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Physics 2331: General Physics II (Section 3)
Spring Semester, 2015
• GENERAL INFORMATION
INSTRUCTOR:
Prof. James Dove
Office: NC 3123D
Phone : (303) 556-2667
email: dovej@msudenver.edu
Office Hours: see http://www.msudenver.edu/physics/facultyofficehours
TEXTBOOK:
Sears and Zemansky’s University Physics, by Young and Freedman,
13th Edition.
This book should be purchased at the bookstore, as it is
bundled with a Mastering Physics account
CLASSES:
M/W 4:00 - 5:50 pm
CLASSROOM:
NC 1608
COURSE WEBSITE URL:
http://rowdy.msudenver.edu/∼dovej/courses/gen2/coursepage.html
PREREQUISITES:
COREQUISITE:
General Physics I, Calculus II
• COURSE DESCRIPTION
Physics is the field of science which studies how nature works at its most fundamental level. The few
fundamental laws of physics encompass and allow an understanding of a universe of natural phenomena.
All other fields of science apply these physical laws to help gain an understanding of their particular
topic. This course is the second half of the two-semester series designed to give an overview of classical
physics, covering the electric force, magnetism, electromagnetism, circuit theory, radiation and optics.
• COURSE OBJECTIVES AND PHILOSOPHY
The goals of this course are (1) develop a physical intuition associated with classical physics, (2)
develop analytical and deductive reasoning skills needed for scientific careers (e.g., develop the ability
to approach a complex problem, identify the important parts, ignore the irrelevant parts, determine a
method to obtain a solution), (3) understand how the scientific method is used by physicists (and other
scientists) in making new discoveries and understand the nature of its limitations, and (4) rekindle
your curiosity of how nature works and your appreciation of its beauty.
A central component of this course will be problem solving via the application of the physical concepts
and quantitative analysis.
• GRADING POLICY
Homework
Quizzes (best 2 of 3)
Midterm Exams
Final Exam
Clicker Participation
Warmups
15%
20%
35%
20%
5%
5%
The final grades will be based on the following percentage breakdown:
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD
87% - 100%
85% - 86%
83% - 84%
74% - 82%
72% - 73%
70% - 71%
60% - 69%
58% - 59%
50% - 57%
Although I typically do not use a curve distribution, I may decide to adjust the grade boundaries at the
end of the semester in a way that can only help improve your final grade. For unusual circumstances
(e.g., a bad question on an exam), I may also adjust exam scores. Typically, the class average is at
the C+/B- boundary.
A few times throughout the semester, I will update the GradeReport site
(www.msudenver.edu/physics/GradeReport), which shows all recorded scores. Please see me if you
are in any doubt on how you’re are doing throughout the course.
• Exams:
There are two “midterm” exams and one final exam. Each of these exams are two hours in duration.
The final exam will be cumulative, but it will have an emphasis on the material covered after the
second midterm.
All tests will contain both multiple-choice conceptual questions and analytic problems similar in style
to homework problems. All tests are closed book and closed notes. However, I will provide an equation
page, which will be on the web site at least four days prior to an exam so you can see what equations
you don’t need to memorize and and make sure you understand the symbols used.
In order to grade all students fairly, make-up exams will be given only in advance for exceptional
reasons and by prior agreement. The final must be taken at the scheduled time.
• Quizzes:
There are three quizzes, which are roughly 40 minutes in duration (given promptly at the beginning
of class). These quizzes are very similar in format to the exams, but shorter and perhaps with a larger
emphasis on analytical problems similar to the homework.
Your overall quiz score is based on the best two of the three quizzes (if you miss a quiz, that is the
one that will be dropped). No makeup quizzes will be given.
• Homework:
The homework assignments will be given through the Mastering Physics website
(http://www.masteringphysics.com, then click on appropriate textbook icon for this course), an internetbased homework delivery service.
The first time you go to this site, click on the register button and enter the long access code you
received when you purchased the book (if you didn’t buy the book on the bookstore, then click the
”buy now” button to register). When registering, you will choose a username, a password, and be
asked to provide your full name, student ID number, and email. You will also be asked for the
course ID, which is DOVES2015.
After logging in, you can access the homework assignments. Some problems will require you to do
them at the computer, completing and submitting intermediate steps and receiving hints and help. I
think you will find these tutorials very helpful. Other problems can be printed out, so if you want you
can work on them away from the computer and then type in the answers at a later time. Be sure to
do the first to get accustomed of syntax and learn about how many significant digits to use. Note:
the numbers in your questions are different than those of your peers, so don’t copy down a friend’s
answers!
Homework will be assigned nearly every week. You must submit your answers prior to the posted due
date and time in order to receive full credit. After the due date, the maximum homework score drops
by 10% per day for five days. Late homework submitted afterwards will have a maximum score of
50%.
