PHYS 1220: Engineering Physics II, Thermodynamics and Electromagnetism, Spring 2015

Syllabus

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Instructor: Adam Myers
Office: 328 Physical Sciences Building (west side of campus)
Office Hours: Monday 10-11AM, Tuesday 11AM-12noon
Office Phone: 766-6244
Home page

SI (Supplemental Instruction) Leader: Arsam Baziar
SI Session: Thursdays, 5-6PM, Physical Sciences 234
Office Hours: Thursday, 4-5PM, Coe 215
abaziar@uwyo.edu

Teaching Assistant: Josh Heiner
Office: Physical Sciences 105 (west side of campus)
Office Hours: Monday 11AM-12noon, Tuesday 11AM-12noon, Wednesday 11AM-12noon
Discussion Section: Monday 3:10-4PM and 4:10-5PM, Tuesday 1:10-2PM and 2:10-3PM
jheiner2@uwyo.edu

Teaching Assistant: Will Chick
Office: Physical Sciences 103D (west side of campus)
Office Hours: Wednesday 10-11AM
Discussion Section: Monday 2:10-3PM
wchick@uwyo.edu

Teaching Assistant: Uppalaiah Erugu
Office: Physical Sciences 105 (west side of campus)
Office Hours: Monday, 11AM-12noon
Discussion Section: None
uerugu@uwyo.edu

Course Information

Lectures: MWF, 9-9:50AM, 314 Classroom Building (west side of campus)	Exams: Reserve Thursdays 5-7PM for midterm exams as outlined on the schedule
Laboratories: You will attend (and should have registered for) one of: W 3:10-5:00PM, Physical Sciences 135, with Will W 7:10-9:00PM, Physical Sciences 135, with Uppalaiah R 11:00AM-12:50PM, Physical Sciences 135, with Uppalaiah R 1:10-3:00PM, Physical Sciences 135, with Josh R 3:10-5:00PM, Physical Sciences 135, with Josh	Discussion Sections: You will attend (and should have registered for) one of: M 2:10-3:00PM, Engineering Building 3102, with Will M 3:10-4:00PM, Engineering Building 2100, with Josh M 4:10-5:00PM, Engineering Building 3105, with Josh T 1:10-2:00PM, Engineering Building 2105, with Josh T 2:10-3:00PM, Classroom Building 209, with Josh

Lecture, Lab and Exams Schedule: There is a schedule of lectures, labs, exams and other information here. The lecture outlines are just that, and are not meant to completely replace a set of notes. In general, lecture outlines will appear no later than the Sunday morning before the relevant week of lectures.

Worked Examples and Solutions: I post many worked examples and solutions here. If you feel you need practice beyond the homeworks on any aspect of the course, there may well be a worked example you can try. Old exams will also be posted at the same link.

Accessing Online Information: If you don't have personal internet access, then you can get online from any of the computer "pods" on campus. These pods are located in the campus computer center, the A&S building, the Engineering building, the Union, the 3rd floor of the Physical Sciences Building, and in the room in front of the Science Library.

Credit: 4 credit hours. Satisfies USP-SP Physical Science

Prerequisites: Grades of C or higher in MATH 2200 (Calculus I) and 2205 (Calculus II), and concurrent enrollment (or a grade of C or higher) in MATH 2210 (Calculus III)

Textbook: Sears and Zemansky's University Physics, 13th edition by Young & Freedman. Older editions can differ in many places. Note that the version listed at the University Bookstore is condensed to only contain the information that we need. This makes it cheaper, but means that it has an ISBN that you will be unable to find elsewhere. Note that you will need a version of the textbook that gives you access to Mastering Physics in order to complete homework assignments. The newest book available for purchase from the University Bookstore will allow such access. If you are using an older, or second-hand, book then you run the risk of not being able to complete the homework. It is possible that if you used Mastering Physics for PHYS1210 your account will still be active and you can use that (it expires 2 years after your first login). Our Course Code, which you need to register for Mastering Physics is listed at the top of the schedule (see the 4th bullet point).

Labbook: Second Edition Calculus Based University Physics II - Thermodynamics & Electromagnetism, A Laboratory Manual, by Rudi Michalak, Kendall Hunt Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7575-9909-5. You will need this book to complete your laboratories.

