Instructor:

email: skuhn@odu.edu

WWW: http://www.physics.odu.edu/~kuhn/Default.html

Office hours: Mondays and Fridays 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.in the Physics Learning Center (OCNPS Room 142), and by appointment (just ask me after class, send email or call)

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Required Textbook:

Physics 232 Laboratory Manual, published by the Department of Physics
 

Optional Textbooks:

Gonick and Huffman, The Cartoon Guide to Physics, Harper Perennial 1990

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Prerequisites:

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Required Course Work:

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Grading Scheme:

Letter grades will be given at the end of semester ONLY

Introduction

- fundamental building blocks of matter, electric charges and the forces between them

- electrostatic fields and potentials

- currents, resistance and EMF

- sources and effects of magnetic fields

- electromagnetic induction

- simple devices like capacitors, inductors, resistors, batteries, etc.

- DC and AC circuits

- electromagnetic waves

- geometrical optics (mirrors, lenses and prisms)

- optical diffraction (slits, gratings and thin films).

The purpose of this course is to introduce you to some fundamental concepts of Physics. Electromagnetism is the most-developed theory of a fundamental interaction (and confirmed with the highest precision). Practically all everyday phenomena can be ultimately explained by some law(s) of Electromagnetism. Our goal will be to introduce and gain an understanding of the underlying, unifying concepts like electric and magnetic fields. We will see that only a few concepts (and equations) can explain a huge number of observations. We will discuss some practical applications as illustrations, but the emphasis is on the conceptual foundation. Needless to say, the math will get quite involved - the predictive power of the theory requires powerful mathematical methods like integrals in space, vector fields and - simple - differential equations. If you got this far with only a shaky knowledge of calculus or algebra, now is the "moment of truth" - you will really need to master these mathematical tools to get the most out of this course.

It is important for you to strive for an active understanding right from the beginning. This means that you should not just memorize the equations, but apply your new knowledge to solve problems. For that reason, it is very important that you do the homework problems (apart from their contribution to the final grade) and attend the recitation sections (where more detailed examples can be treated than in the lecture). Since physics is a science based on observations it is also very important to do the laboratory experiments and to be well prepared for them.

This is not an easy course, but you will find the material fascinating if you put in the required effort. I believe that an average student should budget about 15-20 hours a week for this course - the reward will not only be a good grade (no guarantees, though), but also the satisfaction that comes from a deeper understanding of the physical world around you.

Some ideas how you can spend up to 20 hours:

• Come prepared: read up in the book on the topics to be discussed in the coming lecture. That way, you will already know what to expect, you can concentrate on the important concepts (instead of jotting down everything I say), and you can come up with questions you want to get answered in the lecture. — 1-2 hours
• Come to the lectures. They are not mandatory, but unless you are unusually bright (and have some extensive Physics background), you will not be able to separate the "really important" topics from the rest just by reading the book. - 3 hours
• Do the homework. Not only do you get credit for it, it is also the best preparation for the exams. For that reason, it is also a bad idea to copy somebody else’s homework (and it’s against the law = honor code). — 3-5 hours (that may fluctuate a lot)
• If you need help, go to the Physics Learning Center! - 1-2 hours
• Take the lab work serious. Prepare ahead of time (at least read up in the book about the relevant concepts and read the lab manual) and try to do the experiments well (often there will be time to redo them with slightly different parameters). Of course, lab attendance is mandatory (you may not miss more than 1 lab unless you have a valid excuse - i.e., a medical emergency). — 3-4 hours (including lab reports etc.)
• Independent study: You should try at least a couple more problems than given each week. Try to find challenging ones - if you get stuck, get help from the recitation section, the Learning Center (see below) or myself. Meet with other students (form study groups of 2-4 people) to discuss the content of the lecture and exchange ideas. (You may discuss the homework with other students, but you may not ask them for their complete solution.) Go to the library and read up on the additional literature. Of course, you’ll also have to review the material for the exams. — 1-3 hours
• Go to the recitation sections. They are mandatory anyway, but it is up to you to make them worth your while. Specifically, come prepared with a problem that you tried but had problems with, or questions about the material of the lecture, or requests for examples to illuminate specific concepts and equations. The recitation sections are there to help you with your understanding and problem solving skills, not for the instructor to showcase his or her knowledge (or introduce a fixed amount of additional information). If you have any complaints or misgivings about your recitation section, see me immediately. - 1 hour
• Go to the office hours. The TA’s, recitation section instructors and myself are glad to help you with any question (preferably about Physics!), and we are quite flexible as when and where to meet. Whether you have a specific problem (homework or otherwise) or just want to comment on the course, please come and see us. If you find you are having difficulties with the course, but don’t want to "bother" to come to office hours, you will have no-one else to blame but yourself if your final grade isn’t too hot. - 1 hour

Don't let things slip. Get into a productive work habit right from the start, turn in the homework problems on time. This course requires a sustained and strong effort, and if you wait too long to get help, you might get too far behind.

Lectures

The lectures (3 times 1 hr MWF noon) will focus on introduction and motivation of new concepts, deriving important results, demonstrating experiments and solving examples. They are not strictly mandatory, but highly recommended. During about one lecture every week there will be a short quiz given in class. The quiz will test your understanding of the important concepts introduced that week, and will be graded. The combined results from these quizzes will make up 5% of your final grade.

