Instructor: Dr. Charles Sawicki


E-mail: charles.sawicki@ndsu.nodak.edu


Office: South Engineering Room 212B


Telephone: 231-7049

 

General Information

 

Description: Physics 252 is a detailed introduction to calculus-based classical electricity and magnetism as well as optics. A conceptual understanding of the applicable basic principles of physics makes solving quantitative problems much easier. Conceptual understanding will be emphasized first, then quantitative problems. This four-credit course is for engineering/science students and requires Math 165 as a prerequisite as well as Math 166 as a coreq. PHYS 251 or ME221 and ME222 are Prerequisites.

Text: Fundamentals of Physics by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker, 7th Edition, Wiley (2005).

 

Office Hours: Mondays 3:00 PM-5:00 PM and Wednesdays 3:00 PM-5:00 PM. You can also schedule other mutually agreeable times by email or phone. I encourage students to stop by to see me at any time with any matter that you would like to discuss.

 

Cheating and Academic Responsibility

 

All work in this course must be completed in a manner consistent with NDSU University Senate Policy, section 335: Code of Academic Responsibility and Conduct (http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/policy/335.htm).

 

Put simply cheating is taking advantage of fellow students and will therefore be heavily sanctioned. Normally this means failing the course. In particular, bringing the PRS unit of another student to class to use is cheating. Allowing some one else to take your PRS unit to class is the same.

 

 

 

Students with disabilities or special needs

 

Students with disabilities or other special needs, who need special accommodations in this course, are invited to s hare these concerns or requests with the instructor as soon as possible.

 

Lectures: Meet at 11:00Am-11:50AM MTWF in Minard 138 (in the new Minard annex). The following material will be covered during the semester.

 

Chapter 21:

Electric Charge

Chapter 22:

Electric Fields

Chapter 23:

Gauss's Law

Chapter 24:

Electric Potential

Chapter 25:

Capacitance

Chapter 26:

Current and Resistance

Chapter 27:

Circuits

Chapter 28:

Magnetic Fields

Chapter 29

Magnetic Fields Due to Currents

Chapter 30

Induction and Inductance

Chapter 31

Electromagnetic Oscillation and Alternating Current

Chapter 32

Maxwell's Equations: Magnetism of Matter

Chapter 33

Electromagnetic Waves

Chapter 34

Images

Chapter 35

Interference

Chapter 36

Diffraction

 

Exams

 

All exams will be closed-book and closed-notes. You should bring a calculator to class. An equation sheet will be included with each exam and advance copies of the sheet will be made available before a test, three one-hour exams will be given, and a comprehensive final exam.

Letter Grading for the course: A total average of 89.5% or more ensures an A, 79.5 to 89.4% ensures a B, 69.5 to 79.4% ensures a C and so forth. Depending on the class average curving may be applied to grades. See the test policy below.

 

Tests will be given in class at the times listed below.

 

                             Test 1: Tuesday, September 21, 2004  

 

                             Test 2: Tuesday, October 19, 2004   

 

                             Test 3: Tuesday November 16, 2004 

 

          Final: Monday December 13, 2004 in Minard 138 from 1:00PM-3:00PM

 

The Final Exam will be comprehensive with more weight given to material covered following Test 3. You must take the final to pass this course.

Test Policy: There will be no makeup tests. If you miss a test for a valid reason, that zero will be considered your lowest score and dropped. You must be excused prior to the time that the test is given in order to apply this rule. Normally you must take all three tests and I will drop the lowest. Conceptual questions like those in the end-of-chapter Questions sections and assigned in LON-CAPA will be approximately 40±10% of tests. The other 60±10% will be numerical problems (like the numerical Problems at the end of chapters and numerical problems discussed in class and assigned on LON-CAPA).

 

Homework and PRS Questions

 

Homework: Homework will be assigned and graded with the LON-CAPA system. Effort invested in working problems plays an important part in learning physics. Mastery of Lon-CAPA homework and the material discussed in class as well as reading the text are required to do well. You should read ahead in the text since this prepares you to think about and ask questions related to lectures. The Review Questions and Problems at the end of each chapter provide a good resource for test preparation. The more different problems you work, the better you will understand the material. I will use some of these, or very similar questions on tests.

LON-CAPA Homework Details: LON-CAPA problems will be assigned in class and listed on the LON-CAPA course site.

Web based homework problems will be assigned and must be completed by the due date assigned with each problem. Each student will receive an individualized version of the problem. You will receive a course homework score based on the percentage of the assigned problems that you answer correctly by their due date.

 

 

Accessing LON-CAPA:

Go to the physics department web site:   http/www.physics.ndsu.nodak.edu   

Click the LON-KAPA link.

If you have a pop up blocker running, the remote control probably will not work. Use the menu system instead. Our LON-CAPA administrator is Mr. Nathan Schoenack. Phone 231-7047 and email Nathan.schoenack@ndsu.nodak.edu. Nathan is familiar with the difficulties previous students have had with LON-CAPA. I’ll also try to help although I’m also a beginner with the LON-CAPA system!

PRS Questions: You must have your own PRS transmitter for this course. You can purchase a transmitter at the Varsity Mart and register it at http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/prsreg/. Registration instructions are included at this web site. Typically several PRS questions and a PRS quiz will be given during each class.

          PRS Questions: You must have your own PRS transmitter for this course.  You can purchase a transmitter at the Varsity Mart and register it at http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/prsreg/. Registration instructions are included at this web site. Typically several PRS questions and a PRS quiz will be given during each class.

          You will always receive 1 point per question just for responding to a PRS question. Typically a PRS quiz will be given each day covering material from the previous lecture. Again you will receive 1 point for responding but also 3 added points for a correct answer. PRS quizzes will be open book and notes. You will be given a limited amount of time to answer questions so you can’t just look up answers. Bring your calculator to class everyday since some problems will be numerical. Group study is encouraged and you will be allowed to consult with your neighbors on all PRS questions. It is to every ones advantage to form study groups that work together in and out of class.

Grades: Your final grade in Physics 252 will be determined on the following basis: 

      LON-CAPA                20%     (see above discussion: problems must be completed by due date)
            PRS                             15%
            Best two exams          20% each (see test policy on previous page)
            Final Exam                 25%