Physics 132. - Fundamentals of Physics 2

4 credits (3:3:3) - East Stroudsburg University - Course Syllabus

Fall 2008

(Last revised Aug 26, 2008)

Section D201     Lecture Tues, Thurs   4:00-5:15 p.m. Room: 118 Gessner

                          Laboratory 5:30-8:30 PM Thursday   Gessner 225

Course Instructor:         Dr. David A. Larrabee

Website for instructor   :  http://www.esu.edu/physics/larrabee/dlarrabee.html

Website for the Course:   http://www.esu.edu/physics/larrabee/courses/p132/phys132.htm

Office Hours:                Posted on Office Door and by the Physics Office and on the web

Location:                      Gessner 207

Telephone:                    ex. 3292  (i.e. (570) 422-3292)

Internet:                        dlarrabee@po-box.esu.edu

Catalog Course Description

Physics 132 is a continuation of Physics 131.  Topics covered include electricity, magnetism, electromagnetic radiation and optics.  Some brief material on atomic and nuclear physics as well as quantum mechanics is introduced where possible. 

Prerequisite Courses:  Phys 131 and Math 135                  Prerequisites Class Standing:  None

Required Materials

Text:   John D. Cutnell and Kenneth W. Johnson, Physics published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc.  Current edition is the 7th, but don't worry if you have an earlier edition!    

            Robert Cohen, Physics 132/162 Laboratory Manual.       

Supplies - You will need a calculator, ESU email address and access to the internet.  You have access to the campus computers.  I will assume you know how to use a word processor, the internet and Email. 

Required Additional "Readings" – will be passed out in class or put on reserve in the library.

General Information

I am going to assume that all of the class is capable of reading the text and any articles I have assigned.  You have all been through physics 131 and survived the experience.  I will not review material you should have mastered in physics 131 in class.  If you need help with this material please see me during my office hours.

Absenteeism - I will not take attendance.  Attendance is not part of your grade.

If you are absent, you are still responsible for all the assigned work as well as the material covered in class.  You need to make arrangements to the material covered in in class.  You can get in contact with me by telephone, leave a message on the answering machine, or leave a message at school. My Email address is also given at the top of this syllabus. 

Academic Honesty: Cheating on the exams or homework, plagiarism, stealing, lying, computer theft, and all other forms of academic dishonesty are totally unacceptable.  I will take any incident of academic dishonesty very seriously.  Simply put, I expect that when you hand in your own work, not someone else’s work.  You should feel free to discuss the material with anyone, share ideas or ask for help and advice.  But in the end you need to do your own work.

Any time you hand in work that that is not your own you are guilty of plagiarism.  As such it is a major violation of the Student code of Conduct, which could result in expulsion from the University.  It might also mean that I fail you for the assignment and or the course.

Assignments - see Homework

Cell Phones – If you have a cell phone turn it off before you enter class (or put it on vibrate).  If for some reason you must answer a cell phone during class I will ask that you: 1) obtain my prior permission, 2) have it set on vibration mode so it does not disturb class by ringing and 3) go outside the classroom to answer the phone.

If you answer the cell phone during a quiz or test that will end the quiz or test (for you).  If you need to have an exception to this rule you need to obtain my permission before the test or quiz.  NO EXCEPTIONS. (Please not waste class time by asking for permission for this during the start of class!).

Communications – Please not that we have a course web site (see top of the syllabus).  Information about the course will be posted to the website.  If you have questions please email me. 

Final Exam - The final exam will cover all the material in the course (i.e. a comprehensive exam).  This final is closed book, no notes, no 3x5 cards etc.  I will provide you with a "data sheet" with the exam.  You will know in advance what is on this datasheet.  You may not use or answer a cell phone during the exam.  A list of procedures for the final will be handed out near the end of the term.

Grading Requirements: 

During some weeks there will be a reading assignment.  Questions on the quizzes, midterms and final may be drawn from the articles.  In addition you may be expected to write a summary of the article on the quiz. 

The total number of points you get for the course is the sum of all the points earned.  The grade is awarded on the basis of the following schedule

There is however one exception to this computation of the final grade; if you fail the final exam (less than 60%) you will fail the course.

Grievance Procedures: If you have a complaint, suggestion or comment, please contact me.  The Chairperson for the Physics Dept. is Prof. Cohen ext. 3428.

Homework- There will be three parts to each homework; memorization, conceptualization and computation! 

There are things I will expect you to memorize.  These might be vocabulary words or formula's.   One possible way of making sure you have done this is the in-class quizz!

There are a lot of concepts.  There will be questions that DO NOT involve computations (that does not necessarily make them easy).  These are designed to make you think about the physics.  If these require a written response, the written response will need to be WORD PROCESSED! 

Finally there will be the traditional "problems" to work out. 

Expect one problem set a week.  The problems will be DUE at the start of class on Tuesday.  Expect the next homework to be assigned on Thursday.

Laboratory – You have a separate laboratory instructor.  That instructor reports to me your grade on each of the laboratories.  The laboratory instructor's is responsible for your laboratory grade.  I believe it is unreasonable for you to expect us to provide you with a "special laboratory" section because you missed a laboratory.  I will drop the lowest laboratory grade.  If you don't miss any of the laboratories this will improve your grade.  If you miss one laboratory, it will not effect the average of the remaining laboratories.  If you miss more than one laboratory, it will effect your grade.  Note also that the laboratories are no longer "PSI".  This means that you only have the allotted time to finish the laboratory.  Therefore I strongly suggest that you read the laboratory manual BEFORE you come to the laboratory.  .  

