PHYS 231 – Electricity, Magnetism and Waves
10:00 – 10:50 AM, location tba
Spring 2016
Lecture
MWF
(most likely MC 102 or MC 106)
Instructors
Dr. Christoph Geiss
McCook 105
Christoph.Geiss@trincoll.edu
x 4191
Office hours
Tue
1:00 – 2:30 PM
(or by appointment – don’t be shy, talk to me, send me an e-mail, and we’ll find a time.)
Text
Physics for Scientists and Engineers by R. Knight, 3rd ed., either paper copy or e-text,
need to include access to Mastering Physics separately (see below)
Class Preparation and Homework Assignments:
I expect you to do the reading before you come to class. Reading assignments for each
lecture will be posted on Moodle. Reading a physics textbook (and pretty much any science
textbook) means to read the text, look at the pretty pictures, study the diagrams and work the
examples. You’ll get the most out of the book if you really give the examples a try. Cover up the
answer with a big post-it note, take out paper and pencil and start working the problem. Spend
at least a few minutes on it. If you figure it out – congratulations – but make sure that you have
a similar approach that Knight uses. The book is really good in developing techniques on how to
successfully solve Physics problems – even when you don’t know the answer beforehand. If you
can’t figure it out: study the answer and try to understand the approach.
To encourage you to read the book we’ll have a pre-quiz before every class. It is due at 8
AM, so you might want to do it the night before, or if you are an early riser, any time before 8
AM. The prequiz questionnaire also contains a feedback question, where you can tell me the
parts of the chapter that you found especially confusing or interesting.
Weekly homework assignments will also be posted on Mastering Physics. I am well
aware that every single problem can be googled. In that case you probably will get yourself
some guaranteed 10% of the total score. Nevertheless, I advise on doing the assignments
yourself. What you gain in home works and pre-quizzes you’ll be almost guaranteed to lose
twice or threefold in quizzes and exams.
Weekly Quizzes:
We’ll have a very brief (10 min. max) quiz every Wednesday, except for exam weeks.
You can drop your lowest quiz score.
2016 PHYS 231 INTRO.DOCX
October 19, 2015
Hour Exams and Final Exam:
We will have four hour exams. You can bring one page of handwritten notes (on my
paper) to the exam, so you do not have to memorize any equations and formulas. These four
hour exams mostly focus on the material covered since the last exam, but many of these
problems have to be considered in context, so you may well be asked to relate recent material
to problems covered earlier in the course. There will be a cumulative final at the (yet to be
determined) time slot assigned to our class.
Make-up Exams and Extra Time on Exams:
Make-up exams are only available to students with legitimate excuses for missing
exams, such as severe illness, death in immediate family, or participation in academic or College
athletic event. If you must miss an exam please come see me long before the exam (or as soon
as possible in case of an emergency) with proper documentation. There will be no exceptions to
this policy.
If you are allowed extra time for exams, please come see me soon after the semester
begins, not the day of the exam. I am more than happy to accommodate individual student
needs but, in accordance with College policy, I must learn of these procedures ahead of time.
All these quizzes and exams serve several purposes: First, they give you immediate
feedback on how well you are doing in class. Second they force you to keep up with the material
throughout the semester, rather than studying just for the exams. Finally, they reduce the
impact of one bad grade on your final score.
Yes, it’s a lot of quizzes and exams …
… but let’s be honest: the only way you’ll learn physics is by doing problems and staying
on the ball. Weekly quizzes encourage you to develop sound learning habits (cramming the
night before an exam is a waste of time: study every day and go to sleep before the exam). In
addition, four exams mean that if you do poorly on one exam you still have three more to go.
No, I won’t let you drop the lowest exam score.
Class Attendance:
I expect you to come to class, but I will not take attendance. You are old enough to plan
your own schedule, so you decide whether you want to attend class or not. Obviously you’ll be
missing out on whatever we cover that day and you are responsible to figure out what we did in
class. If you were sick and could not attend I have no problem helping you out. If you overslept
or just plain skipped – you’re out of luck.
Vacation, extended trips over Trinity days, cheaper Spring Vacation tickets etc. are no reason
to miss class or an exam etc..
2016 PHYS 231 INTRO.DOCX
October 19, 2015
Grading Policy:
in-class assignments and pre-quizzes
homework
weekly quizzes (can drop lowest score)
4 hour exams (10% each)
final exam
(time - tbd)
lab grade
5%
10%
10%
40%
15%
20 %
Grades are not based on a curve, so you won’t compete with your fellow students. I
encourage you to study together and work on the homework problems together. Teamwork can
help you to achieve this goal, but merely copying your colleague’s homework assignment won’t
get you very far. To clarify this point further: it is OK to study together, explain the problems to
each other, kick ideas around, and even arrive at a solution together. It is not OK to take a
fellow student’s ready-made solution and submit it as your own.
