY | REVIEW QUESTIONS |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 14 | Math Review / Electric Force | Electric Force / Electric Field | Lecture 1, Lecture 2 |
| May 21 | Electric Field / Gauss' Law | Gauss' Law | Lecture 3 |
| May 28 | Class Cancelled | Class Cancelled | |
| June 4 | Electric Energy | Electric Energy | |
| June 11 | Exam 1 Review | Exam 1 | |
| June 18 | DC Circuits | DC Circuits | Lecture 7 |
| June 25 | DC Circuits | Magnetism | June 28 |
| July 2 | Magnetism | Faraday's Law | |
| July 9 | Exam 2 Review | Exam 2 | |
| July 16 | Geometric Optics | Modern Physics | |
| July 23 | Modern Physics | Exam 3 Review | |
| July 30 | Exam 3 | Final Exam Review | |
| August 6 | Final Exam | Classes End |
Grading Scheme:
| Quizzes | 15 points |
| Lowest-Graded Exam | 10 points |
| Mid-Graded Exam | 20 points |
| Highest-Graded Exam | 25 points |
| Final Exam | 30 points |
| Total | 100 points |
|---|
Grading Sale:
| Letter Grade | Points Earned |
|---|---|
| A | 85.0 - 100.0 |
| B | 75.0 - 84.9 |
| C | 65.0 - 74.9 |
| D | 55.0 - 64.9 |
| F | < 55.0 |