Goshen College > Physics

Physics 204
General Physics II: Electricity, Magnetism, Optics

Syllabus, Spring 2012

We meet at 11 am, MWF in SC 006.

Labs are in SC 008, on Tuesdays, either:

On the web

You can find the syllabus and other materials related to this course on the web at:  
goshen.edu/physix/204

Grades will be available on moodle.goshen.edu.

I use your "goshen.edu" e-mail address for class communications. Some of you may use other e-mail services. If you do use some other service, make sure your goshen.edu e-mail account is set up to forward e-mail to the account you read most often. (Zimbra: Preferences > Mail)

Instructor

Paul Meyer Reimer

Sci 011   ·   x7318   ·  gvoice: 312-3395   ·   e-mail: paulmr@goshen.edu

Overview

A calculus- and vector-based introduction to physics.

GC standards are 2-3 hours of work outside of class for every hour in class. Since this is a lab course, This means approx 10-14 hours per week in addition to class.

Texts and Tools

UniversityPhysicsRequired: University Physics (13th edition), Hugh Young, Roger Freedman, A. Lewis Ford. This is packaged in many forms:

Required: Study Guide to accompany Paul A. Tipler.... Volumes 2 and 3 (4th edition), Gene Mosca, Ronald Gautreau, Granvil C. Kyker, Jr. These are out of print. You can rent one from Paul for the semester for a refundable $10 deposit.

Required: Webassign.net for this term. You can pay for this at the bookstore or when you first login.

We will likely use Mathematica some (available on all campus lab computers).


Grading

Group work, Webassign & quizzes 15%
exam 1 20%
exam 2 20%
final exam 30%
labs 15%

Total grade outcomes:

A 93-100%
A- 90-93
B+ 87-90
B 83-87
B- 80-83
C+ 77-80
C 73-77
C- 70-73
D+ 67-70
D 60-67

I may adjust this scheme down a bit (e.g. 89% might end up being good enough for an A), but I certainly won't adjust it up.

Homework

Working through the homework is perhaps more important for your learning than anything we do in class.

Weekly WebAssign homework due each Friday.

Study groups

...of 3-4 will be formed in the first week. See 'moodle' for link to enter your schedule. You may work through webassign problems together, as well as particular problems that are assigned to study groups. If you turn in the problems and log (see moodle) at least 2 hours together, your quiz grade will be multiplied by 1.1.

Quizzes

Weekly content quizzes over the material just covered each Friday.

Occasional reading quizzes on assigned chapter reading on Monday or Wednesday. These count less than the content quizzes.

Disability accommodations

Goshen College wants to help all students be as academically successful as possible. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor or Director of the Academic Resource and Writing Center, Lois Martin, early in the semester so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. In order to receive accommodations, documentation concerning your disability must be on file with the Academic Resource and Writing Center, GL113, x7576, lmartin@goshen.edu. All information will be held in the strictest confidence. The Academic Resource and Writing Center offers tutoring and writing assistance for all students. For further information please see www.goshen.edu/studentlife/arwc/.

Image credits

Chuck Coker