Syllabus
Info
| Title | General Physics II |
| Term | Spring 2015 |
| Credits | 4 |
| Time | Mon, Wed, Fri 11.30-12.50 |
| Place | Brown Science/Sci 117A |
| Level | Introductory |
| Faculty | Sara Salimbeni |
| Tutor | to be announced |
Textbook
Physics for Scientists and Engineers a Strategic Approach, vol I (Chapters 14-15)- II-III by Randall D.
Knight. We will start by using Vol I chapter 14, and after we will move to Vol 3. We will use Vol 2 during the second part of the semester.
Other Useful Books
Understanding Physics by Karen Cummings, Priscilla W. Laws, Edward F. Redish, Patrick J. Cooney (on the reserve shelf)
Course Policies & Grading
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory and is part of your grade (15% of your final grade). Please, let me know ahead of time if, and why, you will miss a class.
Readings
You are expected to come to class prepared to discuss the material and ask questions. Reading the material is critical for having a productive class time, failing to prepare will affect the learning of you and your classmates. To help you with the reading I will assign pre-class questions. The pre-class questions are part of your grade (5% of your final grade).
For each pre -class assignment you will get:
-0 points for missed assignment (no late pre-class assignments admitted)
-1 point if you did the assignment but it is: poorly written or it is evident that you did not spend time thinking and digesting the material before answering.
-2 points if the assignment is well done, it doesn't necessarily need to be correct, but your effort to understand the material should be evident.
Homework
Homework will be assigned weekly (30% of your final grade). Homework is an essential tool to learn and to receive feedback. For this reason it is important that you hand in your assignments on time. Students are encouraged to work together on the homework assignments. However, your final write-up of the assigment must represent your own understanding; copying another person's work is plagiarism and will result in no credit for that assignment.
Take-Home tests and Final
In addition to the weekly assignments, there will be two take-home tests (30% of your grade) and an in class final (20% of your final grade). You are not allowed to collaborate while you are working on the take-home tests or on the final (unless I assign group work).
Late Police for assignments and Mid-term
This is how late work will affect your grades:
days of delay percentage of the actual grade
--------------- -----------------------------------------
1 to 3 90%
3 to 7 80%
8 to 15 60%
15 to 30 40%
over 30 it will not be accepted
Special arrangements for late work can be obtained under very special circumstances. Late work will not be accepted without prior discussion with me.
No late work will be accepted for the Final assignment.
Plagiarism
Academic Honesty is expected of all scientists, and also of all students. Cheating on homework or the final exam will result in no credit.
If you are not sure on how to use a source, please check this
link on the library webpage.
Grading
|
|
| 30% | Weekly homework |
| 15% | Class attendance & participation |
| 5% | Pre-class assignments & reading |
| 30% | Take home tests |
| 20% | In class final exams |
Grade Letters
| Highest | Lowest | Letter |
| 100.00 | 93.00 | A |
| 92.99 | 90.00 | A- |
| 89.99 | 87.00 | B+ |
| 86.99 | 83.00 | B |
| 82.99 | 80.00 | B- |
| 79.99 | 77.00 | C+ |
| 76.99 | 73.00 | C |
| 72.99 | 70.00 | C- |
| 69.99 | 67.00 | D+ |
| 66.99 | 60.00 | D |
| 59.99 | 0.00 | F |
Tentative Schedule
Most of the fridays you will work on problems with the physics tutor.
Day Topics
------ -----
Jan 23 Oscillations
Jan 26 Oscillations
Jan 28 Pendulum experiment
Jan 30 Pendulum experiment
Feb 2 (snow day)
Feb 4 Traveling Waves
Feb 6 Traveling Waves
Feb 9 Traveling Waves - Superposition
Feb 11 Superposition
Feb 13 Tutoring
Feb 16 Superposition
Feb 18 Wave Optics
Feb 20 Tutoring
Feb 23 Wave Optics
Feb 25 Ray Optics
Feb 27 Tutoring - review
Mar 2 Ray Optics
Mar 4 Optical Instruments
Mar 6 Optical Instruments
Mar 9 Fluids
Mar 11 Fluids
Mar 13 Fluids
Mar 30 A Macroscopic Description of Matter
Apr 1 Work, Heat, and the first Law of Thermodynamic
Apr 3 Tutoring
Apr 6 Work, Heat, and the first Law of Thermodynamic
Apr 8 Work, Heat, and the first Law of Thermodynamic
Apr 10 Tutoring
Apr 13 The Micro-Macro connection
Apr 15 The Micro-Macro connection
Apr 17 Tutoring
Apr 20 Heat Engines and Refrigerators
Apr 22 Heat Engines and Refrigerators
Apr 24 Tutoring
Apr 27 Heat Engines and Refrigerators
Apr 29 Entropy
May 1 Tutoring
May 4 Review
May 6 Review