Academic (Dis)honesty:
I expect you to be honest and your own work. If you have any concerns about academic
dishonesty, read the corresponding chapter in the student handbook or come and see me.
Mastering Physics:
We will use the Mastering Physics homework management system in this course. You
should have access to it already. If not, you can buy access to Mastering Physics on the web site
listed below.
http://www.masteringphysics.com/site/login.html






Follow the Register (as a student) link
Select No, I need to purchase online access now
Select your textbook Knight, Jones and Field 3rd ed. (you can also opt for an e-book at this
point, you could also buy the print version of the book plus Mastering Physics access from
Pearson as a bundle – it’s up to you, but you need it fast)
Accept their privacy policy
Select No, I do not have an online account (unless you have one already, then you can add
your course to your account)
Create a login name and password
And that’s as far as I get without shelling out 50 bucks.
You need to register for the following course: MPGEISS48607 and need your student ID.
Also (this should be obvious): This is where you get homework credit, so don’t try to be funny at
registration giving yourself some goofy name… I need to know who you are in order to give you
credit.
Finally: every single one of you needs their own account.
2016 PHYS 231 INTRO.DOCX
October 19, 2015
Date
Day
Topic
1/25/2015
1/27/2015
1/29/2015
Mon
Wed
Fri
Chapter 20 - Travelling waves
Chapter 20 - Travelling waves
Chapter 21 - Superposition
2/1/2015
2/3/2015
2/5/2015
Mon
Wed
Fri
Chapter 21 - Superposition
Chapter 25 - Electric Charges / Forces
1st exam (chapters 20 - 21)
2/8/2015
2/10/2015
2/12/2015
Mon
Wed
Fri
Chapter 25 - Electric Charges / Forces
Chapter 25 - Electric Charges / Forces
Chapter 26 - The electric field
2/15/2015
2/17/2015
2/19/2015
Mon
Wed
Fri
Chapter 26 - The electric field
Chapter 26 - The electric field
Chapter 26 - The electric field
2/22/2015
2/24/2015
2/26/2015
Mon
Wed
Fri
Trinity Days
Chapter 27 - Gauss' Law
Chapter 27 - Gauss' Law
2/29/2015
3/2/2015
3/4/2015
Mon
Wed
Fri
Chapter 28 - The electric potential
Chapter 28 - The electric potential
2nd exam (chapters 25 - 27)
3/7/2015
3/9/2015
3/11/2015
Mon
Wed
Fri
Chapter 28 - The electric potential
Chapter 29 - Potential and field
Chapter 29 - Potential and field
3/14/2015
3/16/2015
3/18/2015
Mon
Wed
Fri
Spring Vacation
3/21/2015
3/23/2015
3/25/2015
Mon
Wed
Fri
Chapter 29 - Potential and field
Chapter 30 - Current and Resistance
Chapter 30 - Current and Resistance
3/28/2015
3/30/2015
4/1/2015
Mon
Wed
Fri
Chapter 31 - Fundamentals of Circuits
Chapter 31 - Fundamentals of Circuits
3rd exam (chapters 28 - 30)
4/4/2015
4/6/2015
4/8/2015
Mon
Wed
Fri
Chapter 31 - Fundamentals of Circuits
Chapter 31 - Fundamentals of Circuits
Chapter 32 - The Magnetic Field
2016 PHYS 231 INTRO.DOCX
October 19, 2015
4/11/2015
4/13/2015
4/15/2015
Mon
Wed
Fri
Chapter 32 - The Magnetic Field
Chapter 32 - The Magnetic Field
Chapter 32 - The Magnetic Field
4/18/2015
4/20/2015
4/22/2015
Mon
Wed
Fri
Chapter 33 - Electromagnetic Induction
Chapter 33 - Electromagnetic Induction
Chapter 33 - Electromagnetic Induction
4/25/2015
4/27/2015
4/29/2015
Mon
Wed
Fri
Chapter 34 - Electromagnetic waves
Chapter 34 - Electromagnetic waves
Chapter 34 - Electromagnetic waves
5/2/2015
Mon
4th exam (chapters 31 - 34)
Final
2016 PHYS 231 INTRO.DOCX
final (cumulative) time: tbd
October 19, 2015