Physics Department
PH 202
Course Assessment Spring 2010
Student Learning Outcomes
The results were barely acceptable considering PH201 is a prerequisite. The performance level for most
of the learning outcomes was below 60% achieving good/excellent with two below 55%. One of those
outcomes was related to capacitance a topic many of the students had some experience with as they
were electrical technology students. The department will have discussions with the ECET department to
determine if there is a similar level of performance on the same topic in ET courses and is the issue a
concern. In any case the situation will be monitored closely over the next year before any department
wide changes will be discussed.
General Education Objectives
The objectives addressed by this course are:
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write, read, listen and speak clearly and effectively,
use analytical reasoning skills and apply logic to solve problems,
use quantitative skills and mathematical reasoning to solve problems,
use information management skills effectively for academic research and lifelong learning,
integrate knowledge and skills in major field and across disciplines,
use personal and collaborative skills for personal growth and to establish constructive
relationships in a diverse society and
identify concepts and methods of the mathematical, physical and biological sciences and make
judgments about contemporary issues in science and technology
Performance in general was acceptable with over 63% performing at the good/excellent level. The
performance on “integrate knowledge and skills in major field and across disciplines” and
“use personal and collaborative skills for personal growth and to establish constructive relationships in a
diverse society” warrants close monitoring in the future as the good/excellent performance rate was 56%
on both.
PH 202: Course Outcomes
Describe simple harmonic motion. Use Hook's law to solve simple problems. Analyze problems
in which a mass hangs from a spring and oscillates vertically or horizontally.
Utilize the principles of reflection and refraction to solve simple problems. Use Snell’s law to
relate the directions of the incident ray and the refracted ray. Use ray diagrams to find
properties of images form by curve mirrors and lenses.
Use concept of interference to find interference maxima and minima for two sources. Solve
simple problems in Young's double slit experiment. Identify intensity patterns of single and
double slit diffraction.
Use coulomb's law to calculate net force on a charge due to combination of charges. Utilize the
concepts of electric field and potential to calculate electric field and potential of a given point.
Define capacitance and the function of capacitors. Calculate equivalent capacitor for series and
parallel combinations. Analyze problems involving capacitance, charge, and voltage.
Solve problems using electric current and resistance, series & parallel resistors and their
equivalent resistance. Calculate the power dissipated through a resistor in network of resistors
connected to a power supply.
Use Ohm's law and Kirchhoff's laws to solve simple circuit problems. Describe the proper use
of voltmeters and ammeters.
Solve problems of magnetic force acting on charge particle moving in magnetic field or current
wire placed in a magnetic field. Use Ampere's law to calculate magnetic field due to long
current wires. Use Faraday's and Lenz's laws to calculate induced e.mfs.
Calculate impedance of simple series RLC circuits at a given frequency. Draw phase diagrams
for series RLC circuits. Describe and calculate resonance frequency of a RLC circuit. Calculate
RMS current and voltage.
Perform experiments as described in the rubrics and draw meaningful conclusions from data
and present them as part of a clear, well-organized lab report.