A Cell Phone or Laptop (or other web-enabled device): The PHYS1220 lectures require the use of a laptop (or other web-enabled device), or a cell phone with a texting plan, for class participation via poll everywhere. About 10% of your grade is based on this, so think carefully about joining this course if you don't have a laptop (or other web-enabled device) or a cell phone with fairly cheap texting. Note that I am using poll everywhere to replace traditional clicker units, which cost students about $40. Even at 10¢ per text, you'll only spend about $10 over the semester. This is how you register for poll everywhere and you should register as soon as possible. If you choose to use a laptop (or other web-enabled device) instead of texting, the course response site is http://www.polleverywhere.com/PHYS1220

A University of Wyoming email Account: This class has about 50 participants. The only way I can contact you as a group is via your uwyo email address. Please check your uwyo email regularly, or have it forwarded to an account that you check regularly.

Learning Requirements

This course is an introduction to the physical phenomena of temperature and electric charge. We will approach the material theoretically in lectures, with the laboratories intended to elucidate on the application of the theory. We will study phenomena which occur when temperature changes, e.g. heat transport, specific heat, and the fundamental laws of thermodynamics. We will also explore how the presence of electric charge causes the phenomena of electricity and magnetism. We will learn about the rules which govern circuitry. And we will discover the fundamental laws called Maxwell's equations, which show, quite remarkably, that the single concept of a wave propagating at the speed of light (an "Electromagnetic Wave") can fundamentally unite all of magnetism and electricity under one framework.

A working knowledge of calculus is required. Calculus II is a pre-requisite! We will have to use concepts like differentiation, integration, and vectors from week one on. Also, good success in this course is unlikely without a solid grasp of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry.

Specific Course Requirements & Grading

Your course grade will be based on the following work:

Online Homeworks: I will be giving weekly homeworks (as outlined in the schedule). We use the Mastering Physics online homework system (again, linked from the schedule). Mastering Physics takes some getting used to, so I provide a "no penalties" training homework (HW 0 - Introduction to Mastering Physics). HW 0 is worth a small amount of bonus credit that will be added on to your score for Exam 1. But, mainly HW 0 is to give you an opportunity to learn the syntax to avoid penalties in the more important homeworks. The final homework, which is called the "Bonus HW", is also not assessed. The Bonus HW exists to provide some idea of the types of questions that could be used to test the last week or so of lecture material (i.e. it is useful training for the Final Exam), without the pressure of having an assessed homework just before the Final Exam. Our Course Code, which you need to register for Mastering Physics is listed at the top of the schedule (see the 4th bullet point).

The online homework must be submitted by each student individually but you are allowed to work together on the solution method (not each individual numerical solution!) provided that everyone contributes an equal share and contributes to all problems. Be advised not to work last minute on the online submissions. The system tends to be busy at times and the server could be swamped, which can cause internet connections to become unavailable. It is your responsibility to submit homeworks before the deadline. I set the online homework system up to accept post-deadline submissions at a (substantial) penalty and the system will close for late submission on the day of the Final Exam at 5pm. Your worst two homework scores will be dropped, as I understand that everyone can accidentally mess up one or two homeworks. I recommend not deliberately choosing to skip homeworks, as eventually you're likely to accidentally mess up one or two homeworks, and I will refuse to drop a third homework score.

A short list of common sources of grade loss in Mastering Physics:

Wrong spacer between multiple entries
Wrong rounding of final or intermediate results
Multiple attempts used up for the same wrong answer (note also: Mastering Physics has a 2% tolerance when grading numerical answers)
Forgetting to press the final submit button after completing a problem

Using the hint boxes associated with some problems will not cause any penalty, even if you enter wrong answers into answer boxes. On the other hand, you can earn partial credit for a problem by using the hint box.

When thinking about how to solve problems in physics, it may be useful to break down the steps into a logical progression, as discussed here.

Laboratories: There is a required two-hour lab session each week. It is assumed that you have registered for one of the lab sections and it is expected that you attend the section for which you have registered. The labs are conducted by Teaching Assistants (TAs) in Room 135 of the Physical Sciences Building (west side of campus). You may only attend the lab section for which you are registered, although the TAs may allow you to reschedule and attend a different lab section occasionally if you have an excused absence. You will need to purchase a copy of the lab book and bring it to each session. The first lab (LAB 0) is a training lab, which does not count towards your grade but which is mandatory in order to learn safety requirements and general lab practice.

