PHYS-112
General Physics II
Syllabus: Spring 2014
West Virginia University
Please read this document very carefully and completely
before asking questions about the course.
Instructor Information
Instructor:
Office Location:
Telephone:
Email:
Office Hours:
Prof. Alan D. Bristow
439 White Hall
304 293-5193
adbristow@mix.wvu.edu
Mon. and Thurs. 10:30 – 11:30 pm
Course Identification
Course Number:
Course Name:
Class Location:
Class Times:
Prerequisites:
GEC Objectives:
Credits Hours:
PHYS-112 (Sect 001, CRN 11590)
General Physics II
G9 White Hall
MTRF: 9:30-10:20
Physics 111
G02B or G02C
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Course Description/Overview
Physics 112 serves as a calculus based introduction to Electromagnetism and Optics. Students
will investigate the principles of introductory physics through lectures, laboratory experiments,
and homework problems. Student understanding will be assessed using weekly quizzes and
midterm exams. Critical thinking about physics problems is emphasized. Active learning
techniques, including clickers, are used. Active learning requires that you read ahead of the class
and do not expect to learn everything you need to know to succeed in the course from the class
material alone. An example of this is the read-ahead clicker questions. Reading and writing your
own notes, performing practice questions and credit-worthy assignments will prepare you for
exams and quizzes. Active learning means that each student is in charge of his/her own learning
and the instructor’s role is only to guide the students with material and resources.
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PHYS-112
General Physics II
Course Learning Objectives
1. Students will develop a working knowledge of the principles and concepts of universitylevel, calculus-based physics.
2. Students will be able to construct complete and correct solutions to physics problems
beginning from concepts and ending with a labeled answer.
3. Students will be able to conduct simple laboratory experiments that demonstrate these laws.
Course Resources
Required Course Texts
 Ch.21-36 of Young and Freedman, University Physics (Ed.13th) with MasteringPhysics code
 WVU Physics 112 Laboratory Manual (bring to lab)
Course Websites
 Mastering Physics http://www.masteringphysics.com (for HW assignments)
 WVU eCampus http://ecampus.wvu.edu
 Facebook Group page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/496641297080274/
Course Supplies
You will need (i) an iClicker2 for in-class participation and (ii) a non-programmable scientific
calculator to use on the quizzes and exams. Basic scientific calculation is required, but graphing
and memory options are not required. (You may not use cell phone calculators or other similar
products. If you have a question about your calculator, show it to me before the 1st quiz.)
Grade Assignment
Min Letter Grade
AB
C
D
F
Percentage
90.0% to 100%
77.5% to 89.9%
65.0% to 77.4%
52.5% to 64.9%
52.4% and below
Grade percentages will be based on the following breakdown:
Final Exam (Cumulative)
Midterm Exam 1
Midterm Exam 2
Midterm Exam 3
Quizzes
Mastering Physics Homework
Clickers
Lab
Total
2
20%
10%
10%
10%
10%
15%
10%
15%
100%
PHYS-112
General Physics II
Quizzes
There will be in-class quizzes during the semester on each of the chapters. Quizzes will mostly
take place on Thursdays unless otherwise stated in the schedule; see page 6 for details. Quiz
questions will be based on the homework assignment just completed. If you are absent your
score is zero. Quizzes cannot be made up. Quiz grade will be based on 11 of the 13 quizzes,
assuming you partake in the pretest and posttest program. Your work on quizzes is expected to be
your own, without the aid of other students or other unauthorized aid. If your work is not your
own, you will receive a zero for the entire quiz portion of your final grade.
Exams
There will be three midterm exams and a cumulative final exam. Midterm exams will be held on
Thursday evenings on February 11, March 18 and April 8. Two of the three midterm exams
will count towards you exam score and there will be no make-up exams, due to the large number
of students taking the exams. The third will be an average of the best two. You are expected to
take all three midterm exams.
The final exam will be held at 7 pm – 9 pm on Thursday December 12. In the event of an
authorized university activity conflicting with an exam, please provide official documentation to
arrange a solution. Those with course related exam conflicts must see me during the first week of
class. In the rare case that classes are cancelled on an exam date, the exam will be rescheduled at
the instructor’s discretion.
Exams will be closed book. You will not be allowed to use a formula sheet or notes of any kind.
You may use a non-programmable scientific calculator as described above. Bring your student
ID when submitting your exam. Cell phones, backpacks, and other non-exam materials should be
left at home or you will be asked to place them at the front of the room during the exam. Your
work on exams is expected to be your own, without the aid of other students or other
unauthorized aid. If your work is not your own, you will receive a zero on the exam.