Exams

There will be 2 midterm exams of 50 minutes each in class, and one 3-hour final exam (also in class) covering all of the material. Bring writing paper, pen and pencil (the latter only for diagrams!), a ruler and a simple calculator, and a stapler. I will hand out a sheet of useful formulas (so you don't have to memorize them in gory detail). No books, notes and other material may be brought to the exams. Make sure that you will be able to come at the scheduled exam times. I will offer alternate dates only to people with a legitimate reason for missing an exam. If you know (or could have known) that you will have to miss an exam ahead of the scheduled date, you must inform me beforehand. In case of a sudden emergency, you may also inform me up to 48 hours afterwards. It is your responsibility to keep up with all deadlines. Make sure you follow the spirit and letter of the honor code!

Homework

Doing the homework problems is very important (it is also a good way to study for the exams). The schedule shows all homework assignments and their due dates. Note the following important change: Only one problem every week is a ("traditional") paper and pen(cil) problem, which you need to write up and turn in before the beginning of the lecture on the due date. (These problems are clearly marked in the schedule). The remaining problems must be turned in online via WebAssign - they will be due before midnight of the "due date". You can work on each assignment (not on each individual problem!) up to 5 times, so it is important not to wait until the last minute to do the assignments.  Make sure you work the whole assignment (usually 3-5 problems) on paper first (using Algebra all the way until the very end) and only then log in to WebAssign. Be aware that the numerical constants (and maybe the wording) of the online problems are different from the version in the textbook(s), so you will need to redo your math with all correct input values. Your submission will be graded instantly, and you will get feedback whether you did everything correctly. You can then improve on your answers (the whole assignment at once!) - your last submission will determine your final homework grade.

Homework due dates are firm - it is useless to try and persuade me to accept late homework. (The only exception are prolonged medical problems - please contact me as soon as possible if this applies to you). However, you may miss one homework set and still receive full credit (100%) for the final grade (i.e., your lowest homework grade - which could be zero - will be excluded from the final grade).

My interpretation of the honor code requires that each of you submit their own, self-worked-out solution to the homework problem sets. You may not copy or in any other way use the final or near-to-final write-up of a class mate (nor show yours to others). However, you may discuss the homework with your class mates and ask for hints, as long as you use only blackboards or other non-permanent means for writing.

Laboratory (see attached schedule; all labs are in OCNPS Room 0140)

This is a very important part of the course. The topics treated here may sometimes occur a little bit earlier than in the lecture or require additional material, so it is important to come prepared. (However, we have tried to minimize the time lag between lab and lecture). Also, bring all necessary items (calculators, graph paper, rulers, lab instructions etc.).

Please note the following rules:

These sessions are used to present examples and applications, to work selected assigned homework (after you have turned it in) and other problems, and, equally important, to answer your questions. Doing sample problems is a very good way to really master a concept - you cannot learn physics passively. Use the recitation sections to your advantage - they are not meant to be mini-lectures, but rather depend heavily on student involvement. For instance, it is a very good idea to choose a few extra exercises from the book (take the first odd-numbered one for each section we covered in lecture) and try to solve them. Then, if you have trouble or are unsure of your solution, bring them to Recitation and ask the instructor to explain them. Don't hesitate to ask even "stupid" questions - you will be surprised how many of your fellow students have the same question but didn't dare to ask. Taking an active role in the recitation sections will go a long way to help you get good grades in the exams.

NOTE: Recitations will start in the SECOND week (after Labor Day) only.

Learning Center

The Physics Learning Center, located in room 142 OCNPS, is a place where students can get together to work on their homework and get assistance, if needed, from physics faculty and grad students. No appointment is necessary! Students in any introductory class are encouraged to drop by the Learning Center for help on homework, lab, lecture, other course material, or just for a place to work while in the physics building.

The Physics Learning Center will be open all week during normal business hours, and some evenings. A physics staff member will be on duty to help students approximately 20 hours per week. A detailed staffing schedule will be posted on the door to Room 142 and on the web at: http://newton.physics.odu.edu/Learning.

Students are encouraged to use the room to work together on their assignments, even when a physics staff member is not available for tutoring.

Please note: The Physics Learning Center will be open starting the second week of classes.

Grades

Final grades will be computed from your grades in exams (2x10% for midterms and 30% for final), homework (25%), in-class quizzes (5%) and lab (20%). Therefore, I cannot "predict" a letter grade for you before the end of the semester. However, you can keep track yourself how you are doing by adding your scores in the tests and homework. I do not "grade on a curve", i.e. it is irrelevant for your own grade how well the others in the class are doing. As a rough estimate, you can assume that 80% or better will translate into an "A", 65% - 80% into a B, 50% - 65% into a C and 40% - 50% into a D. Overall scores below that will mean that you fail the course. (These limits may seem rather generous, but you should also expect rather challenging problems on the exams!)

My interpretation of the Honor Code

1) I consider it advantageous if students discuss material and content of the lectures and homework problems with each other, and encourage that kind of cooperation.

• You may pose questions about a problem to another student (as well as the TA's, myself and the Learning Center staff).
• You may discuss verbally the content and methods of solution of a problem.
• If you need to use writing to explain something to another student (or vice versa), use a blackboard or other clearly non-permanent means (scratch paper).

• Do not allow other students to peruse your final (or close to final) write-up of the solution.
• You have to contribute significant work to each problem yourself.
• You need to make sure that you clearly understood everything you wrote down. This is a useful test of whether getting outside help is allowed; I may use it to prove or disprove claims of unethical copying.
• All written submissions must be prepared by yourself.

Finally, I want to remind everyone of the University policy: Any official sanction for cheating, including the assignment of a grade of F for a quiz or for a course as a penalty for cheating, will appear on the student's permanent academic transcript!