Each lab consists of a pre-lab (worth 0 points), a main lab (worth 10 points), and a post-lab (worth 10 points).

The pre-lab can be looked at and thought about before the lab, if you'd like. But, you will be given a small amount of time at the start of the lab to discuss the pre-lab with your group and to write down a prediction. The pre-lab is not graded, so it's not important if members of your group disagree about what the outcome of the experiment will be. In fact, it's preferred, as it means that you can see who is proven wrong by the empirical data.

The grade for the main lab is an assessment of how you perform in conducting the experiment. Your TA is assessing you during the lab in this regard. Initially, there is little requirement to be skillful, and just showing up will gain you 100% of the grade for the main lab. But, in later labs, the TA will attempt to assess how well you handle the equipment and work on the experiment, and the TA may reduce your score if they feel that you are not participating or pulling your weight. Just showing up to the lab will only be worth 60% of the grade for the main lab after the week of the First Exam.

Finally, the score for the post-lab is based on a grade for a report written and handed in by each individual student. The post-lab reports are due at the beginning of the subsequent lab and will be graded and handed back to you in the lab session two weeks after the lab, so that the TA has time to carefully consider your work. The TA is responsible for grading your reports and if you have any questions about how your post-lab will be assessed, they are the person to ask

Discussion Sections: There is a one-hour discussion section each week. It is assumed that you have registered for one of the discussion sections. Although the discussion sections are not specifically assessed or graded they are a mandatory part of the course until the first exam. After the first exam, it is up to you to decide whether you find the discussion section useful, and so you do not have to attend your discussion section after the first exam. It is likely that you will perform worse on the exams and homeworks if you skip your discussion section. The main purpose of the discussion sections is to navigate worked problems that are similar to the homework solutions. Success at physics requires practice, and the discussion sections are a major opportunity to practice.

Poll Everywhere Questions: In order to provide a lecture environment more conducive to participation and interaction, I will be asking questions that students respond to via poll everywhere. There will be a trial run during the second lecture and official assessment will start during the third lecture, so register for poll everywhere as soon as you can. This is how you register for poll everywhere. If you choose to use a laptop (or other web-enabled device) instead of texting, the course response site is http://www.polleverywhere.com/PHYS1220

One half of the credit is assigned for answering questions, regardless of your answer. Questions are not distributed evenly through the semester, and some lectures will carry double or higher the normal points. There will be 3 to 4 assessed questions per lecture but 50 questions will be the minimum necessary to potentially achieve full credit. So if you are absent or forget your cell phone or laptop a couple of days during the semester, it will not negatively affect your grade.

As an incentive to attend as many lectures as possible and to try to answer questions correctly, the best 10 poll everywhere scores through the semester will be awarded additional points at the level of 2 to 20 points towards your grade (the student with the best score will receive 20 points, the next best score 18 points, with the 10th best student receiving 2 bonus points). Every time I have used this scheme, at least one student is pushed across a grade boundary (usually from a "B" to an "A") by virtue of having one of the 10 best Poll Everywhere scores.

In-class Exams: There will be two "midterm" exams on two Thursday evenings during the semester, which are listed as Exam 1 and Exam 2 on the schedule. The exams will contain both quantitative and conceptual problems. Exam 1 will test all material covered in lectures prior to Exam 1. Exam 2 will test all material covered in lectures between Exam 1 and Exam 2. The exams will be closed book and closed notes. I will provide you, however, with an equation sheet. The use of any electronic equipment is not permitted during the exams.

Final Exam: Similarly to Exam 1 and Exam 2 (above), the Final Exam will contain both quantitative and conceptual problems. As much as possible, the Final Exam will test the material covered in lectures after Exam 2. But, it is likely that a small amount of material from the entirety of the course will have to be discussed in the context of some questions on the Final Exam, so try to retain a working knowledge of what you learn for Exam 1 and Exam 2. All rules that apply to Exam 1 and Exam 2 will also apply to the Final Exam. The Final Exam will be as scheduled by the university, which is currently Wednesday, May 13 at 8AM to 10AM.

