Course
Description for General Physics II (PHYS 132-04)/ Spring
2006
Instructor: Wayne F. Reed, Stern Hall 5068, ph. 862-3185, wreed@tulane.edu
Office Hours: Tu
Class hours: Tu, Th
W 2-2:50, Boggs 104
Text: Physics for Scientists and Engineers by Randall D. Knight. The purchase of the text will include a password enabling you access to Mastering Physics, from which the problems for this course will be taken.
What Physics 132 is about
Physics 132 has the daunting task of both giving a sound treatment of Classical Electromagnetic theory and introducing some of the basic concepts of Modern Physics. A full introduction to either field would normally require a semester each. Hence, we will be forced to omit many topics that are very important in favor of others that might be considered even more important.
The existence of electric charge has been known since antiquity, but only in the last few hundred years were people able to make quantitative measurements and mathematical predictions of its properties, including how the flow of electric charge produces currents. Likewise, magnetic materials were known to ancients, and the Chinese exploited Earth's magnetic field over 1000 years ago to aid in navigation. It was not until the 19th century, however, that it was realized that magnetic fields arise wherever electrical charges move or flow. The mathematical description of the relation between electrical currents and magnetic fields was established and it was further found that electrical currents could be caused purely by magnetic effects. This paved the way for the completion of electromagnetic theory, culminating in the famous Maxwell's Equations, which unify all Classical Electromagnetic theory. From these equations the existence of electromagnetic waves is immediately discernible, leading to one of the greatest triumphs of Classical Physics: The unification of electricity, magnetism, and light. The whole field of Optics was clarified by this revelation, and progress in understanding, detecting and controlling the electromagnetic spectrum, from gamma rays to radio waves, is still being made in the early 21st century.
Amazingly, the triumph of Classical Electromagnetism led Einstein to realize there was a terrible dilemma; either the laws of Electromagnetism are wrong, or the way we measure space and time and relate one reference frame to another is wrong. Believing the results of Electromagnetism to be fundamentally sound, Einstein completely re-conceptualized the way time and space should be measured, leading to the celebrated Special Theory of Relativity, first published in 1905. This theory predicts many effects that seem bizarre and contrary to common sense; the dilation of time, contraction of lengths, increase in effective mass, and many others. At first, there was much skepticism regarding this revolutionary theory. Yet, Special Relativity has been so well verified that few people doubt its validity. In fact, it is used routinely in many scientific and technical areas; nuclear power plants and weapons, telecommunications, hospitals, satellite operations, space exploration, and others.
At the same time that Einstein was revising the way we measure space and time, other major deficiencies in the otherwise magnificent edifice of Classical Physics were appearing; people could not understand why glowing gases emitted only certain wavelengths of light instead of a whole rainbow, and nobody could even understand why a hot, glowing body emitted the continuous spectrum of light that it did. Max Planck started the twentieth century by proposing his Quantum Hypothesis in 1900. This, together with a host of other observations that had been accumulating for over a century led to the notion of a dual particle/wave nature for both light and matter, and this duality is the foundation of Quantum Mechanics, formalized in the 1920's. Quantum Mechanics presents a strange new world where the ability of Classical Physics to predict perfectly the future of a system is replaced by probabilities, where previously precisely determined quantities, such as angular momentum, become fuzzy in atomic and sub-atomic systems, and where a classically outrageous principle is obeyed; the Uncertainty Principle.
Together, the twists and turns, predictions and insights yielded by Relativity and Quantum Mechanics (together often termed 'Modern Physics') have led to the panoply of modern technology we often take for granted; electronics, computers, lasers, space travel, magnetic resonance imaging, telecommunications, anti-matter emission spectroscopy (usually termed Positron Emission Tomography, or PET scans), and many others. New frontiers in nanotechnologies, intelligent materials, massive parallel computing, and others are guided by Modern Physics. Astrophysics and Cosmology, where the origin, condition and fate of our Universe are pondered and puzzled out, combine the lessons of Gravity and General Relativity with concepts emanating from our best knowledge of Elementary Particles to face some of the biggest questions we can pose about our existence.
Physics 132 begins with an introduction to electrostatics, then builds up to the notions of currents, magnetic fields and electromagnetic induction. The existence and properties of electromagnetic waves are then shown to follow from these principles. This gives impetus to a brief study of light and optics, with particular emphasis on interference and other wave properties. The last part of the course is devoted to some of the most important concepts of Modern Physics; Special Relativity and the Foundations of Quantum Physics. This course makes use of virtually all of the physical concepts and mathematical techniques built up during Physics 131. As in the first semester, Physics 131, the text will be followed very closely as regards format, notation, applications and problems. The course is both highly conceptual and geared towards problem solving. It cannot be emphasized too much that mastery of the assigned problems is the proof of your understanding of the material, as well as the key to successfully dealing with the tests and quizzes, upon which 90% of the final grade will be based.
As far as grades go:
1) There will be three tests during the semester, each counting
towards
18% of the final grade. No exam grades are dropped. You are required to
have a calculator for the exams. You may
also bring in one 81/2” by 11” (standard size) piece of paper with any
information on it you want, front and back.
2) There will be a comprehensive final (i.e. covering the
entire semester's work)
worth 26% of the final grade. (
3) The laboratories will account for 10% of the final grade. You must pass the laboratory component of the course in order to pass Physics 132.
4) Quizzes, Mastering Physics homework and class participation will account for 10% of the grade. Attendance will frequently be taken. No make-up quizzes will be given, but one quiz grade will be dropped.
The exact dates of the three semester exams will be announced as the semester proceeds. Make-up exams will be given only if a signed note indicating a valid excuse for absence is obtained both from a Physician (or other person directly involved in the justified absence; e.g. an Athletic Director), and the Office of the Academic Dean. No exceptions to this rule will be made. Make-up exams will not be curved and will not necessarily follow the same format as the exam missed.
Homework problems will be assigned for each chapter from Mastering Physics/Knight, including the Tutorial, skill building, and end of chapter types. Grading is carried out automatically by the Mastering Physics/Knight webware. It can not be stressed too much that problem solving is the only true measure of how well you are learning Physics. Please seek me out during office hours or by appointment whenever you need help. Test problems will be very similar to those assigned, so it is ultimately up to you to keep up with the homework if you plan to do well in the course.
Tentative chapter coverage
Chapters 25-39 will be covered in varying levels of detail. Chapter 27 will be omitted, and chapter 35 will be very lightly covered.
End of chapter problems (Knight): These will be assigned as the semester continues. You can work these out with pencil and paper and then enter your answers online into Mastering Physics.
Chapter 25: 11, 14, 25, 30, 37, 38, 40, 50, 60, 62, 68
Chapter 26: 4, 13, 21, 26, 32, 40, 44, 48, 50, 52, 53
Chapter 27: Omitted
Chapter 28: 4, 8, 16, 27, 33, 41, 42, 45, 48, 52, 56
Chapter 29: 1, 6, 12, 20, 26, 28, 40, 48, 59, 78
Chapter 30: 18, 25, 36, 45, 49, 64, 56, 70, 74
Chapter 31: 5, 24, 32, 40,50, 56,
61, 62, 68, 76
Chapter 32: 6, 14, 22, 31, 38, 50, 52, 58, 62, 66, 73
Chapter 33: 3, 8, 12, 15, 22, 44, 46, 26, 33
Chapter
34, EOC only: 6, 9, 11, 18, 27, 29, 33, 35,47, 54
Chapter
35: Omitted
Chapter
36, EOC only: 17, 19, 22, 26, 31, 42, 54, 57, 62, 65, 72
Considering a double major
If you enjoy Physics but are not a Physics major, you might consider the possibility of a double major. About one half of the Physics Department's 30 plus majors have a double major in another field. The majority of these double majors come from all branches of Engineering, while others have their second major in areas such as Math, Chemistry, Philosophy, Economics, Political Science, and foreign languages. Some Physics majors go on to Medical School, Law School and other professional schools, while others go on to graduate school in Physics, related Sciences, and Engineering. Yet others join the work force immediately in a wide variety of sectors. Graduate and Professional schools, as well as savvy employers in many areas know that a graduate with a B.S. in Physics possesses superlative problem solving skills that can be brought to bear on a surprising range of areas. Realizing that the B.S. in Physics is such a good credential, the Tulane Physics department instituted a liberalized Physics major many years ago, in order to accommodate the many students who wanted to pursue two majors.
If you are interested in finding out more about this option, please see the Undergraduate Physics Advisor, who is currently Professor Wayne Reed.
A note on
Mastering Physics/Knight
I was not
originally assigned to teach Physics 131/132 in academic year 2005-2006, and
only instructors so-assigned received the news that our department was
switching texts from Halliday/Resnick/Walker to
Mastering Physics/Knight. As a result of
Hurricane Katrina there was a substantial re-assignment of courses for Tulane
faculty members, and so I just received news of this important switch over on
Introductory Physics (122
and 132) Lab Information
Address all questions and inquiries concerning the laboratories to:
Dr. A. Dayle Hancock office: (504) 865-5086
fax: (504) 862-8702
hancock@lab.phy.tulane.edu
Below is information provided by Dr. Hancock
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Introductory Physics Labs (122-132) Information
The departmental policy is a student must pass the lab to pass
the course. A passing lab average is 59%
The lab manual is available in hardcopy from the copy center in Bruff Commons.
The lab manual is also available from the Introductory labs web site
at 'http://lab.phy.tulane.edu'. Click on the '122-132 schedule'
for the individual labs as pdf files. You must bring a hardcopy
with you to lab if you use the online manual i.e. you may not print
out a copy in the lab room. The web site contains more details about
the lab sections of Physics 122-132.
The labs are self-contained. Students must come prepared for each lab.
Some labs may not be 'in sequence' with the lecture.
The first lab ('Electric Fields') will be the week of January 23-27.
There will be no labs the week of January 17-20 because of the
Martin Luther King holiday.
Every student must attend the correct section (day, time and room number).
Each student should bring a scientific calculator, graph paper, ruler
with centimeter scale, protractor, textbook and a floppy disk to class.
Each student is required to write a short (150-200 word) pre-lab before coming
to class as an introduction to their lab report. There will also be a short
quiz before each lab to insure the student is properly prepared for the lab.
There will be a quiz and a pre-lab is required at the first lab. More detail
is given in the lab manual and web site about lab grading.
Make up labs are only given for officially excused absences. An official
excuse is defined as: (a) illness with a doctor's note or a dated medical
excuses policy form from the student health center, (b) a family emergency
such as a serious illness or death in the immediate family or (c) official
Tulane business. Make up labs will be the week of April 3-7. Documentation
will be required to do a make-up lab. Only two make-up labs will be allowed.
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