Clickers
The “iClicker2” system will be used extensively during the lectures to encourage active student
engagement. The clicker component of your final grade is 9%. I will use predominantly use
clickers for two things: pre-reading questions at the beginning of lecture and clicker tutorials
during the lecture. For each clicker question you answer, you will earn 4 clicker points for
participating (regardless of being correct or not).
Pre-Reading Questions: At the end of each lecture I will post 3 multiple choice questions
pertaining to the sections of the book that we will cover the following day. You will be
responsible for reading those sections and finding the answers to these multiple choice questions.
At the beginning of class the next day we will go through those same questions. You will earn 8
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PHYS-112
General Physics II
clicker points for each correct answer (plus the 4 points you earn for simply answering the
question). You are expected to get these questions correct. Check the schedule for the sections to
prepare for each upcoming lecture.
Clicker Tutorials: During the lecture I will also ask tutorial and concept clicker questions.
Answering these questions correctly will earn you 1 clicker point per question.
The overall clicker grade will be calculated out of 80% of the total number of possible clicker
points. This means that you will need to be present with your clicker to earn clicker points.
Don’t forget your clicker!
Homework
Homework assignments will be completed online using the Mastering Physics website.
You will need to register for this service using the access code packaged in the Student Access
Kit with your text. If your text is a used book, you can purchase an access code at the Mastering
Physics website. The access code you used for physics 111 should still work for this course. Use
your MIX ID in all lowercase as your student ID when enrolling. This means that if your
MIX email is jsmith@mix.wvu.edu, you should use jsmith as your student ID. Once you have
registered or logged on to an old registration, you will need the Course ID for this course to
proceed, which is: PHYS112BRISTOW2014S
Homework assignments will be assigned on a chapter-by-chapter basis and will typically be due
a day or two after we finish a chapter; see page 6 for details. The homework must be submitted
at 11:59 pm on the due date. No extensions will be given on the mastering physics homework
assignments for any reason. Homework assignments will be available many days in advance of
the due date – there are absolutely no reasons why it cannot be completed in time.
Lab
You must be enrolled in a lab to take PHYS-112. Labs begin the second week of class and are
taught by Teaching Assistants (TAs). Please direct your lab questions to the lab TA. Quizzes and
exams will be returned by the Lab TA, please learn their names.
Teaching and Learning Assistants
Teaching assistants will administer the lab portion of the course and will carry out grading of
exams and quizzes. Learning assistant (LAs) will administer the tutorial portion of course and
provide additional advice on the material. LA help session hours will be posted by the second
week of the semester. Please use the LAs to help with material that you are struggling with, since
they have recently had to struggle with it themselves.
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PHYS-112
General Physics II
Extra Credit
Extra credit is a concept that many students feel is a way to make up for poor performance. Extra
credit simply takes focus away from the myriad assignments and assessment tools already in
place. Firstly, the instructor will not respond to requests for extra credit; please do not ask.
Second, extra credit components may be added to the course at the discretion of the instructors.
Academic Integrity Statement
The integrity of the classes offered by any academic institution solidifies the foundation of its
mission and cannot be sacrificed to expediency, ignorance, or blatant fraud. Therefore, I will
enforce rigorous standards of academic integrity in all aspects and assignments of this course.
For the detailed policy of West Virginia University regarding the definitions of acts considered
to fall under academic dishonesty and possible ensuing sanctions, please see the Student Conduct
Code at http://studentlife.wvu.edu/studentconductcode.html. Should you have any questions
about possibly improper research citation or references, or any other activity that may be
interpreted as an attempt at academic dishonesty, please see me before the assignment is due to
discuss the matter.
Social Justice
West Virginia University committed to social justice. I concur with that commitment and expect
to maintain a positive learning environment based upon open communication, mutual respect,
and non-discrimination. Our university does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age,
disability, veteran’s status, religion, sexual orientation, color, or national origin. Any suggestions
as to how to further such a positive and open environment in this class will be appreciated and
given serious consideration.
If you are a person with a disability and anticipate needing any type of accommodation in order
to participate in this class please advise ma and make appropriate arrangements with the Office
of Disability Services (304-293-6700).
