UNC-CH P&A Classes Physics and Astronomy

Physics 117 Electricity and Magnetism

Physics 117 (E&M) is your introduction to the centerpiece of theoretical physics for the past 150 years. The theory of relativity exists because Einstein could not bear the thought that Maxwell's beautiful self-consistent structure was flawed. Classical E&M is underpinned by the lone clear-cut quantitative win from quantum mechanics (quantum electro-dynamics). So congratulations -- you're finally getting to study the good stuff.

Course content includes fundamental principles of electricity and magnetism: Coulomb’s law, Gauss's Law, Ampere’s law, and Faraday’s law, which together are Maxwell's equations. Their consequences include electromagnetic oscillations and waves, and their eerie behavior such as diffraction and interference. We will also talk about electrical circuits, which manipulate charge flow, and about optics, which is the manipulaton of E&M waves.

This particular course is implemented in the SCALE-UP (Student-Centered Active Learning Environment for Undergraduate Programs) format. In this format, lecture, laboratory, and recitation take place as a single unit in a setting that fosters cooperative and hands-on learning. So except for exams, you will be working with 2 or 3 classmates to complete your tasks. More information about the pedagogical theme SCALE-UP can be found at: http://scaleup.ncsu.edu.

Text: Fundamentals of Physics Haliday, Resnick, and Walker. The current edition is 9, but you can use any version of the book
Supplementary: Feynman, Ford, etc (There are many books at this level. Feynman's is especially helpful for concepts -- but a bit more high-brow.)

"Homework" problems will be assigned from MasteringPhysics.com (according to the department's policy), but you are encouraged to do as many problems as you can find from any resource.

You should maintain a quadrille lab notebook (sewn binding with heavy cardboard covers) for the lab exercises.


Before we start, here is a guaranteed strategy to get the best grade possible -- it never fails:
  1. Read the book before class.
  2. Do all the problems from the textbook. If you don't understand the concepts, doing problems will help to clarify them.
  3. Do problems from other books, too. Schaum's Outlines are helpful resources with lots of solved examples.
  4. Once you understand the important concepts, think about the ways the equations represent them and can be manipulated.
  5. Try to link all of the concepts and equations from the chapter together so that you can see the big picture.

All exams will contain 4 to 5 problems and you will be allowed to use a single, hand-written sheet with formulas, etc

Grades: approximately 15% HW problems and quizes, 15% ponderables and reading quizes, 20% lab reports & lab exam, 25% midterms, 25% final exam.

There will be no credit awarded for assignments that are turned in late.

Previous year's letter grades: 0-60: F; 60-67: D; 68-79: C; 80-89: B; 90-100: A.
Grades are not curved. Some course-wide rescaling of exam grades might be invoked in case of unexpectedly difficult exam problems.

The honor code will be enforced. No copying of answers or lab write reports will be tolerated. On the other hand, real-time group discussions of all of the course activities (except exams) are strongly encouraged.

To reach the mastering physics problems sets, visit: http://firstdayofclass.com/demos_physics.html#mastering and follow the instructions.

Needful mathematical skills:
(1) second order ordinary differential equations, (2) integral and differential calculus on several variables

Date chapter topics, main themes covered in lectures HW Problems (see masteringphysics.com) Lab Topic
6-19 21 Electric Charges, Coulomb's law Learn to use MasteringPhysics (Do the tutorials)
6-20 22 Electric Fields, lightning rods
6-23 24 Electrostatic potential Electric field & potential
6-24 23
Gauss's law
6-25 25 Capacitors/Condensors, stored electrical energy Capacitors
6-26 26 Ohm's law, Current and Resistance Capacitors, part duex
6-27 -- EMF, circuits lightbulbs & real batteries
6-30 27 Kirchoff's laws, Circuit analysis Ohm's law
7-1 27 RC circuits, RC time constant RC circuit
7-2 28 The Magnetic Fields
7-3 21-27 Test 1
7-7 29 Biot-Savart Law, Ampere's law, Magnetic field & current Magnetic field & current
7-8 30 Induction, Faraday's law, Lenz's law Magnetic Flux
7-9 31 Inductors, Electromagnetic Oscillations and AC circuits
7-10
Phasors, LCR Circuits, resonance LCR circuits
7-11 32 Maxwell's Equations; Magnetism of Matter
7-14 28-31 Test 2
7-15 33 Polarization of EM waves, refraction, Snell's law
7-17 34 Optics, Images, lenses, compound instruments Thin lenses, Magnifying lenses
7-18 35 Interference, optical coatings, prisms Prism investigation
7-21 36 Interference, diffraction Diffraction, Lab Exam review
7-22 Lab exam
7-23 Review for final exam
7-25 Final Exam, 9am

Solving physics problems is a creative activity at its best, not a rote process of following instructions

Here are some tutorial applets that illustrate concepts relevant to course topics from Ohanian and Markert .


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