CSUSB
PHYSICS 223, SECTION 01
Spring
2017
Timothy D. Usher, Ph.D.
http://physics.csusb.edu/~tusher/
Office: PS-113
Telephone: 537-5410
e-mail: tusher@csusb.edu
Physics Office: PS-119, Telephone: 537-5397, www page "http://physics.csusb.edu"
Office Hours: To be announced. I will try to arrange some office hours for
homework problem solving sessions.
Required Textbook:
Other available materials: You are encouraged to explore on-line
materials, such as Mastering Physics. However, it is not required. On-line
physics simulations are available. For example: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/physics
eBooks and videos are available through the CSUSB Library on line: http://libguides.csusb.edu/ebooks For example: http://csusb.kanopystreaming.com/video/physics-demonstrations-sound-waves-part-i
If anyone finds some really good smart phone apps please let me know.
Simulations: The producers of
Mathematica have a good web site http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/
To fully utilize the demonstrations, you will need to
download a little code (CDF Player). However, Wolfram is a trusted source.
Search on “simple harmonic motion” for starters. By the way Wolfram Mathematica is available to CSUSB students. http://blogs.csusb.edu/its/2014/11/mathematica-software-available-for-csusb-students-staff-and-faculty/
Other good books: The
Feynman Lectures on Physics.
Videos: Mechanical Universe (available on line http://bit.ly/2gvNAA3 For
this course, Episode 16: Harmonic Motion - The Mechanical Universe would be a
good place to start.
Laboratory manuals, in electronic format, will be supplied
at your first lab session. The cost of the manual is covered by your lab fee.
Library Reserved Reading: Homework solutions and other materials will be
made available at the reserved reading desk and via electronic reserves in the
library and at the library web site. http://libcat.lib.csusb.edu/search/p
You will need the course passcode: utperm223 (all
lower case)
I am not a blackboard user.
Prerequisites: Physics 222, Mathematics 212 THIS IS A SERIOUS
PREREQUISITE. STUDENTS WITHOUT THIS PREREQUISITE MAY BE ADMINISTRATIVELY
DROPPED.
Recommended : Math 213
Corequisite:
Physics 223 Laboratory
Note: An F in laboratory results in an automatic F in
class!!!!
General course goals: My goals as your professor are as follows:
1. Help you improve your ability to think.
2. Help you develop your analytical skills such as problem solving abilities.
Physics is a challenging field of study but that is part of the fun. If you are prepared to meet the challenge it can be a very rewarding experience. Make sure you allow adequate quality time to spend on the subject. It is recommended that you allow at least two hours of study for every hour you are in class or laboratory.
TENTATIVE COURSE TOPICS
Oscillations (Ch 15)Waves (Ch 16 – 17)Maxwell’s Equations Ch 32Electromagnetic Waves Ch33Optics (Ch 34 – 36)Maybe some Quantum Physics if time permits (Handout sheets) TESTS (opportunities to demonstrate what you have learned)
The best way to prepare for the tests is to keep up with the reading assignments and the homework assignments. Cramming the night before a test does not make-up for neglecting your studies throughout the quarter.
You are allowed to have one 3" x 5" note card for each test and the final. You may write any information on this card you wish. No micro-writing is allowed. The writing must be of reasonable size (larger than 1/8 inch). This will be checked and illegal cards will be confiscated during the test leaving you without a card! Calculators are allowed but palm or lap computers are not allowed. Calculators which can communicate with other calculators via wireless communication are not allowed.
The tests will be "show your work" type tests. You must show all of your work clearly! Partial credit will be assigned depending on the correctness of the work presented.
The tests may be different from any tests you may have experienced before. The tests do not only test how well you remember the material; they are primarily intended to test how well you can use the material to solve new problems or answer new questions. The final will be comprehensive, covering all of the material from the quarter.
The final exam is scheduled for Wednesday, June 14, 4:00 – 5:50 pm.
ASSIGNMENTS
Assignments will be in three parts: reading, question, and problems. The assignments will be written on the blackboard at the beginning of each class. The textbook will be followed closely so the assigned reading will include the material to be covered in the next lecture. Pop quizzes may be given at the beginning of some classes as encouragement to keep up with the reading. Each question on the quiz will carry the same weight as a homework problem.
