Elements of Physics II (Spring 2007)

Instructor: Professor Cowley
  Office: BSB 410, email: cowley@camden.rutgers.edu

 
Required Texts: Halliday, Resnick & Walker, Fundamentals of Physics (Seventh Edition), volume 2,
Student's Solution Manual

 
Grading: 24% homework, 25% final exam, 45% for 3 tests
  3% attendance, 3% for participation in reading questions (see below)

 
Homework: Two hand-in problems assigned per class, answers only (5 significant figures) to be submitted in Sakai .


 

This course is a continuation of Elements of Physics I, dealing mainly with electricity and magnetism, and geometrical and physical optics. What makes a physics course difficult to many students is that the material is highly structured. Each idea builds on the previous ones. If you miss a week's ideas, you will not be able to make sense of the next week. Attendance at class is very important. Also, you must remember that learning is an active process. Coming to class and reading the solutions in the Student Solution Manual will not fix the ideas in your head. You need to work actively at the material. A time-honored way to do this is to try to answer as many as possible of the problems and questions at the ends of the chapters. You have to develop a logical approach, and to practice your math skills - some calculus, but mainly the application of algebra to problem solving. Do all this systematically and conscientiously, and you will enjoy the course and learn an enormous amount in it. Have fun!


Pre-class reading

The schedule given below includes the pages from the text-book dealing with the material. These should be read BEFORE the class. Each class, I shall assign a question from the text that is related to the reading for the next class. You are required to submit your answer to the question by 10:00 a.m. on the morning of the class, using the Sakai drop box. There is no penalty for giving the wrong answer. I want to know what you really think.



Syllabus
 
Date Subject Chapter in text Pre-Class Reading
January 17 Electric Charge Chapter 21 Pages 561-572
January 22 Electric Fields Chapter 22 Pages 580-585
January 24 Electric Fields Chapter 22 Pages 585-596
January 29 Gauss' Law Chapter 23 Pages 605-611
January 31 Gauss' Law Chapter 23 Pages 612-619
February 5 Electric Potential Chapter 24 Pages 628-632
February 7 Electric Potential Chapter 24 Pages 633-645
February 12 Capacitance Chapter 25 Pages 656-670
February 14 Class cancelled
February 19 Test 1 (Chapters 21-25)
February 21 Current and Resistance Chapter 26 Pages 682-695
February 26 Circuits Chapter 27 Pages 705-713
February 28 Circuits Chapter 27 Pages 714-724
March 5 Magnetic Fields Chapter 28 Pages 735-744
March 7 Magnetic Fields Chapter 28 Pages 745-756
March 19 Magnetic Fields due to Currents Chapter 29 Pages 764-780
March 21 Induction and Inductance Chapter 30 Pages 791-804
March 26 Induction and Inductance Chapter 30 Pages 805-815
March 28 Test 2 Chapters 26-30
April 2 Electromagnetic Oscillations Chapter 31 Pages 826-835
April 4 Alternating Current Chapters 31 Pages 835-852
April 9 Electromagnetic Waves Chapter 33 Pages 889-913
April 11 Images Chapters 34 Pages 924-933
April 16 Images Chapter 34 Pages 933-946
April 18 Interference Chapter 35 Pages 958-964
April 23 Interference Chapter 35 Pages 965-977
April 25 Diffraction Chapter 36 Pages 992-1010
April 30 Test 3 Chapters 31, 33-36
May 9 Final Exam (9:00-12:00 pm)

 




Last Modified: December 29, 2006