Welcome !
Major Concepts of Physics PHY102
January 12th, 2015
Prof. Liviu Movileanu
http://www.physics.syr.edu/~lmovilea/MajorConceptsPhysics2015.html
lmovilea@syr.edu
Room 211, Physics Bldg., 443-8078
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Outline – The introductory lecture
1. About the instructor of PHY 102
2. The overview of the course (Objectives/Outline/Topics)
3. The textbook of the PHY 102 class
4. Timetable/Exams
5. General information
6. Grading Policy
7. Recipe for success with the PHY 102 class
8. About you. Survey of the beginning of PHY 102
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1. Who is your instructor?
I am based in the Physics Department of Syracuse University
My expertise is in…Biological Physics (“Biophysics”)
My coordinates:
Phone: 443-8078 (Office) or 443-0249 (Lab).
I am most of the time either in my office
(Room 211, Physics Bldg.) or in my lab (B103/B105,
Physics Bldg.).
E-mail: lmovilea@syr.edu.
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2. Course objectives
1. You will obtain new capabilities and skills:
 Ability to tackle new conceptual problems
 Develop new experimental skills
 Obtain a deep quantitative understanding of
conceptual physics
 Acquire many of the skills necessary for critical
thinking
 Ability to work in cooperative learning activities
2. Basic concepts in science will be used:
Simplicity
Generality
Connectivity
Attacking a problem…from simple to complex
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2. Course commonalities
1. What are the most common items?
 Energy matters the most.
 Electromagnetic radiation is ubiquitous.
 Quantity is at the heart of scientific discovery.
2. Strategic approach for success
 Start simple. Know the ground level of each
problem.
 Rely on your prior knowledge.
 Think twice or even more times, if and whenever
needed.
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2. Course description/objectives/topics
1. Understand and be able to explain the nature of light and sound as waves.
2. Understand and be able to explain interference of waves.
3. Understand and be able to explain blackbody radiation.
4. Understand and be able to explain the principles of geometrical optics.
5. Understand and be able to explain how simple optical instruments work.
6. Understand and be able to explain how colors mix each other.
7. Understand and be able to explain the principles of radiation.
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3. Textbook
College Physics, Volume 2, Fourth Edition, 2013
by Alan Giambatista, Betty Richardson, and Robert Richardson
All from Cornell University
1. Truly outstanding textbook for conceptual
physics.
2. Great at explaining fundamentals of physics
with a simple and friendly-style language
3. This is a MCAT-based textbook that the
premeds should take a full advantage of.
4. Students must use the textbook
to supplement lecture notes.
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3. Course profile/Textbook chapters
Chapter 22 Electromagnetic waves
Chapter 23 Light: geometric optics
Chapter 25 The wave nature of light
Chapter 24 Optical instruments
Chapter 27 Early quantum theory and models of the atom
Chapter 28 Quantum physics
Chapter 29 Nuclear physics and radiactivity
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4. The first third of PHY 102/Timetable
Lecture #1, Wednesday, January 12th,
Introductory lecture to Course PHY
102; Syllabus PHY 102
Lecture #2, Monday, January 14th,
Everything about waves
Lecture #3, Wednesday, January 21st,
How do the waves mix each other?
Interference
Lecture #4, Monday, January 26th,
waves
Quantitative aspects about waves
Lecture #5, Wednesday, January 28th,
narrow holes?
How do we squeeze light through
Diffraction
Lecture #6, Monday, February 2th,
Everything about electromagnetic
waves
Lecture #7, Wednesday, February 4th,
Review Meeting - Part I
Monday, February 9th
Exam 1
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4. Exams/Calendar
There will be three in-lecture exams during the regularly scheduled
lecture meetings and one final exam. No make-up exams will be
given.
Monday, February 9th
Exam 1
Wednesday, March 4th Exam 2
Monday, April 13th
Exam 3
Friday, May 5th
Final Exam, Stolkin auditorium,
5:15 P.M. - 7:15 P.M.
