PHYS 2114: General Physics II (Fall 2015)
Course Description
Calculus based introductory physics for science, math, and engineering majors covering
electromagnetism and optics.
Course Webpages
Course Home Page http://proton.hbrc.okstate.edu/2114
Resources Page
http://proton.hbrc.okstate.edu/2114/resources.html
The Course Home Page has syllabus, instructions for Webassign and Clickers, and updated office
hours.
The Resources Page contains lecture schedule, videos, interactive simulations, lecture notes,
discussion problems, pitfall problems, homework related instructions, and homework solutions.
Lecture notes and homework solutions are accessible to each student and they are password
protected; the account and password are emailed to you prior to the beginning of the semester.
Solutions to example problems in lectures and discussion sessions can only be downloaded by
students who have officially approved disability; these students will receive individualized
accounts via email after the instructor receives approval letter from the Student Disability Services
office. All other students are expected to take notes.
Lecture notes are only accessible after lectures, except for students with officially approved
disability who can access before the lectures.
Transcripts to videos without closed captions can be viewed or downloaded by any student.
Textbook
Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 9th edition, by Raymond A. Serway and John W. Jewett, Jr.,
starting from Ch. 23.
Prerequisite
2014 (General Physics I) or 2314 (General Physics I for Science Majors)
Tips on how to study physics
Understanding rather than memorizing; how to read, take notes, solve problems, take exams:
http://proton.hbrc.okstate.edu/2114/StudyingPhysics.pdf
Warning: Only coming to lectures without reading the textbook will almost guarantee a poor
performance in exams.
Lectures
TR 12:30-1:20 for sections 1-30, PS141
MW 12:30-1:20 for sections 31-40, PS101
Instructor for sections 1-30
Dr. Donghua Zhou
Tel: 744-3277 email: donghua@okstate.edu office: 230L HBRC
Office hour: 9:30-10:20 Wednesday & 10:30-11:20 Friday, 230L HBRC
Access to the working areas of HBRC is restricted. Please call Dr. Zhou when you are in the
lobby.
Instructor for sections 31-40:
Paul Smith
email: paul.smith@okstate.edu
Tutorial sessions: TBA check course webpage, PS052, by Paul Smith
Tutorial session is like office hour except for one instructor to multiple students.
Discussion sessions
It is extremely important for you to regularly attend Discussion (recitation) sessions. Example
problems related to new homework assignments as well as problems from past homework
problems will be discussed. Short quizzes will be randomly scheduled during Discussion sessions.
Discussion TAs (discussion schedule: http://proton.hbrc.okstate.edu/2114/schedule.html)
Solmaz Bastani, solmazb@okstate.edu office hour: TBA check course home page, PS052
Tim Gustafson, timothy.gustafson@okstate.edu office hour: TBA check course home page
Grading TAs (1. office hours open to all sections. 2. Contact the specific grading TA of your section
for grading questions. TA will contact instructor for unresolved issues. 3. Grading TAs will evaluate
student performance on each paper-submission problem and send feedback to instructor for follow up.)
Dipendra Bhandari, dipendb@okstate.edu, for sections 1-20, Office hours: TBA, PS052
Percy Nebah, percy.nebah@okstate.edu, for sections 21-40, Office hours: TBA, PS052
Lab Coordinator
Melissa Edwards, 057 PS, 744-0303, melissa.g.edwards@okstate.edu
Check information for the lab on your D2L. Please address all laboratory questions to Melissa.
Reading Assignments and Pre-lecture Quizzes
You are expected to read the section(s) (see lecture schedule in the Resources Page) to be discussed
before coming to the class. In the past years, students who did prepare for lectures in such a way
learned much better and exceled in exams.
There will be quizzes that should be completed by 10:00 AM the morning of each lecture. Each quiz
consists of one or two questions and should be submitted online using WebAssign. The reading quizzes
will be mainly graded based on evidence of honest effort. However, receiving full score doesn’t
necessary mean that you have answered it correctly. Do check with the standard answer after due time
so you will be properly prepared for the exams. Your responses to the questions provide important
inputs for the instructors to address your need by appropriately adapting their lectures. Selected
responses will be discussed in lecture. Pre-lecture quizzes for the first week will not be included
when calculating your grade, allowing time for you to setup webassign accounts.
In-class Questions
To encourage active learning, several questions will be given each lecture for you to answer using
turning point clickers. To reward participation, even incorrect answers receive 80% score. In-class
questions for the first week will not be included when calculating the final grade, giving time for
you to get used to the clicker system.
Quizzes in Discussion Sessions
Three short quizzes will be randomly scheduled during the Discussion sessions, with 50% of the score
coming from participation.
Homework
Weekly homeworks consist of online and paper submission parts. You have about one week to
work on the problems. Both types of assignments are due 12:20 PM on designated dates. It is fine
to discuss homework problems with your classmates and then write in your own words, but make
sure you really understand how to solve the problem. However, copying solutions from other
students’ work and/or solution manuals is consider plagiarism and will be pursued. Also be
reminded that copying without understanding always leads to extremely poor performance
in exam.
