Welcome to PHYSICS 113

10 January 2000

Time:

Lecture 2:30-3:25 MWF in Room C113, MatSci Bldg

Instructor:

Rob Sheldon

Office Hours:

9-10 MWF and TBA, Room 348 Optics Bldg

Phone:

UAH:890 6276 x348
MSFC:544 1652
email: sheldonr@uah.edu

Teaching Assistant:

Hui Liu
liuh@uah.edu
OB204 - Monday 9:00-11:30, Tuesday 4:00-5:00, Thursday 8:30-9:50

Text:

Fundamentals of Physics, Extended, 5th edition
Halliday, Resnick and Walker
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., NY

Course Description:

Physics 113 is the third and final installment in the series of survey courses of physics, and is the introduction to waves, optics, and modern physics. The course covers the basics of electromagnetic and sound waves, geometrical optics, physical optics (interference and diffraction), special relativity, quantum and nuclear physics.

Students are expected to be familiar with the units of quantities discussed in PH111 and PH112, with the ability to solve problems using algebra, trigonometry and basic calculus.

There will be some computer calculation assignments during the course to help support the theories presented. These assignments can be completed using any computer program or package capable of calculating equations and plotting results, including MS Excel, Mathematica, Mathcad, Maple, Origin, IDL, etc. Detailed instructions will be included with the assignments. Students are encouraged to use the physics department's computer laboratory in OB249 or any other convenient computer for their work.

Preflights/Warm-ups

We are trying out a new teaching style that tries to use the WWW as a fast-response feedback loop. Before each class, a Quiz will be posted on the WWW, which must be completed before 11:00 AM on the day that it is assigned. If it turns out to be possible to grade the Quizzes faster, I will post a change to the due date time. PLEASE do not try to take the quiz after the deadline time, I will not be able to accept it. These quizzes will form the basis of the following lecture. A web site describing this approach can be found at the JiTT Website.

Grading:

The final grade will be derived from:

Exam #1----------25%
Exam #2----------25%
Exam #3----------25%
Homework---------25%

Lumped in with the Homework will be all the in-class quizzes and "Pre-Flights" that will be prepared on the web. Exams and homework will both be scaled up so that the class average represents 75%. (No scaling will be done if the average is above 75%). That is, if the class average is 65, and you make a 70, then your recorded grade will be 70 * (75/65) = 81. This scaling then allows me to use an absolute scale for letter grades:

90-100 = A
80--90 = B
70--80 = C
60--70 = D
0--60 = N/C

Note that beginning this semester, the "F" grade is replaced with a "N/C" for all 100-level physics courses. That is, failing will no longer reduce your GPA, but it will be treated as if you had withdrawn.

Tentative Lecture Schedule:

WK	DATE	CH	TOPIC	QUIZ	HOMEWORK	SOLUTIONS
1	Jan 10	17	Waves I		12,27,29,43,57,62
1	Jan 12	17	Waves I	Quiz 01
1	Jan 14	17	Waves I	Quiz 02		Chap 17
2	Jan 17	18	MLKJr Holiday
2	Jan 19	18	Waves II	Quiz 03	11,22,40,56,62,96
2	Jan 21	18	Waves II	Quiz 04		Chap 18
3	Jan 24	34	EM Waves	Quiz 05	32,47,56,72,84,87
3	Jan 26	34	EM Waves	Quiz 06
3	Jan 28	34	EM Waves	Quiz 07		Chap 34
4	Jan 31	35	Geom Optics	Quiz 08	10,16,20,34,42,50
4	Feb 2	35	Geom Optics	Quiz 09
4	Feb 4	35	Geom Optics	Quiz 10		Chap 35
5	Feb 7	36	*Test 1*	test 1	Homework Ch 35 due
5	Feb 9	36	Interference		11,30,52,70,78a-c,78d-f
5	Feb 11	36	Interference	Quiz 12		Chap 36
6	Feb 14	37	Diffraction	HW Due	13,32,43,59,69,79
6	Feb 16	37	Diffraction	Quiz 13
6	Feb 18	37	Diffraction	Quiz 14		Chap 37
7	Feb 21	38	Relativity	HW Due	17,23,32,38,59,66
7	Feb 23	38	Relativity	Quiz 15
7	Feb 25	38	Relativity	Quiz 16		Chap 38
8	Feb 28	39	Quantum I	HW Due	10,42,58,67,78,83
8	Mar 1	39	Quantum I	Quiz 17
8	Mar 3	39	Quantum I	Quiz 18		Chap 39
9	Mar 6	40	Quantum II	HW Due	14,21,27,34,46,49
9	Mar 8	40	Quantum II	Quiz 19
9	Mar 10	40	Quantum II	Quiz 20	HW Due	Chap 40
10	Mar 13	41	* Test 2	test 2
10	Mar 15	41	Atoms	Quiz 21	13,22,24,42,56,62
10	Mar 17	41	Atoms	Quiz 22		Chap 41
11	Mar 20	42	Solid State	HW Due	22,32,35,42,47,49
11	Mar 22	42	Solid State	Quiz 23
11	Mar 24	42	Solid State	Quiz 24		Chap 42
12	Mar 27	xx	* Spring Break
12	Mar 29	xx	**Spring Break*
12	Mar 31	xx	**Spring Break*
13	Apr 3	43	Nuclear I	HW Due	22,41,50,63,71,80
13	Apr 5	43	Nuclear I	Quiz 25
13	Apr 7	43	Nuclear I	Quiz 25		Chap 43
14	Apr 10	44	Nuclear II	HW Due	10,21,30,44,51,54
14	Apr 12	44	Nuclear II	Quiz 26
14	Apr 14	44	Nuclear II	Quiz 27
15	Apr 17	45	Cosmology	HW Due
15	Apr 19	45	Cosmology	Quiz 28
15	Apr 21	45	Cosmology	Quiz 29
16	Apr 24	xx	Study Day	HW Due
16	May 1	xx	**Final Exam ***	3:00 - 5:30

Homework:

Assigned for each chapter. Due the following period after completing the chapter or when the next homework is assigned. To receive full credit, answers must be submitted on time. Doing these problems is part of the process and I know that you will often work with other students. Do so as a participant, not just a passenger! Late homework will be assessed a penalty of 30% past due date.

Bulletin Board

Because so many students commute to campus, and because office hours are not always convenient, I have installed a bulletin board for posting questions and answers (!) to the homework problems and/or quizzes. If I get e-mail about a problem, I will try to post it to the board as well. If this works/fails for you, tell me how it might be improved.

PHYSICS 113 Bulletin Board

Your username is your lastname, the password is "PHUN" at least, until you change it. (Sorry for the bad pun.)

Reply to sheldon*r@uah.edu
(due to spamming, please delete the asterisk)