- UN IVERSIT Y PHYSICS II PHYSICS 212 - Syllabus
Summer 2015
Instructor : Dr. Channon Price, REIC 120, x6106, cpprice@alaska.edu
Office hours : MTR 8:00am - 5:00pm or by prior appointment; please use my dynamic schedule via
UAF/Google calendar under my UA username, cpprice@alaska.edu.
Class hours : MTR 2:30pm-4:00pm, REIC 204; plus lab in REIC 257
Prerequisites : PHYS 211, MATH 201, and at least concurrent registration in MATH 202.
Texts : Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics, 3rd ed by R. D. Knight,
Pearson, 2013 (ISBN-13: 9780321740908) and the UAF PHYS 212 Lab Manual, to be
distributed at the first meeting of the lab section.
Description: The UAF Catalog listing for PHYS 212: Heat, temperature, laws of thermodynamics,
Coulombs Law, electrical potential, capacitance, Kirchoffs Laws, Biot-Savart Law, Faradays
Law, and electromagnetic waves.
Grading : 4 credits. Homework (124 problems = 25%); labs (20% total); quizzes (9, drop lowest 1, 2%
each); two examinations: a midterm test Wednesday 7/1 (15%), and a final examination
(20%) scheduled for Thursday, 8/13; and class participation (4%). Late homework will not
be accepted. The quizzes and examinations will be closed book and closed notes; a formula
sheet will be provided. The examinations will be given only on those dates, so please make
your travel plans accordingly. If you are on official travel for the University, arrangements will
be made. Plagiarism on homework, on a quiz, on a lab report, or on an exam will result in a
failing grade for that item. A second case of plagiarism during the course will result in a failing
grade for the course. The course will be graded on a curve, and will be graded plus/minus.
Each point earned on any item has the same weight as all other points.
Schedule : We will cover chapters 16-19 and 25-35 of the text. There will be a weekly quiz on Thursdays;
see above for the examination schedule.
Learning Students who complete this course will develop a basic understanding of the following topics in
Outcomes : physics: heat, thermodynamics, thermal properties of matter, states of matter, phase changes,
electric charge, electric current, electric and magnetic fields, electric and magnetic forces,
sources of fields, electric potential, electric and magnetic flux, conductivity and resistivity,
capacitors, resistors, inductors, Kirchoff’s Laws for DC and AC circuits, electromotive force,
induced fields, displacement current, electromagnetic waves. They will learn to solve basic
problems in the physics of those areas, as well as understanding through activity the scientific
method.
Disability Services : The UAF Office of Disability Services implements the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
and insures that UAF students have equal access to the campus and course materials. Any
student who may need assistance with disabilities, should feel free to contact the instructor or
the Office of Disabilities Services (203 WHIT, 474-7967, fyatl@uaf.edu).
Remarks : The central goal of this course is to learn how to “think” or “do” Physics. You do not have
to be Einstein to appreciate and apply the concepts of Physics: the goal of this course is
not to memorize a bunch of formulas, it is to master a small set of concepts that have broad
relevance, and how to apply those concepts. Physics plays a central role in science and
technology; this course will help you to be better prepared for our dominantly scientific and
technological world, now and especially in the future.
Many years of experience have shown that practicing what has been presented in lecture via
homework problems is the optimal way achieving that goal: thus, the homework is a central
part of this course. If you understand the concepts, the problems are straightforward; if you
are just trying to find the “right” equation, you will thrash unnecessarily. The homework has a
dual purpose: both to help the student master the material and to help the instructor monitor
student learning. As the quizzes and examinations will cover the material assigned for the
homework sets, it follows that passing marks for the class require substantial performance of
the homework problems.
Homework will be assigned on each day of class, due at 11:59 pm. You will submit your
homework via WebAssign; late homework will not be accepted since solutions will be viewable
after the time when work is due. Important: you may only attempt two submissions for each
homework set. Thus, because of the possibility that your web connection may be interrupted
(in particular, due to timing out), you are strongly encouraged to work the homework set
in advance. For problems, which have randomized values of input quantities, this will mean
developing a symbolic form for the solution. You are unlikely to get the same randomized
values if you attempt a second submission, so you can’t simply recopy previous answers.
Note: many problems have been adapted slightly from what is printed in the text, beyond the
randomization of values.
Students are encouraged to work together, as numerous studies and personal experience have
shown that students learn better that way. Those points notwithstanding, there are two things
to remember. First, understanding of the material in this course will be greatly facilitated for
the student who invests the necessary time (“you get what you pay for”.) Second, it is against
the UAF Honor Code to misrepresent work which is not your own; plagiarism will result in a
failing grade.
All students in Physics courses have access to the Physics Department Noyes Computer Lab
(REIC 101). During the first couple of weeks of classes, you may have to ask for admission to
the computer lab, since it typically takes a week or two for the class rolls to be entered into the
access control system. When the rolls have been entered, simply “swipe” your Polar Express
card at the front door of the lab. NO FOOD OR DRINK ARE ALLOWED IN THE
NOYES LAB. Violators will lose their lab privileges immediately and permanently.
The laboratory is an integral part of the course. To pass the course, the laboratory must
be passed. This requires performance of each of the laboratory exercises and submission of a
laboratory report for each exercise. Lab scores will be determined by grades for lab quizzes and
for lab reports. Lab reports are due by 5:00 pm the day following your lab; late reports will
be debited 10% per day. Make-up labs may be scheduled during the last week of the semester
(8/10-13). The last time that any lab report may be turned in for grading is Friday 8/14 at
5:00 pm. There will be no exceptions to this. Lab manuals will be handed out at the first lab.
I am here to help you learn. I will be happy to suggest alternate texts. Class participation will
be graded, but it is also its own reward.
Dates
5/26-28
6/1-4
6/8-11
6/15-18
6/22-25
6/29-7/1
7/6-9
7/13-16
7/20-23
7/27-30
8/3-6
8/10-13
Homework assignments:
Chap
16,17
17,18
18,19
19,25
26
27,28
28,29
30,31
31,32
33,34
34,35
Lab exercises:
6/3
6/10
6/17
6/24
7/8
7/15
7/22
7/29
8/5
Monday
Tuesday
Thursday
HW00
16P4,14,18,20
16CQ12;16P46,50,60 17CQ4,7;17P3,4
17CQ8;17P10,14,16 17P26,40,67,78
18P7,11,13,23
18CQ8;18P28,31,35 18P50,58;19P2,4
19CQ8;19P12,14,18
19P31,42,48,52
25CQ3;25P4,10,14 25P20,32,40,44
26CQ3;26P2,4,6
26P16,44,46,50
Midterm on W
27CQ9;27P6,14,30 27P38,20,40,52
28CQ7;28P2,6,14
28P22,38,42,58
29CQ6;29P2,6,10
29P22,28,54,82
30P4,6,10,16
30P22,38,42,48
31CQ4;31P8,36,44
31CQ5;31P29,41,60 32CQ3;32P2,26,48 32P56,60,65,72
33CQ4;33P4,27,32 33P23,38,42,48
34P6,10,36,38
34P14,16,24,44
35P20,28,38,42
Final on R