Online homework problems are to be submitted online using on WebAssign. Five submissions are
allowed; 20% deduction for each submission used beyond the second submission.
Paper submission homework problems are also shown on WebAssign but you don’t need to
submit online. Instead, turn in your solutions to the file cabinet located OUTSIDE PS052.
• Please show intermediate steps to avoid losing points. Box your answers.
• Staple your homework problems together.
• fold HW copy vertically once
• print your Full Name AND Section# very clearly at the back of folded HW copy.
• Please retrieve graded homeworks during lab.
Honors Contract and Assignments
Honors Assignments are NOT required. If you want to participate, an honors contract
(http://honors.okstate.edu/content/honors-contracts) needs to be signed in the first two weeks. In order
to receive honors credit, you are expected to complete all of the assigned honors works with at least
75/100 average score, in addition to the general requirement of earning A or B in the course. Each
honors assignment consists of up to four problems that are slightly more challenging than regular
homework problems. The completed solutions need to be submitted in paper to your instructor after
lecture on the due day. Honors assignments are posted on WebAssign and solutions are posted on
Resources page after due date.
Exams
There will be three midterm and one final exams, all of which are closed book and closed note. Each
mid-term exam covers several chapters studied in about one-month period. The comprehensive final
exam will cover all contents covered in the semester. No make-up exams will be given unless a valid
excuse can be provided at least 24 hours in advance. A calculator is allowed and an equation sheet will
be provided. The exams consist of narrative conceptual questions, multiple choice questions, and regular
problems, corresponding to pre-lecture questions, online submission homework, and paper submission
homework problems, respectively.
Special accommodation exams will be administered through the OSU Testing Center
(https://uat.okstate.edu/). Students are responsible for scheduling their appointment at least 24 hours
in advance.
NO Extra Bonus Work
You are expected to work hard and consistently throughout the whole semester. No extra bonus work is
available. Request of bonus work to bump up your grade will be IGNORED. You may use Personal
Study Plan on Webassign, which should be helpful in studying, but no bonus point will be gained
toward your grade.
Grades
The final grades will be determined as follows:
Laboratory
Pre-class reading quizzes
In-class questions
Quizzes in Discussion sessions
Homework
Exam#1
Exam#2
Exam#3
Final exam
20%
3%
10%
3%
14%
12.5%
12.5%
12.5%
12.5%
The final grade will be rounded to the closest integer (e.g., 64.5è65; 64.3è64) before applying the
grading scale, which is A ≥ 85 > B≥ 75 > C ≥ 65 > D ≥ 55 > F. Requests such as converting 74.45 to
75 for B will be IGNORED. It is better for you to work hard from the beginning than to wait till the
end of the semester.
Academic Conduct and Withdrawals: The University procedures on academic integrity and
withdrawals will be strictly enforced. Please consult details at http://academicintegrity.okstate.edu.
OSU Syllabus Attachment
https://academicaffairs.okstate.edu/sites/default/files/Fall%202015%20Syllabus.pdf
FAQ
1. Q: I've been looking everywhere on all your attachments for the class key for Webassign and can't seem
to find it. Could you give it to me please?
A: You will be enrolled by the instructor and no class key is available for this approach. If you have a
previous webassign account, it is possible that your new account name is different. You should have
received an email from Webassign with the new account. If not, ask Dr. Zhou by email. You need to set
initial password for the new account, then link the two accounts together (see course webpage for
detailed instructions on these two steps.).
2. Q: I cannot seem to find the pre-lecture quiz.
A: On the Resources Page, you can find which sections will be covered for the coming lecture. But the
pre-lecture quiz can only be found in WebAssign.
3. Q: where is homework related instruction?
A: Beginning of the Resources page, http://proton.hbrc.okstate.edu/2114/resources.html
4. Q: where do I get help?
A: (1) instructors office hours (2) discussion sessions (3) tutorial sessions (4) grading TA's office hours.
Except for (2), all others are open to ALL sections. Up-to-date schedules can be found on course
webpage http://proton.hbrc.okstate.edu/2114/index.html.
5. Q: Do I need to submit anything online for paper submission HW?
A: No need. You can practice online, but the score will be overridden by your grading TA based on
your solutions in paper.
6. Q: Why 0/10 score is shown for paper submission problems? OR Why the status is
"unanswered"?
A: These HW problems have to be manually graded and scores entered to the system. For over 300
students, there are only 2 grading TAs. Please be patient.
7. Score recording: webassgin vs D2L
(1) Lab scores will be recorded on D2L. Lab scores will be entered in webassign only twice for (i) 6week report (ii) final grade.
(2) All other scores will ONLY be recorded on webassign. Please understand that it takes time to upload
scores for clicker questions, paper submission homework, and exams. Your patience is appreciated.
8. Announcement: Announcements will be posted on WebAssign.