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5. General Information
Prerequisite: PHY 101 – Major Concepts of Physics. We also accept
deviations from this rule. PHY 102 represents a strong platform for the topics that
will be taught in PHY 102.
Lectures:
Twice a week: Mondays and Wednesdays: 2:15 – 3:35 P.M.
 It is important that you ATTEND and PARTICIPATE actively in
the lectures.
 We will introduce new ideas, concepts, applications and demonstrate
them by both demo experiments and computer simulations.
We will have fun as well (i.e., movies and dynamic simulations).
Labs:
 Each of you must be registered for a lab meeting of two-hour duration,
once a week.
 The labs will provide experiments that elucidate and support an idea
or principle that has been extensively discussed previously in the lecture.
The labs will provide you with a unique opportunity for developing
experimental skills and a better quantitative appreciation of conceptual physics.
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5. General Information
Quizzes:
 There will be six quizzes that will be beheld during the lecture periods.
 They will be ten to fifteen minutes in length, and will cover the last
two/three lectures and labs. No make-up quizzes will be given.
 The date of each quiz will NOT be announced.
Homework:
The homework assignments will be distributed weekly either on Mondays
or Wednesdays.
 Homework will be normally due on the lab scheduled the
following week.
 Solutions to the homework will be distributed after the problems
have been collected.
 No late homework will be accepted! Do it on time!
Physics Clinic: The Clinic is in Room 112, Physics Building.
 You may go to any clinic hour at any time. However, if you wish to find
a particular Teaching Assistant, consult the schedule on the web, or outside
the Clinic.
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5. General Information
Academic Program Coordinator:
 Ms. Patricia Whitmore, Room 111, Physics Bldg, 443-5958. She is
the person for any administrative matters, including add/drop forms.
Office Hours:
 My office hours are on Mondays and Tuesdays, 4-5 P.M., in Room 211,
Physics Bldg., otherwise by appointment.
Teaching Assistants:
 Visit any TA in Physics Clinic for help.
http://web.physics.syr.edu/syllabi/clinic-pdfs/physicsclinicschedule.pdf
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6. Grading Policy
You will be evaluated, based on the following course activities:
i) Homework
10%
ii) Labs
15%
iii) Quizzes
10% (the
iv) Mid-terms
30% (The
v) Final exam
35%
five highest scores)
two highest scores on the three in-lecture exams)
You can see that i) + ii) + iii)=35%. Think what that means…and how this is reinvested/reflected in items iv) and v).
If you know your numerical grade, then its conversion into a letter grade is
made by the following rule:
The grade limits will not be stricter than the following:
60% for a C-;
80% for a B-;
90% for an A-.
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7. Making PHY 102 a success
 Prioritize the homework.
 Participate strongly in the workshops (recitation/lab section).
 Attend and participate actively during the lectures. There will be
bonus questions during the lecture with no prior notice.
 Work in groups.
 Persistently, use both the textbook, and the web site
http://www.physics.syr.edu/~lmovilea/MajorConceptsPhysics2015.html
Use and (ab)use my office hours!
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Announcements
Info: No workshops this week!
Wednesday, January 14th:
Lecture #2 Waves and the concepts describing them
Next week’s lab: Introduction to waves and resonance
Good luck with PHY 102
All the best for 2015
Let’s have both fun and hard work to meet all the
demands of PHY 102
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8. Survey – The start of PHY 102
1. Why are you taking this class?
2. What is your background in Math? Please specify your previous Math courses
that you have taken at the university level.
3. Are you taking Math classes this semester? What is their level?
4. Did you take PHY 101? What previous physics courses have you taken
at the university level?
5. What is your projected area of study, which you would like to work on?
6. Do you think that your future area requires some knowledge of Physics?
7. What is the grade that you plan to get with PHY 102?
8. Would you like to have homework assignments on paper or computer?
Please justify, for either answer.
9. What are the chapters of PHY 102 that you are most interested in?
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