PHY 202, College Physics
Spring 2004
Syllabus

Lecture:  Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 8:00-8:55 in SE 022.

Instructor:  Brett van de Sande,

Lab:  meets weekly in SE 227;

The lab manual will be handed out during the semester. The lab manual is available on the course web page in PDF format or Postscript.  Read the Introduction to the lab manual before coming to the first lab.

Textbook:  Douglas C. Giancoli, Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics.  There will be weekly homework and reading assignments from the textbook.

The use of symmetries is a major theme in this course. I have written up some notes, Using symmetries for electric and magnetic fields (pdf).

Grading: 

Test 1 Feb. 13 12% preparation sheet 1 (pdf)
Test 2 March 10 12% preparation sheet 2 (pdf) (postponed to March 12)
Test 3 April 16 12% preparation sheet 3 (pdf) (postponed to April 23)
Final exam May 5 24% final preparation sheet (pdf)
Homeworks 20%
Labs 20%
It is important that you hand in homeworks on time; late homeworks will be substantially penalized.  If you are going to miss class or lab for some reason, make arrangements with your instructor beforehand. 

Physics is learned by practice, id est by doing lots of homework problems.  Although these homework sets will be graded, it is the responsibility of the student to learn how to solve any problems that were missed, either by asking other students or by asking the instructor.  The exams may include a few vocabulary and definition questions, but will strongly emphasize the homework problems.  If you master the homework problems, then you should do well on the exams.

I encourage students to work together on the homework problems.  It is often helpful to discuss with others how a problem should be solved. However, when you write down the solution to be handed in, it should be in your own words.  Don't hand in something that you have copied or that you do not understand.  That is cheating.

For both homeworks and exams, solutions should include intermediate steps.  If you just write down the answer, even if it is correct, you will not get full credit.  Also, don't fall into the trap of just writing down equations; you should always include sentences, as needed, describing what you are doing. 

Later in the year, these will be assigned for reading: