Physics 211
General Physics
Fall 2002
Office Hours:
Monday 1:30-3:20pm in 112 NSCIWednesday 2:30-4:30pm in 112 NSCI
Additionally, a help room will be staffed to answer homework related questions. This will be in the Physics conference room (122NSF) and will be staffed at various times each day (the schedule is posted on the Rm122 door).
Formula sheets (PDF format)
Links to Web info (to help with your project)
Link to Auroral Forecast at the GI
Grades Now available
This syllabus is located at: http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/211.html
Course Syllabus
Prerequisites: Calculus and high school physics. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus will be used extensively.
Materials Needed:
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Required Text: |
Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 5th edition, Serway,
Beichner. |
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Calculators: |
No calculators may be used during exams or quizzes. Otherwise, buy yourself a nice one. A basic, simple scientific calculator with trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions is all that you need. |
Lectures: 10:30am MWF in 201A NSCI or 5:50PM MWF in 202 NSCI. The lectures supplement but do not substitute for the reading. Lectures will cover the major topics, emphasizing and discussing the important points. They are not sessions to regurgitate material already written in the text. Your personal participation is important, and it is critical that you read the assigned material before lecture. Time permitting, several Friday lectures will cover special topics beyond the scope of the text. These will be announced before hand.
Homework: There will be approximately one
homework assignment per week. The assignment will be given out (and posted on
the web and in the hall in front of my office) on Wednesdays and will be due
in on the following Thursday by 5:00PM (note new
time). Place your homework in the appropriate box in the Physics
Department Office. You are encouraged to work with others on the homework, but
make sure the paper you turn in is not simply copied from someone else. These
assignments help me assess your understanding of the material, and will count
toward your final grade.
Late problem sets will not be
accepted.
Only a selection of problems will be graded each week, totaling about
25 points each. Solution sets will be posted in the glass cabinet in
the Physics Dept. hall. You are
strongly encouraged get copies to
help you understand how to approach these problems; it will likely
help on tests.
Quizzes: 6 short quizzes will be given in class during the semester. They will be closed book and no calculators allowed (or needed). All difficult formulas needed will be given and the quiz will be similar to some of the recent homework. The quizzes will be announced in class and on the schedule page at least one week in advance.
Project: There will be a project due worth a maximum of approximately 10% of the course grade. The project will be in the form of a web page on a topic in physics that you find interesting and we agree on together. These topics could include biographies of important scientists, scientific projects and scientific ideas. The topic must be agreed to by Oct 18th and must be competed by Nov. 27th. They will be graded both for presentation and content. More details will be discussed in class.
Labs: There is a lab
associated with this course. ALL
labs and reports must be completed to get a passing grade for the
lab.
A PASSING GRADE IN THE LAB IS NECESSARY TO
PASS THE COURSE.
Questions about the lab should be directed to the teaching assistant in charge
of your lab or as a last resort me.
Hour Exams: Exams will be given during the Friday lecture as follows:
Oct. 11, approx. Chapters 1-7 Nov 11, approx. Chapters 7-12
The exams will be closed-book, but you will be given one side of an 8 1/2 x 11-inch sheet with most of the needed equations. No calculators are allowed. The exams will be graded and handed back as soon as possible. Solutions will be discussed and posted.
Final Exam: The final exam will be at 10:15 am (for morning class) and 5:45PM (for evening class) on Wednesday, Dec 18. It will cover the entire course (Chapters 1-18), with some emphasis on the more recent material. The final will be closed-book, but you will be given two sides of an 8 1/2 x 11-inch sheet with most of the needed equations.
Grading: The course grade will
consist of the following components:
2 hour exams 30 % Final exam 25 % Homework 10 % Quizzes 10 % Project 10 % Lab 15 %
Contacting Me: I have office hours as listed above. You can drop by at other times if I'm not busy, or make an appointment. I am (almost) never available before class.
Complaints and Concerns: You are always welcome to talk to me about anything, however, if you have a non-subject matter question or concern that cannot be resolved by me contact the department chair, Dr. Watkins, Physics Department Office, room 102 NSCI.
Alternate References: To see
the same topics explained differently, try the following:
Fundamentals of Physics, 5th or 6th edition, Halliday, Resnick, Walker Here is a good web site on how to study physics which might be of interest and use: How to study physics
General Advice: Physics is not
something you read and memorize, rather it is something you learn how
to do. Try the following study procedure: