Physics 504 - Spring 2007

Contact Information
Goals and Requirements
Method of Evaluation
Course Content
Course Schedule

Contact Information

• Tuesdays 3-4 PM in my office, Room 609, Jones PSC. (Knock on door if closed!)
  
• Tuesdays 11-12:15 in the CAPA room, at lower priority than the CAPA students.
  

HOMEWORK is posted in the Schedule

Goals and Requirements

Students are required to know electromagnetic phenomena at the calculus-based freshman physics level thoroughly. Knowledge of mathematics including vector calculus and partial differential equations is essential! This point cannot be overemphasized. Students who want to get by without a firm grasp of differential and vector calculus (div, grad, curl and integral theorems dealing with them) and without an elementary facility with Taylor series (in 3 dimensions), complex numbers, integration, etc. will not understand the material in this course.

Students will learn how to deal with electrostatics problems and with polarization and dielectrics. Similarly, they will learn magnetostatics and magnetic fields in matter. This will lead to electrodynamics and Maxwell's equations. We will then study electromagnetic waves, potentials, radiation and, possibly, special relativity.

Methods of Evaluation

Classwork = 10%, Homework = 35%, In Class Tests = 30%, Final Exam = 25%.
Grading: The total score needs to be at least 90% for an A,
85% for a B+, 75% for a B, 70% for a C+ and 60% for a C.

Classwork and Homework:
Students will need to read roughly 10 pages of Griffiths as preparation for each lecture. Ideally, students should read material prior to a lecture, pay close attention during the lecture and ask questions if they are still unclear about anything. Do not hesitate to ask questions - even when many students in class are puzzled only one may be brave enough to ask! Don't think you are the only one who is confused and / or that asking a question reflects poorly on you in any way. Remember, grades are earned via classwork, homework and exams; questions are merely to understand the material better. During the lecture period one or more questions will be asked - this is graded classwork. This year (2007), we will use clickers (Qwizdom versions 4 or 5) for 1, 2 or 3 quick quiz questions per lecture.

Homework is due in class on Wednesday the week after it is assigned.

• Late homework: Receives only 50% points if submitted within one week of due date. After that, late homework should not be submitted - there will be no credit given.
• Early homework: Homework is considered early if submitted by Friday's lecture AND if the solution is correct! (Friday's homework may be submitted "early" during Monday's morning lecture). Incorrect solutions do not count as early submissions. Early homework earns 1 extra point per problem. If presented clearly, neatly and quickly in class on Monday afternoon, the homework earns another extra point. "Quickly" translates into roughly 5 minutes per problem.

Graduate Students:
Graduate students should do all assigned problems, including bold-faced ones. These problems may be slightly more challenging and / or require a little more background. Undergraduates may leave out the bold-faced problems, but are welcome to do them for extra credit.

[ Homework is assigned by the end of the day after each lecture. ]