Course Grade Components: Your class grade will be computed as follows:

12x10pts weekly homeworks, HW 1 through HW 12, with your worst two scores dropped (100 pts)
11x20pts weekly labs, LAB 1 through LAB 11 with your worst score dropped (200 pts)
poll everywhere questions (100 pts total) as:
1pt for (each different) question attempted + 1pt for (each different) correct answer (up to a 100pt maximum total)
(you can make, e.g., 60 attempts, get 40 correct and still achieve 100pts)
3x200pts exams (600 pts)
Total: 1000 points
+ the 10 students with the best poll everywhere scores in class totaled over the entire semester
will be awarded additional points at the level of 2 to 20 points

Letter Grades:

A more than 899 points
B 800-899 points
C 700-799 points
D 600-699 points
F fewer than 600 points

If necessary, all or any exam results will be curved. The curve will only ever be upwards (i.e., only ever in your favor). Average numerical grades will be rounded to the nearest whole number (that is, 799.5 becomes 800 and a B, 799.4 becomes 799 and a C). I may relax these grade boundaries but only ever in you favor (i.e., it might be possible that the A grade boundary ends up being 880 instead of 900...)

A summary of your itemized grades will be posted in your lab by your lab TA within one week after each exam. Please report discrepancies immediately to your TA.

Class Policies

General: This course will follow all policies in the Student Code of Conduct.

Office Hours: Some students are intimidated by professors. You should know that I enjoy it when you show up to office hours to discuss the course material, or even to discuss random physics (or even better, astronomy) questions for which you've always wanted to know the answer. My whole purpose for having office hours is so that you know more about physics (or even better, astronomy). I actively encourage you to come to my office hours. In my experience, if you get some tuition in a setting with only yourself or a few other students, then your grade will improve. I will never judge you negatively for not knowing something during office hours (in fact I'll be impressed that you showed up). But, not knowing something during exams is clearly a problem.

There Will be No Extra Credit: This syllabus sets up the rules of the game. Read it, and carefully note how you will be assessed. I will not be changing the rules halfway through the course by offering extra credit. It would be unfair to the majority of the class who expect to be assessed as dictated in this syllabus if I offer an individual student extra credit after the course has started. I will not be offering extra credit.

Absences: The opportunity to make-up missed work or exams will be offered if the student has a genuine university conflict. Advance notice and documentation are required for approved school events (e.g., on an athletic team), religious oberservances, and other planned absences; the Dean's office must also be contacted in the case of unforeseen circumstances (e.g., death in the family) and an Official Absence requested. If you are ill and you need to miss a couple of lectures, it is perfectly acceptable to stay home and not infect other students. Missing a few lectures should not adversely affect your grade, particularly if you come to see me during office hours to go over the missed material.

Personal Issues: To ensure that concerns are promptly addressed, if you have a physical, learning, or psychological issue or disability and require accommodations, please let me know as soon as possible. You must register with, and provide documentation of your disability to University Disability Support Services (UDSS in SEO, Knight Hall.)

Additional Help: In addition to my Office Hours, the TAs' Office Hours, and the SI sessions, tutoring is also available for this class at the STEP Tutor Center. STEP is open Sunday-Thursday from 6-10pm and is located in Coe Library. Sessions are drop-in (no appointments) and are 30 minutes in length. Students who seek academic help through STEP in physics classes tend to perform 15-20% better than students who do not. The full STEP schedule is here.

Academic Integrity: Discussing course material with your classmates is in general a good idea, but each student is expected to do his or her own work. Any instance of academic dishonesty (including cheating and plagiarism) will be dealt with according to university regulations. It is your responsibility to avoid complaints or appearances of impropriety. Do not bring cell phones to exams or engage in any behavior during exams that may suggest collusion. In particular, remember: I read wikipedia and use google too, and I study statistical correlations between columns of numbers for a living. I encourage you to freely discuss any or all content of the course with your peers.....but, please, do your own work.

The University of Wyoming is built upon a strong foundation of integrity, respect and trust. All members of the university community have a responsibility to be honest and the right to expect honesty from others. Any form of academic dishonesty is unacceptable to our community and will not be tolerated. Students should report any suspected violation of proper academic behavior to me. I will report suspected violations of standards of academic honesty to my Department Head, and/or the Dean. Complete regulations regarding academic dishonesty are here.

Department of Physics & Astronomy,
University of Wyoming,
1000 E. University, Dept. 3905,
Laramie, WY 82071, USA

Tel: 307-766-6244 (direct)
Fax: 307-766-2652 (group)

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