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PHYS-112
General Physics II
Schedule (Subject to Change)
Week
Monday
Jan 6
Tuesday
Jan 7
Wednesday
Jan 8
Thursday
Jan 9
Intro; Math quiz
Jan 13
Pretest
Jan 14
Ch21.3-4
Jan 15
Week 2
Jan 16
Ch21.5-6
Jan 20
No Class
Jan 21
Q21, Ch22.1
Jan 22
Week 3
Jan 23
Ch22.2-3
Jan 27
Q22, Ch23.1
Jan 28
Ch23.2-3
Jan 29
Week 4
Jan 30
Ch23.3-4
Feb 3
Q23, Ch24.1-2
Feb 4
Ch24.3
Feb 5
Week 5
Feb 6
Ch24.4-5
Feb 10
Q24, Ch25.1
Feb 13
Ch25.4-5
Feb 17
Q25, Ch26.1-2
Feb 19
Week 7
Feb 11
Ch25.2-3
Exam 1(C21-24)
Feb 18
Ch26.2-3
Feb 12
Week 6
Feb 20
Ch26.4-5
Feb 24
Q26, Ch27.4-5
Feb 25
Ch27.5-6
Feb 26
Week 8
Feb 27
Ch27.6-7
Mar 3
Q27, Ch28.1-2
Mar 4
Ch28.2-3
Mar 5
Week 9
Mar 6
Ch28.4-5
Friday
Jan 10
Ch21.1-2
Intro HW (Sun.)
Jan 17
Ch21.7
HW21 (Sun.)
Jan 24
Ch22.4-5
HW22 (Sun.)
Jan 31
Ch23.5
HW23 (Sun.)
Feb 7
Ch24.5-6
HW24 (Sun.)
Feb 14
Ch25.5-6
HW25 (Sun.)
Feb 21
Ch27.1-3
HW26 (Sun.)
Feb 28
Ch27.7-8
HW27 (Sun.)
Mar 7
Ch28.6
Mar 10
No Class
Mar 11
No Class
Mar 12
Break
Mar 13
No Class
Mar 14
No Class
Mar 17
Ch28.7-8
HW28
Mar 24
Ch29.7
Mar 18
Q28, Ch29.1-2
Exam 2(C25-28)
Mar 25
Ch29.8
Mar 19
Mar 20
Ch29.3-4
Mar 21
Ch29.5
Mar 26
Mar 27
Q29, Ch30.1-2
Mar 28
Ch30.3-4
Apr 1
Q30, Ch31.1-2
Apr 3
Ch31.2-3
Apr 4
Ch31.4-5
Apr 8
Q31, Ch32.1-3
Exam 3(C29-31)
Apr 15
Ch33.4-5
Apr 9
Apr 10
Ch32.4-5
Apr 11
Ch33.1-2
Apr 16
Week 14
Mar 31
Ch30.5-6
HW30
Apr 7
Ch31.6, Ch32.1
HW31
Apr 14
Ch33.2-3
Apr 17
Q32-33, Ch34
Apr 18
No Class
Week 15
Apr 21
Ch35.1-3
Apr 22
Ch35.4-5
Apr 24
Q34-35,Ch36
Apr 25
Post-test
Apr 28
Apr 29
Final Exam
7-9 pm
May 1
May 2
Week 1
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Finals Week
6
HW-Ch29
Apr 2
HW-Ch32,33
Apr 23
HW-Ch34,35
Apr 30
PHYS-112
General Physics II
How to Succeed in This Course: Become an Active Learner
In any class, you – the participant – expect to come away with new knowledge and skills. You
would also like to retain that knowledge for later use. To accomplish this, you will have to
effectively and efficiently master the subject in the short amount of time allotted. The instructor
cannot do this for you, so you have to take charge; you have to become an active learner.
The course is arranged to provide a framework for active learning. Components include:
 Read-ahead questions encourage preparation for the limited class time
 Integrated discussions and conceptual questions test understanding in class
 Example problems in class demonstrate effective problem solving
 Homework problems exercise participant problem solving
 Quizzes in class act as review for conceptual understanding and problem solving and
prepare participants for examinations
 Exams assess the integrated culmination of knowledge
Participants that prepare will be able to stay up with the vast amount of material in the course
and will grow in understanding, which will be evident in the assessment. Preparation means that
if you introduce yourself to the material and understand it you are ready to go! Classes should be
a re-introduction (not an introduction) to the material. Your best use of the instructor is to ask
questions about the subject (not the course structure or your grade).
To do well in any class you must become an active learner. Your daily (pre/post-class) routine
should be something like this:
1. Read the designated chapters, make rough notes and prepare your answers for the readahead questions.
2. Come to class, be engaged and participate in discussions. Take notes and avoid non-classrelated distractions.
3. Work on homework problems by yourself. Reread and augment your notes from class.
4. Form/join a study group to discuss homework and ideas outside of class. Working in
groups helps to clarify issues with the understanding.
5. Make use of the resources, such as notes, course text, online demonstrations and other
students. Also make use of learning assistant (LA) and professor office hours.
6. Finish and submit the homework.
7. Solve an extra problem to prepare for exams. Even if the exam is weeks away, a small
amount of daily study is better than panicked study right before a test/exam.
8. … and repeat!
Good learning habits are not hard to create. Happy learning!
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