Physics requires certain skills as well as knowledge. Solving problems will help you develop those skills just as playing scales helps a pianist or tackling practice helps a football player. Thinking carefully about the assigned questions should help you to demonstrate the deep understanding necessary to do well on the tests.
Assignments will be made each day. All of the questions and problems from the previous week are due on Monday, regardless of the day they were assigned. There will be a folder at the front of the classroom marked "Homework to be graded (first attempt)". Place your homework in there before or after class, not during class! The homework will be graded and returned to you Wednesday. You will receive one of the following marks on each problem with the indicated meanings.
a check = satisfactory (1 credit)
"OK" = barely adequate, strongly recommend reviewing (1 credit)
"X" = not clear or unsatisfactory (1/2 credit)
"XX" = no clear attempt was made (0 credit)
Your homework solutions must be neat and concise.
1) Neat
a) Staple pages
b) Work on one side only
c) No pages torn out of notebooks
d) Problems and questions in order
e) Your name and chapter number and first or second attempt
2) Concise--The problem must be solved clearly in an easy to read form. Show all key steps, basic relations used and explanations where needed. Please place a box around your answer. In short the grader, me, should be able to look at your solution and be able to tell what you did within a few seconds. Questions should be answered in a clear, concise, and direct maner. For example, if the question can be answered with a yes or a no, do so and then give a brief reasoning if you like. Do not just give your reasoning without the yes or no!
If your solutions are not neat and concise, the problem may be marked X or even XX.
If you receive an X you should try again with whatever aid (short of copying) you wish, including: posted solutions, solution manuals, fellow students, seeing me (I will try to arrange at least some office hours for this). Also, some physics majors are paid as tutors and usually hold sessions in PS 104 (Physics study room). By the way, you are welcome to use PS 104 as a study room. I will try to have solutions available in the library electronic reserves http://libcat.lib.csusb.edu/search/p Monday after class. Please keep me reminded about this. If I feel that you have simply copied your assignments, points will be deducted from you. For example, the solutions in the library may have slight errors. If there are obvious mistakes in the solutions, and I see them again on your solutions, it could be bad news for you. After you have reworked the assignment you may resubmit it Wednesday in the folder marked "Homework to be graded (Second attempt)." If the second attempt is satisfactory, you will receive the other credit. You do NOT need to turn in your graded first attempt. In other words if I have graded something, I never want to see it again.
NOTE: Doing the assignment on your own the first time can't hurt you but it can help you on test day!
If you receive XX you may do the assignment and turn it in to the (Second attempt) folder. If the assignment is satisfactory you will receive credit. If the assignment is not satisfactory you receive no credit and you have run out of chances to turn in the homework!
NOTE: This system automatically penalizes half credit for late homework, no matter what the excuse. Turning in late homework once or twice should not hurt your grade much, but habitually late or no homework could hurt a lot!
This
homework schedule may seem complicated but it is not.
Monday: Turn in all first and second attempt homework from the previous
week.
Wednesday: Retrieve your graded homework.
The different components of the course will carry the following weights:
Tests
37.5%
(18.75% each)
Final Exam
25.0%
Laboratory
25.0%
Homework and Pop quizzes 12.5%
Grading scale:
100 - 95 A
94 - 90 -A
89 - 85 +B
84 - 80 B
79 - 75 -B
74 - 70 +C
69 - 65 C
64 - 60 -C
59 - 55 +D
54 - 50 D
49 - 45 -D
45 or less F
I
do not grade on a "curve". You do not want me to grade on a curve.
That would mean that a certain percentage of the class MUST fail. I would be
delighted if everyone earned a good grade in the course. Physics is challenging
enough without artificial competition, so let’s all work together. I am
an experimental physicist, so I treat grading as a measurement with an
associated uncertainty. I will add the uncertainty to the final grades. However
it is almost always less than 5 points.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- YOU are ultimately the one who decides what this course will be to
you.
- Enjoyable; if you let yourself
enjoy; removing all mental blocks and negative attitudes.
- VALUABLE for a professional career
- Good Grade if you do the following:
- put in quality time.
- do the assigned reading before
coming to class
- ask questions
- work/answer and understand all of
the assigned problems/questions
- do well on your laboratory work
- demonstrate a deep understanding on the
tests and final
- I strongly urge you to form study groups. I will send out a
“Doodle poll” to facilitate this.
- I also strongly urge you to make frequent use of my office hours. I
have noticed that "regulars" at office hours typically do better in
the course.
- You should strive for the big picture first before focusing on the details.
- Keep this syllabus and look at it! It is also available at my web site.
- Honesty is expected. Dishonesty will be dealt with harshly. Anyone caught
cheating may receive a failing grade for the course!
- Be sure to ask questions. The only dumb question is the one left unasked.
- A study room is available (PS-104). You may even, on occasion, find a strange
beast in there: a physics professor.
- Be sure to see me if you have any problems. We are all human and deserve to
be treated as such.
- If you have a concern about your grades, be sure to speak with me before
taking any drastic measures like dropping the class.
- Audio/Visual aids (films, videos, computer programs, etc.) are available. The
series "The Mechanical Universe" is particularly recommended.
- Many services are available at the University. See Bulletin for details.
And many more; see the Bulletin http://bulletin.csusb.edu/ or purchase a hard copy from the
bookstore.
University Policies
The Policy and Procedures Concerning Academic Dishonesty states: Plagiarism and cheating are violations of the Student Discipline Code (see Appendix of the CSUSB Catalogue of Programs) and may be dealt with by both the instructor and the Judicial Affairs Officer. Plagiarism is the act of presenting the ideas and writings of another as one’s own. Cheating is the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for academic work through the use of any dishonest, deceptive or fraudulent means. Plagiarism is academically dishonest and makes the offending student liable to penalties up to and including expulsion. Students must make appropriate acknowledgments of the original source where material written or complies by another is used. Questions about academic dishonesty and the policy should be addressed to the Office of the Vice President, Student Affairs.
Commitment to Diversity: In our commitment to the furthering of knowledge and fulfilling our educational mission, California State University, San Bernardino seeks a campus climate that welcomes, celebrates, and promotes respect for the entire variety of human experience. In our commitment to diversity, we welcome people from all backgrounds and we seek to include knowledge and values from many cultures in the curriculum and extra-curricular life of the campus community. Dimensions of diversity shall include, but are not limited to, the following: race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexual orientation, sex/gender, disability, socioeconomic status, cultural orientation, national origin, and age. (from the CSU San Bernardino University Diversity Committee Statement of Commitment to Diversity, 1995)
In keeping with the university’s Commitment to Diversity, the faculty of the College of Natural Sciences fully support the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Faculty will provide reasonable accommodation to any student with a disability who is registered with the Office of Services to Students with Disabilities and who needs and requests accommodation. If you are in need of an accommodation for a disability in order to participate in this class, please let me know ASAP and also contact Services to Students with Disabilities at UH-183, (909) 537-5238. It is the student’s responsibility to seek academic accommodations for a verified disability in a timely manner.
Relevant Program-level Student Learning
Goals and Outcomes:
Goal 1: Students should have in-depth knowledge of the foundational subjects in physics (primarily classical mechanics, electrodynamics, thermodynamics & statistical mechanics, special relativity, and quantum mechanics) and be able to apply that knowledge to problem-solving.
Outcome 1.2: Students will demonstrate an introductory-level understanding of the principles of mechanical oscillations, mechanical waves, electromagnetic waves, and optics at the undergraduate level by solving quantitative problems. This will be exhibited in the following ways.
1.2a: Homework solutions of problems covering the range of topics.
1.2b: Problem-solving on the exams, covering the range of topics, and the integration of various topics.
Goal 2: Students should be able to design and perform a physics experiment, analyze the acquired data, draw meaningful conclusions from the data, and communicate the results at a professional level.
Outcome 2.1: Students will continue to develop the ability to perform physics experiments relevant to the topics covered in the class, analyze the results, and draw meaningful conclusions from those results. This will be exhibited in the following ways.
2.1a: By performing a series of waves and optics experiments.
2.1b: By learning to understand and use standard instrumentation relevant to the topics.
2.1c: Analysis of experimental concepts and data on the worksheets, quizzes, and exams, covering the range of topics.
Outcome 2.2: Students will continue to develop the ability to write experimental reports in a professional format. This will be exhibited in the following ways.
2.2a: By preparing written reports that demonstrate their ability to present their data, analyze the data, draw meaningful conclusions, and do so clearly.