Lateness – I'll start the class on time.  If you're late you'll miss what was presented. Please be punctual, it disturbs the rest of the class if you are routinely late.  Being on time is a courtesy to the rest of your classmates as well as to the professor.  In cases of habitual lateness I reserve the right to lock the room and deny access to students who are late.  Furthermore, if you are late for a quiz, you will NOT be given extra time to make up for your lateness.

Lecture: - During class sections we will; have formal lectures, have discussions, have class demonstrations, have exercises and demonstration with student participation, answer student questions about the reading, review quizzes and tests, and of course take quizzes.  The student is responsible for all material discussed in class, as well as the material covered in the text, and handouts.

If you have a cell phone turn it off before you enter class.  (see section on cell phones)

Makeup Quizzes and tests. – Make-up of tests and quizzes is only available within about 3  weeks of the original quiz/test date unless there are EXTREME conditions that are beyond the students control and unforeseeable ahead of time. To be eligible to make up a quiz or a test you need to have obtained permission before the quiz or test to take it at an alternative time.  Only if your absence was unavoidable and unforeseeable will you be allowed to makeup a quiz or test for which you absent without prior arrangments.

Makeup Final Exam:  If you can not make the final exam you will need to notify me BEFORE the event.  You will need to obtain my approval and make prior arrangements for any make up final exam.  If you are sick or otherwise detained from the final you need to contact me as soon as the emergency is over (don’t delay or I may not approve a makeup exam).

Mathematics:  Physics is a quantitative science.  This makes it very difficult to avoid mathematics all together.  This is a “trigonometry based” course.  So I will not hesitate to assign questions that make use of a pre calculus level of mathermatics.

Plagiarism: - (see academic honesty above)

Quizzes: - will be on an "as needed" basis.  When given each quiz will have the same weight as one homework.

The use of cell phone is prohibited during quizzes (see section on cell phones)

Readings: There will be assigned readings that are about some area of Physics that you are studying in this course.  These will be quiz questions based on these readings.  The vocabulary used in the reading is also fair game on the quiz (so if you do not know the meaning of a word, look it up!).  Finally you will be expected to write a brief summary of the article on the quiz. 

Please note that it is your job to convince me that you have read and understood the article (not just the beginning and the summary of the article).  If multiple people hand in the identical summary I will mark them all wrong and possibly treat this as academic dishonesty (or plagiarism see above).

Retention of Student Material.  Student exams and homework assignments and other course materials will be kept for 1 term after the term that the student takes this course.  Thus all homework, exams, finals, etc. may be destroyed any time after finals week in the Spring of 2008.

Review Sessions.   Review sessions for the tests can be scheduled in the evenings if requested by at least 5 students.  Otherwise please see me during office hours or schedule an appointment.

Special Needs Students: If you have some special need, or if there is something I could do that would help you be more successful in this class I would appreciate your coming to talk to me.  It is my desire that you all do well.  I am dedicated to helping you where I can.  So do not be nervous about asking if we can accommodate you in some way.  I promise you that I will listen and where appropriate make what accommodations seem reasonable.

Tests – There are two "midterms"  these tests are closed book, closed notes, and without "crib sheets".  I will provide you with a "data sheet" during the exam (you will know what is on it ahead of time).  You will need a calculator for each of the exams.  I expect the dates will be 9/27 and 11/08

Text and Assigned Readings: I expect you to read the relevant chapters in the book before the lecture so you are ready to ask me questions about things you didn't understand.  You are responsible for all the material covered in the assigned readings even when it isn't "covered" in lecture.  Students that have questions about the readings are encouraged to ask questions in class, so that everyone can benefit from your questions.  Quizzes may contain questions about the assigned reading for the week (if any)

Responsibilities

We are all coming to this course with some purpose and some expectations.  If we work together we can achieve those aims.  This requires that both professor and student “take on” certain responsibilities.  It is probably futile to attempt to list every task and responsibility (and not necessary). 

The first and most important responsibility of every member of this class (including the professor) is to be polite, courteous, and respectful of all  other class members, any guests in the room (students, professors, administrative personnel, etc.), and the professor.  There will be no discussion on this matter.  I reserve to the right to drop any student who is disrespectful, rude or inconsiderate of any class member, guest, or of the professor.  This is as applicable on the first day in class as it is during the final exam!

Here is a list of some common sense responsibilities.  If you have any additional needs or suggestions, please feel free to communicate them to me.  At the very least we will be able to talk about them.

Responsibilities of the Professor

1)   To treat class members fairly, humanly, and honestly.  To treat you as capable adults.

2)   Answer all questions to the best of my ability when asked, or if I do not know the answer, to get an answer before the next class period.

3)   To cover the syllabus as outlined, or to inform the class ahead of time of any deviations.

4)   To return any collected material (other than tests and quizzes) within one week of receiving them.

5)   To provide help for any student who is having problems and requests my assistance, either during office hours or during a previously scheduled meeting.

6)   To act professionally (on time, prepared, act in a courteous and friendly manner, etc.)

7)   To maintain order and civility in the classroom.

8)   To answer any question about a students performance and grades directly and in private.

Responsibilities of the Student

1)   To act civil to your fellow students and professors.  Hostility, acts of humiliation or intimidation of others will not be tolerated.  This will be grounds for the professor dropping the student from the course.

2)   To come to the class prepared.  This includes reading the assigned material and being prepared to raise questions about the material that you do not understand.  It also means that you pass the WebCT quizzes on time!

3)   To participate in the class.  Both by being alert, and by sharing your insights and questions with the rest of us.

4)   To turn in quizzes, tests, and any other assignments on time.

5)  To communicate to the professor when you need help.

Preliminary Class Outline

(1)  There is no Monday class this week (Labor Day).

(2) Tuesday Oct 14th is a switch day (Monday Classes)

(11) This is Thanksgiving week so we only have class on Tuesday.