PHYSICS 230
General Physics with Calculus
Davidson College, Spring 2006
Professor John Yukich
joyukich@davidson.edu
Dana 169
TEL: 894-2323
TEXT: Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics, Randall Knight,
with Physlet Physics, Christian and Belloni.
LECTURE: MWF 10:30 AM – 11:20 PM, Dana 146
LABORATORY: Monday or Wednesday, 2:30 – 5:30 PM, Dana 127
OFFICE HOURS: will be announced and posted after consultation with the class; however, I will
generally be available any time my door is open.
OBJECTIVES: This course is the second half of a two-semester sequence of introductory physics
taught with calculus. Topics will include electricity, magnetism, optics, and modern physics. The
primary objectives of the course are to develop your understanding of fundamental physical
principles and to develop your analytical and problem solving skills. Working lots of problems from
the text, or similar texts, is essential to meeting these objectives! The assigned homework is really
only a sample of important problems and I expect all students to work additional problems
independently, or with my assistance.
ATTENDANCE: The attendance policy for this course follows the college’s 25% rule. Please
initial the roll on the side board each day in lecture. Attendance is also required at all reviews and
labs. Each student is responsible for material presented in class and announcements made in class.
Your understanding of the lectures will be greatly enhanced by studying the relevant text material
before class!
CLASS FORMAT: The class format will be a combination of traditional lecture, worked problems,
demonstrations, numerical and conceptual exercises, and hopefully spirited discussion!
HOMEWORK: Homework assignments will be made on a regular basis, consisting of questions
and problems taken from the text. Homework sets for a chapter will be turned in to be graded at the
beginning of the next class meeting following the end of that chapter in lecture (with some
exceptions; see schedule below). I strongly urge each student to discuss the homework assignments
with other students; however, each homework set must be a product of the student’s own
understanding of the assignment. This means that you may discuss each other’s problem-solving
strategies and solutions, and you may even look at one another’s work (with the other student’s
permission, of course!). However, copying another student’s work is a violation of the honor code as
it applies to this class. Simply stated, you must write up your own solutions without simultaneously
looking at another student’s work. The word “PLEDGED”, along with your signature, on the
homework set signifies your compliance with the above policy. Late or unpledged work will not be
accepted, and unsupported work will not be given full credit.
REVIEWS/FINAL: There will be three reviews during the semester, each one composed of
problems and questions related to the topics found in the homework assignments, lectures and
laboratory assignments. Also, three pledged take-home quizzes will be announced in advance. The
final exam will be a self-scheduled, closed-book, comprehensive examination following the same
format as the reviews. For examples of past reviews, check the on-line archived reviews.
GRADING: Homework 15%, Reviews 42%, Quizzes 3%, Lab 15%, Final Exam 25%.
LABORATORY: The weekly laboratory sessions will help bring to life the fundamental physics
discussed in class and in the text. The labs will develop your familiarity with physical apparatus and
methods of scientific inquiry, and enhance your understanding of the basic principles of physics. For
this part of the course, you should purchase a laboratory notebook with an inside pocket (for
handouts). Although the lab handouts are available on the web, I urge each student to purchase the $4
paper version of the handouts. Further details regarding this part of the course will be discussed
during the first lab session (see schedule below).
DATE
CHAPTER
HOMEWORK
DUE
Jan. 9
Jan. 11
Jan. 13
Intro, Ch. 25: Electric charges and forces
Ch. 25
Ch. 26: The electric field
Jan. 16
Jan. 18
Jan. 20
MLK Day
Ch. 26
Ch. 26,27: Gauss’s Law
Jan. 23
Jan. 25
Jan. 27
Ch. 27
Ch. 27,29: Electric potential
Ch. 29
Ch. 26
Jan. 30
Feb. 1
Feb. 3
Ch. 30: Potential and field
Ch. 30, 28: Current and conductivity
Ch. 28, 31: Circuits
Ch. 29
Feb. 6
Feb. 8
Feb. 10
Ch. 31
Ch. 31,32: Magnetic fields
Rev. #1 (Chs. 25-30)
Ch. 28
Feb. 13
Feb. 15
Feb. 17
Ch. 32
Ch. 32
Ch. 32,33: Induction
Ch. 31
Feb. 20
Feb. 22
Feb. 24
Ch. 33
Ch. 33
Ch. 34: EM fields and waves
Ch. 32
2/27-3/3
Spring Break !
Ch. 25
(None)
Ch. 27
LAB
Assessment and Lab#1:
Electrostatics
No lab
Lab #2: Electric Fields &
Potentials
Lab #3: Ohm’s Law
Ch. 30
Lab #4: DC Circuits
Lab #5: Magnetic Fields and
Forces
Ch. 33
(None)
Lab #6: Oscilloscopes and
Meters
No lab
Mar. 6
Mar. 8
Mar. 10
Ch. 34
Ch. 35: AC circuits
Ch. 35
Mar. 13
Mar. 15
Mar. 17
Ch. 22: Wave optics
Ch. 22
Rev. #2 (Chs. 31-35)
Ch. 35
Mar. 20
Mar. 22
Mar. 24
Ch. 23: Ray optics
Ch. 36: Relativity
Ch. 36
Ch. 22
Ch. 23
Mar. 27
Mar. 29
Mar. 31
Ch. 37: End of classical physics
Ch. 37
Ch. 38: Quantum physics, Bohr model
Ch. 36
Apr. 3
Apr. 5
Apr. 7
Ch. 38
Ch. 39: Wave functions & uncertainty
Apr. 10
Apr. 12
Apr. 14
Ch. 40: Quantum mechanics
Ch. 40
Apr. 17
Apr. 19
Apr. 21
Easter break!
Ch. 41
Rev. #3 (Chs. 22-23, 36-39)
Apr. 24
Apr. 26
Apr. 28
Ch. 41
Ch. 42: Nuclear physics
Ch. 42
May 1
May 3
May 5
Ch. 42
Recap/evaluation
FINALS BEGIN
Ch. 34
Assessment
Lab #7: AC Circuits
Ch. 37
Ch. 38
Lab #8: Lenses and Mirrors
Lab #9: Interference
& diffraction
Lab #10: Relativity
Ch. 39
Ch. 39
Lab #11: Atomic Spectra
Ch. 40, 41: Atomic physics
(None)
Ch. 40
Ch. 41
(None)
Mon. – No lab
Wed. – Lab #12: Nuclear
Counting
Mon. – Lab #12
Wed. – No lab
No lab
N.B.: The above outline is the intended schedule. Inevitably some adjustments will be necessary;
however, I will give ample notice before changes are made.