Name__________________________________
Physics 212
Mr. Dristle
Guidelines for Physics 212
1. Welcome to Physics 212! (This course is also known as College Physics II.) It is the follow-up to PHY 111,
also known as College Physics I. We meet on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays in room 127 Snygg from
5:30 - 8:45 p.m. Physics 111 and Physics 212 are designed as introductory courses that survey the field of
physics for science majors and technically minded students who have been successful in high school level
algebra and trigonometry. This course includes no calculus and knowledge of calculus is not required.
2. Lab requirement: The lab for this course is integrated into the regular class schedule. The lab will meet for
about two hours on one day each week. (You will be with me for the other hour on the days you have lab.)
The lab manual is available for purchase in the college bookstore.
3. Your Instructors: Mr. Kent Dristle, 312-2878, e-mail: kent.dristle@oswego.edu ,
my web site: www.oswego.edu/~dristle
Lab instructor: Mr. Thomas McCaffrey, e-mail thomas.mccaffrey@oswego.edu
4. Office hours: Mondays, 4:30-5:25 p.m., Room 120A (it’s the first door on your left after you enter room 120).
You may meet with me at others times by appointment. I try to be flexible.
5. Textbook: We will be using the text, Physics, 8th edition, by Cutnell and Johnson, published by John Wiley &
Sons.. Physics 212 covers chapters 18-32 within the book. Besides being available in a hardcover edition,
the book is also available as a two volume paperback set. If you purchased volume I for PHY 111, then you
will need to purchase volume II for PHY 212. For your reference, here are the ISBN numbers:
Hardcover edition: ISBN 978-0-470-22355-0 (useful for both PHY 111 and PHY 212)
Volume 1 paperback edition: ISBN 978-0-470-37924-0 (used in PHY 111 only)
Volume 2 paperback edition ISBN 978-0-470-37925-7 (used in PHY 212 only)
I will not be using Wiley Plus, so do not be tempted to purchase it for PHY 212.
6. Calculator: You should obtain a scientific calculator and bring it to class with you. Your calculator should be
capable of doing the trig functions and scientific notation. Check with your lab instructor for any
additional requirements.
7. The Final Exam will be held on the last day of class, Thursday, August 12.
8. Grading:
Attendance
Homework:
Quiz 1
Quiz 2
Lab Grade
Final Exam
5%
20%
15%
15%
20%
25%
(All quizzes and tests are closed book. Equation sheets
will be furnished.)
(Your lab instructor will forward this grade to me.)
You will receive a numerical grade (scale of 0-100) in each of these categories. At the end of the semester,
your numerical average will be converted to a letter grade according to the following table:
94-100 A
90-93 A–
87-89 B+
83-86 B
80-82 B–
77-79 C+
73-76 C
70-72 C–
67-69 D+
63-66 D
60-62 D–
0-59 E
You will be required to show all work on problems you do on the homework assignment and on the
quizzes, including the final exam. One-third of the credit is for showing the correct equation(s), another
one-third is for substituting values correctly into the equation, and one-third is for getting the right answer
with correct units and the correct number of significant digits.
9. What I Expect From You: Read the text before class. Follow along and ask questions in class. Class
attendance is part of your grade. There are no make-ups for quizzes unless you are seriously ill. If you
miss one session of a summer course, it is the equivalent of missing a whole week of classes during the
regular fall or spring semester. Be prepared and bring what you need with you, i.e. your calculator.
Homework is due the next class period. Homework is usually submitted in handwritten form on paper, but
some students prefer to submit it via e-mail as an attachment. Late assignments are not accepted unless you
have a medical emergency, and in that case I expect you to have documentation to back it up. When doing
homework, I expect you to give it your best shot. Treat homework as a training exercise. It requires your
active participation. The real value is not just in obtaining answers; it is in learning how to obtain answers.
10.
What You Can Expect From Me: I will be available for help during office hours, and sometimes after
class. You can also contact me at my SUNY Oswego email address: kent.dristle@oswego.edu . You may
also use Course Mail within Angel. Copies of the powerpoint presentations I use in class as well as the
equation sheets are available on my web site: www.oswego.edu/~dristle and on Angel. Check out the online resources available to you through your textbook publisher. I will provide you with equation sheets
that you may use on all assignments including quizzes and the final exam. You still have to be responsible
for knowing where and how to make use of the equations. You will also be allowed to use your calculator
on exams. If you need help, then look at the examples in your textbook, go online at
www.wiley.com/college/cutnell , send me email message or ask me for help before or after class or during
office hours,. You may keep track of your grades in the couse on Angel. It will be up to you to decide if
you’re happy with your progress, and if not, then to take the initiative to get some help.
11.
Mathematics: The quizzes and the final exam will consist of mathematical problems similar in nature to
those assigned in homework and covered in class. Math is a very important part of physics. The kind of
math you need to be most comfortable with is algebra. We use algebra quite often in class and lab along
with some geometry and trigonometry. The most important things you can do to make math, not only more
tolerable but actually a lot easier, is to bring your scientific calculator and Equation sheets with you to class
each day and then work the example problems right along with me in class. Then, when you have to do
similar problems for homework, there’s a good chance that you will be successful.
12.
Class Absence: Try not to be absent from class if you can at all avoid it. Just one absence in a summer
course is the equivalent of missing a whole week of class during the regular fall or spring semester. If you
know you’re going to be absent from class, let me know ahead of time. At the very least, you should go to
my website: www.oswego.edu/~dristle, and lookup the homework assignment so you can have it done on
time for the next class. You don’t have to wait until the next class to turn in the assignment that was due on
the day you were absent. Please send it to me via e-mail to make sure you get credit for it.
13.
I’m looking forward to a great summer session and I hope you are too!
Mr. Dristle