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.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.
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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and Astronomy | University of North
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