Physics 224  Electricity and Magnetism                  Winter 2006

Instructor

Daniel Ludwigsen, Assistant Professor of Applied Physics

Department of Science and Mathematics, 2-300 O AB

810-762-7488             dludwigs@kettering.edu         http://www.kettering.edu/~dludwigs

Office hours: M and R, 10:15-11:15, or whenever my office door is open!

Textbook

Required:

Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Randall Knight.  Addison-Wesley   ISBN 0-8053-8960-5

This is the bundled set of the softcover Volume 4 (ch. 25-36), with a workbook and Mastering Physics (MP).  If you already have the text, you may need to purchase a separate Mastering Physics code from their website.  Be sure you have an active MP account that will last through the entire term.

Online components We will use both of these:

By now, you've already found this important site;

Tutoring The Kettering University Tutor Services have several upperclass students trained to help you with problems in Electricity and Magnetism, including Mastering Physics.  You also have an option of the Addison-Wesley Tutor Center (may be purchased online---see http://www.aw-bc.com/tutorcenter/physics.html).

References on reserve at the library:
Final Exam examples in the "hanging file"

Lab Manual  By the way, if you're taking Electricity and Magnetism Lab, you will need your own copy of the lab manual.  Photocopies are in violation of copyright law (and will not be accepted for lab reports in my sections).

Prerequisites

To take Electricity and Magnetism, you must have passed Calculus 2, be enrolled in or have passed Calculus 3, and of course you must have passed Newtonian Mechanics (Phys1) and its lab.  In addition, if you have not already passed PHYS-225, you must concurrently take the Electricity and Magnetism lab.  If these criteria do not match your situation, you may be withdrawn from the course during Weeks 2-4.

Evaluation

Reading Quizzes

While it looks like the least important (in percentage) component of the grade, this is really the foundation.  Every lecture period that has reading assigned (see the calendar) will include a reading quiz, usually at the beginning of class.  (DON'T BE LATE!)

Quizzes will be taken and graded in class.  They are designed to check whether you've read the textbook to prepare for the lecture.  Quizzes usually have two or three questions, each worth one point.  The entire quiz, however, is worth ten points.

Come to class prepared, and you'll set the foundation for success in Physics 224.

Mastering Physics

Much like the Reading Quizzes, this component has a relatively low impact on the grade, but your performance on these problems is critical to success in the class.  Nearly every class period where new material is encountered, you'll see an accompanying assignment in MP.  The whole course has 22 assignments, and each consists of around four or five problems.  Most are tutorial in nature, to help you build skills and familiarity with strategies for solving problems.  Some assignments are longer, but you should expect to spend about an hour to three hours on each.

If you find you are completely lost and feel like you're getting nowhere, you should get help---please do not spend hours beating your head against the proverbial wall.  Set it aside, work on something else, discover the refreshment of a brisk walk, then come back to it later.  If still nothing comes, get help.  Describing the trouble can help solve the trouble, sometimes.  Of course, all of this takes time.  Thus, it follows that you ought to start these assignments early.
 

When you sign into Mastering Physics, you'll need to join MPLUDWIGSEN200601, our class, where you will find the first assignment is due at 3:00 am on Friday of the first week. The assignments are always due at 3:00 am, so don't let the due date sneak up on you!  This is another reason to start (and finish) assignments early.

To learn physics, you have to do physics.

As you check the course calendar, you'll notice that you have only a few days to work each assignment.  Here's the logic:

Mastering Physics, taken seriously, will help you succeed on the exams.

Tests

There will be three tests throughout the term, taken in class.  While each section builds on previous sections, these tests will cover primarily the topics within that unit.  That's why the calendar is color-coded.  Several days of class have been set aside for review, however, you are always encouraged to bring in questions and concerns (perhaps from Mastering Physics...) to discuss in class.

Your highest scoring test will be worth 25% of the course grade, and the other two will be worth 20%.  While this will not be reflected in the Blackboard gradebook, my official spreadsheet will include the bonus.  Written appeals are accepted (see below).

Most of your course grade comes from these three tests.  Prepare well:

Final Exam

The Physics 224 comprehensive final exam is taken in common with all sections of the course.  Written and graded by a team of instructors from all sections, this exam will cover all material from the three tests, plus possible content from Electromagnetism (chapter 34).

The final exam is your chance to see the whole picture and synthesize all the ideas from the course.

Details are less critical, concepts may be stressed more than on the other tests.

Course-Level Learning Objectives

After a successful experience in Physics 224, a student will be able to:

1.  Assess a real-world situation involving electrical or magnetic phenomena, and model it using essential physics.

2.     Employ fundamental laws and relationships of electrical and magnetic interactions, involving electric charge and current, to solve modeled problems.

3.     Understand the connections among the various descriptions of electric and magnetic phenomena, e.g., for electricity: the relationships among charge, force, field, flux, energy, potential, and characteristics of ideal circuit elements.

4.     Communicate these ideas in verbal and mathematical form, also using graphic tools as appropriate.

If, at any point in this course, you do not feel you are working toward these objectives, please feel comfortable raising the point with me.  An office visit, or even an email will help me see through your perspective, and we can discuss how the course might be improved.

Policies

Motivated by the goals and objectives of the course, these policies are intended to foster a safe and constructive environment for learning physics.  To maintain this kind of environment, the instructor reserves the right to take any reasonable action sanctioned by University policy, including but not limited to a zero score on an assignment, dismissal from the classroom, and withdrawal from the course.  Disruptive behavior (including excessive talking), discrimination or harassment based on ethnicity, race, or gender, and talking on cell phones in the classroom will not be tolerated.

Academic integrity is expected from every student in Physics 224, to the highest degree.  The tests and exams are intended to reflect individual performance, and are not collaborative efforts.  None of the tests or exams will be open book; no texts, notes or other aids or references may be used, with the exception of a list of equations distributed with the test or exam, and a calculator.  Plagiarism (the use of another's ideas as your own) is not acceptable.  Evidence of cheating, or anything contradicting these policies, may result in a score of zero on the assignment or other action at the discretion of the instructor.  Regardless of the action taken, the case will be documented and forwarded to Academic Services.  Please know and practice the Kettering University Code of Academic Integrity found in the student handbook.

Students may appeal any grade through a written (less than one page) explanation of the situation, submitted to the instructor within one week of receiving the assignment.  A verbal appeal is not appropriate, unless the issue is a simple miscalculation---an error in adding the scores, for example.

If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodation, please contact your instructor as soon as possible.

Attendance is important in this course.  The instructor reserves the right to remove (by administrative withdrawal) any student that misses more than four unexcused hours of class (not including recitation sessions).  Reading quizzes track your attendance.

The Applied Physics faculty adopted the following policy for student withdrawal from Newtonian Mechanics (PHYS-114), Newtonian Mechanics Laboratory (PHYS-114), Electricity and Magnetism (PHYS-224), and Electricity and Magnetism Laboratory (PHYS-225).

If a student fails or withdraws from a laboratory (PHYS-115 or PHYS-225), he or she must repeat the entire laboratory, completing all experiments.  Students will not be excused from experiments performed during the previous term.

Finally, if you have read the whole syllabus, send me an email with a question about the course.  What is your biggest concern as we start?  Is anything a bit muddy?  Do you see what it will take to succeed?  It will be worth two extra credit points on Wednesday's quiz if you send it before class.