Homework is a very important part of this class, as the homework is the best means of preparing for
the exams and learning the material. Many exam questions will be similar to the homework problems.
If you are having problems with the homework, I highly urge you to collaborate with other students
and/or ask for help during my office hours. There may also be a free physics tutoring service provided
by the department (more info to come). Try working on your homework shortly after the assignment
is given, such that you have time to ask questions before it is due. Also, often I will ask for homework
questions at the beginning of class. I won’t do the problem for you, but can give you hints and/or
help you outline a plan for tackling the problem.
• I>clicker Participation:
We will be using i>clickers during most classes. I>clickers allow you to answer conceptual multiplechoice questions using a remote-control keypad. Most questions are conceptual questions. You receive
1 point for a voting (regardless whether your answer is correct), and 0 points for not answering. Each
question is worth 1point. q
To Register:
Register your clicker while registering for GradeReport. Go to http://www.msudenver.edu/physics/getuserid
and carefully follow the directions. The remote ID is the series of numbers and sometimes letters found
on the bottom of the back of your i>clicker remote.
Do NOT register your clicker through the IClicker web site!
In order to receive credit for participation, you need to register your i>clicker remote online within
the first four weeks of class.
The i>clicker response system will be used almost every day in class, and you are responsible for
bringing your remote daily. Throughout the semester
• Just in Time Teaching (JiTT) Warmups
It is very important to read the lecture’s reading assignment prior to class such that we can go over
the more difficult concepts and address your sources of confusion. To help motivate you to come to
class prepared, you are to answer a short set of questions based on the relevant topics associated with
each lecture’s reading assignment. Your answers to these questions will be graded for effort only; your
job in writing your responses is to demonstrate that you did the reading and at least wrestled with the
concepts involved. In addition, your responses are used by me to understand where you are with the
material so that I can fine-tune our class time appropriately. I will also quote some of your responses
anonymously in class.
The warmups are done online at the Just-in-Time-Teaching website,
http://jittdl.physics.iupui.edu/jittdlhosting/login.php
Log in using your university email address and the password “warmup”. At the site, click on
Gimme− A− Warmup in the top right to see a list of lessons. The currently active WarmUp is shown
on the left in blue.
Your answers must be submitted by 11 AM on the days of class. There will be a JiTT on ALL class
days except for the days of the midterm and final exams. The warmups are organized by class number,
which are shown below in the course schedule.
Please note that if you registered for this class after January 12th, 2015, you will need
to email me so that I can enter you in the WarmUp roster.
• ADVICE:
The best advice I can give you is read the book and then do the homework! Homework is the best
way to help you learn how to apply the physical concepts to different scenarios and gauge whether
you understand the material. Exams will contain problems very similar to the homework. Avoid
the temptation to use homework solution manuals while doing your homework; that might help your
homework score (which is only 15% of your grade), but it won’t help you prepare for exams and quizzes
(which are worth much more).
Since this is a four unit course, the workload is considerably high. The amount of time required to be
successful varies considerably from student to student, but the minimum amount of time is likely over
ten hours a week outside of class. Some students require considerably more time before they “see the
light” and/or understand the homework. In my opinion, the best way to learn this material is to read
the material associated with the upcoming lecture before coming to class. This way, any questions
encountered during your reading that aren’t answered during the lectures can be asked.
The most difficult aspect of this course for many students involves applying mathematics (primarily
trigonometry, geometry, and algebra) to word problems. I highly advise you to brush up on these
math topics ASAP, so you can then concentrate on the physics without being bogged down by these
topics.
I will not lecture on all the material associated with the reading assignments during
class. Instead, I will focus on answering your questions, doing demos, working out endof-chapter problems, and doing I>clicker questions and other group activities. Therefore
it is imperative that you have read the day’s reading assignment prior to class. Often, you
may find it helpful to re-read a section or chapter after class, as you will often pick up more subtle
issues that you didn’t catch during the first read.
Try not to fall behind and then learn everything right before exams. Many concepts require a lot of
time to learn and “sink in.” Questions on any topic, including those found only in the reading
assignments, are very much encouraged during class or office hours. Homework problems
are the best method to gauge whether you are learning the material. Finally, try to refrain from the
“memorize the equation and plug and chug” approach to solving problem. The best way to solve a
physics problem is to first figure out which physical concepts are involved. If you understand these
concepts, it should be clear which equations should be used and typically you will have insight as to
which approach to the problem is the easiest and most straightforward. The “Challenging Problems”
found at the very end of each chapter are especially helpful in forcing you to think before jumping
into the problem, as it isn’t clear which section (and therefore which equation to use) the problem
pertains to. To truly test yourself, attempt to do these problems without the aid of the book. Of
course, problem solving becomes much easier after lots of practice.
• ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
If you are caught cheating during an exam or quiz, you will receive a zero for that particular test. If
you are caught cheating twice during the semester, you will receive a failing course grade. Don’t cheat!
Use your own abilities.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week #
Class #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
Finals Week
Date
Jan 19
Jan 21
Jan 26
Jan 28
Feb 2
Feb 4
Feb 9
Feb 11
Feb 16
Feb 18
Feb 23
Feb 25
Mar 2
Mar 4
Mar 9
Mar 11
Mar 16
Mar 18
Mar 30
Apr 1
Apr 6
Apr 8
Apr 13
Apr 15
Apr 20
Apr 22
Apr 27
Apr 29
May 4
May 6
May 11 or 13
Topics
Chapter
Intro, Electric Charge, Electric Force
Coulomb’s Law
Electric Fields
Electric Fields Cont’d
Gauss’s Law
Gauss’s Law Cont’d; Conductors
Electric Potential Energy
Electric Potential (Voltage)
Capacitance & Current
Current and Resistance
Exam #1
DC Circuits
Magnetic Forces
Magnetism Cont’d
Sources of Magnetic Fields
Ampere’s Law
Magnetism Cont’d
Spring Break
Spring Break
Motional EMF
Faraday’s Law of Induction
Induction Cont’d and Inductance
Exam #2
AC Circuits
AC Circuits Cont’d
Maxwell’s Displacement Current
Electromagnetic Waves
Waves Cont’d and Propagation of Light
Geometric Optics
Interference
Special Relativity
Final Exam, Date to be determined
21
21
21
21
22
22
23
23
24, 25
25
Test Day
Quiz #1
Exam #1
26
27
27
28
28
28
Quiz #2
29
29
30
Exam #2
31
31
32
32
33
34
35
37
Quiz #3
Final Exam
SYLLABUS POLICIES
No Credit Withdrawal Policy
Students will be expected to know and observe the MSCD regulations regarding No-Credit Withdrawal (NC). It is the
student’s responsibility to withdraw from a course. Students who withdraw after the census date will receive an NC
on their transcripts. NC stands for No Credit and does not impact the student’s grade point average. NC deadlines
for part-of-term classes vary.
NC Withdrawal deadline for full-term courses with no faculty signature required:
NC Withdrawal deadline for full-term courses with faculty signature required:
Students who have questions about tuition and fees refund deadlines should contact the Office of Student Accounts
at 303-556-6188.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
Students who need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor to discuss
their specific needs. Students will need to provide the instructor with a disability verification letter from the Access
Center before appropriate accommodations can be made. Failure to notify the instructor in a timely fashion may
hinder the college’s ability to assist students to successfully complete the course.
The Metropolitan State College of Denver does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex,
age, sexual orientation or disability in admission or access to, or treatment in, its educational programs or activities.
Inquiries concerning Title VI, Title IX and Section 504 may be referred to Dr. Percy Morehouse, Director, Equal
Opportunity, Metropolitan State College of Denver, 303.556.2939; or to the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of
Education, 1244 Speer Boulevard, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80204. Discrimination based on disability in admission to,
access to or operation of programs, services or activities of the college is prohibited by the Americans with Disabilities
Act.
Academic Dishonesty:
Academic dishonesty is a serious offense at the College because it diminishes the quality of scholarship and the
learning experience for everyone on campus. An act of Academic Dishonesty may lead to sanctions including a
reduction in grade, probation, suspension, or expulsion. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, fabrication,
plagiarism, submitting the same paper or work for more than one class, and facilitating academic dishonesty. For
definitions and more information, see the Student Handbook which is available online through Metro-Connect.
Class Attendance on Religious Holidays
Students at Metropolitan State College of Denver (MSCD) who, because of their sincerely held religious beliefs, are
unable to attend classes, take examinations, participate in graded activities or submit graded assignments on
particular days shall without penalty be excused from such classes and be given a meaningful opportunity to make up
such examinations and graded activities or assignments provided that advance written notice that the student will be
absent for religious reasons is given to the faculty members during the first two weeks of the semester.
Nothing in paragraph one of this policy shall require MSCD faculty members to reschedule classes, repeat lectures or
other ungraded activities or provide ungraded individualized instruction solely for the benefit of students who, for
religious reasons, are unable to attend regularly scheduled classes or activities. However, presentations, critiques,
conferences and similar activities involving individual students shall be scheduled to avoid conflicts with such
students’ religious observances or holidays provided that reasonable advance notice of scheduling conflicts is given to
faculty members. Because classroom attendance and participation is an important aspect of learning, MSCD students
should not register for courses if regularly scheduled classes or activities routinely conflict with their religious
observances or holidays (e.g., conflicts resulting in weekly absences for an entire semester).
Any MSCD student who believes that an MSCD faculty member has violated this policy is entitled to seek relief under
Section V of the MSCD Equal Opportunity Grievance Procedure.