PHYS 120 Course Syllabus - Prof. Varley Fall 2008
Topics Covered: This is the second semester of
introductory physics without calculus and this course is appropriate for
pre-professional students (pre-med, physical therapy etc) and some majors (Biology,
Chemistry, etc.) Electricity,
magnetism, optics, relativity and quantum theory. Static electricity is well known
to you from the result of petting a cat and everyone has seen a compass which
depends upon magnetism for its function.
The optics of mirrors and lens is important to the function of
microscopes and telescopes and while optics developed as a self-contained
science, it is now seen as an example of electro-magnetic waves. The wave propagation of light played an
important role in motivating Einstein in his theory of special relativity. Also, today photons or particles of
light are viewed as having both wave and particle properties. Electrons and other particles of matter
also have complementary properties as part of the modern quantum theory of
light and matter.
Instructor: Prof. Varley
Office: Room 1216 HN.
Email: 2008varley120@gmail.com
Phone: 212-772-5252.
Office
Hours: Mon. 8:30-9:00 PM & Thurs
6:00-6:30PM
Grading: Highest of two midterm
exams.......40%
Final Exam
...... 40% Laboratory..... 15% Workshops ........ 5%
You must be registered for ALL THREE: PHYS 120.LC (lecture), PHYS120.RC,
(recitation) and PHYS120.LB (lab)
to receive a grade in PHYS 120.
Credit/No Credit: The credit/no credit system was
originally instituted to encourage students to take courses outside their major
field. Credit/No Credit is NOT an
appropriate grade for the pre-professional program. If you wish to take credit/ no credit,
then you must give the instructor the filled out form no later than the
last day of class. Under no
circumstance will you be allowed to take credit/ no credit after the final exam
is handed out.
Last Class: Monday Dec. 15. Final Exam: Mon Dec. 22 6:20-8:20PM.
No Makeup Exams: The HIGHESTt of the TWO midterm exams
will be used to compute your course grade.
There will be NO makeup exams given for the midterm exams. If you miss a midterm exam, then the
other exam will count toward your final grade. (If you miss both midterm exams, then a
zero will count toward your final mark.)
If you miss the final exam, due to illness you must provide a doctor's
note explaining you illness. You
then must register with Student Services to take the makeup final to be taken
the 6th week of the spring 2009 semester.
The exams will not be given except at the times and dates specified in
the syllabus.
Textbook: Physics by D. Giancoli, 6th
edition. (However, the homework
problems below and at the website is from Giancoli, 5th edition)
Chap 16 (8, 12, 27, 32, 49, 51)
Chap.17 (9, 15, 21, 36,
40, 47)
Chap.18 (10, 13, 29,
36, 44, 63)
Chap. 21 (11, 22,
36, 47, 54,
57)
Chap. 22 (12, 17, 25,
26, 27, 29)
Chap. 23 ( 4, 13,
34, 44, 52, 64)
Chap. 26 (9,
11, 17, 25, 42,
48)
Chap. 27 (6, 11, 17,
23, 24, 39, 40, 53, 54, 77)
Chap. 28 (9, 10,
20, 26)
Course Notes and Notes to the Wise: http://www.ph.hunter.cuny.edu/courses/core4/core4.htm and click on lectures at bottom of
the page. (BTW PHYS 120 is not now part of an integrated physics, mathematics,
and chemistry course PHYS 133 but the physics material covered is quite
similar..) A quick reading of the
topics listed in the lecture notes will give you an idea of what physics topics
will be covered in PHYS 120. Please
be advised that some things are covered in the lecture notes but NOT in the
Giancoli textbook. You are
none-the-less expected to learn these topics. For example, you are expected to learn
the unit vector notation in the lecture notes (but not covered by
Giancoli) for working with Coulomb law and electric field problems. If you do NOT learn the unit vector
notation, you will NOT pass the exams.
Also, at times the lecture notes deviate from the Giancoli textbook for
example, when relativity theory is discussed and you are responsible for
any additional material in the lecture notes.
IMPORTANT: Unfortunately
the most difficult material in this course is covered in the first two
weeks. It is REALLY, REALLY
important you NOT wait until it is too late to study this beginning material
since the rest of the course builds on this material. THIS PROBLEM WILL NOT GO AWAY BY ITSELF
and if you see yourself as having a problem, get help at the Physical Sciences
Learning Center Room 1209 Hunter North or work with a tutor. It is strongly suggested you study in a
group of three to five students and take turns working out and explaining the
material to each other. Experience
has shown that group studying students have a greater chance of success.
Workshops
