PH 106 Section 003: General Physics W/Calc II
Spring 2013
4 Credit Hours
Primary Instructor: Dr. Ronald Buta
Core Designation: Natural Science
Syllabus subject to change.
The course is focussed on solving basic problems in electricity, magnetism, and optics. The class will be lecture style and will feature in-class demonstrations related to the topics under discussion. Additionally, clickers will be used to allow class participation and interaction.
Class meeting time: Tuesday and Thursday, 04:00-05:15pm, Room 227 Gallalee Hall.
The lab associated with PH106-003 will be taught by J. Yu (jyu18@crimson.ua.edu) and J. Beik Mohammadi (jbeikmohammadi@crimson.ua.edu), and will meet on Wednesday from 5:00-6:50pm in Room 329 Gallalee Hall.
The lab associated with PH106-004 will be taught by A. Amiri (aamiri1@crimson.ua.edu) and J. Yu (jyu18@crimson.ua.edu), and will meet on Wednesday from 7:00-8:50pm in Room 329 Gallalee Hall.
The lab associated with PH106-005 will be taught by J. Beik Mohammadi (jbeikmohammadi@crimson.ua.edu) and A. Amiri (amiri1@crimson.ua.edu), and will meet on Wednesday from 3:00-4:50pm in Room 329 Gallalee Hall.
BEFORE each scheduled lab, students should go to LABs & Schedule and print out the appropriate lab instruction form.
The main objectives of PH106 are to give students a basic qualitative and quantitative understanding of electricity (including electronic circuits), magnetism, and optics.
After taking PH106 you should be able to
- recognize and explain the scientific method, and evaluate scientific information.
- answer conceptual questions which require a solid understanding of electrical and magnetic forces.
- apply the concepts of electric fields and electric potential to relevant problems, using both differential and integral calculus.
- apply the concepts of magnetic fields to relevant problems
- apply the laws of physics to formulate a solution to a problem
- analyze electric circuits and predict their function
- solve problems which require knowledge of ray optics and optical image formation
Jan. 10 - Introduction to Electric charge
Jan. 15 - Chapters, 21,22 - Electric charge, Electric fields
Jan. 17 - Chapter 22: Electric fields
Jan. 22 - Chapter 23: Gauss's Law
Jan. 24 - Chapter 23: Gauss's Law
Jan. 29 - Chapter 24: Electric potential
Jan. 31 - Chapter 24: Electric potential
Feb. 5 - Chapter 25: Capacitance
Feb. 7 - Exam 1: Chapters 21-24
Feb. 12 - Chapter 25: Capacitance
Feb. 14 - Chapter 26: Current and resistance
Feb. 19 - Chapter 26: Current and resistance
Feb. 21 - Chapter 27: Circuits
Feb. 26 - Chapter 27: Circuits, Magnetic fields
Feb. 28 - Chapter 28: Magnetic fields
Mar. 5 - Chapters 28, 29: Magnetic fields, Magnetic fields due to currents
Mar. 7 - Exam 2: Chapters 25-28
Mar. 12 - Chapters 29, 30: Magnetic fields due to currents, Induction and Inductance
Mar. 14 - Chapter 30: Induction and inductance
Mar. 19 - Chapter 31: Electromagnetic oscillations
Mar. 21 - Chapter 31: Alternating current
Mar. 26 - SPRING HOLIDAYS - NO CLASS
Mar. 28 - SPRING HOLIDAYS - NO CLASS
Apr. 2 - Chapter 32: Maxwell's equations; magnetism of matter
Apr. 4 - Chapters 32, 33: Magnetism of matter; electromagnetic waves
Apr. 9 - Exam 3: Chapters 29-32
Apr. 11 - Chapter 33: Electromagnetic waves
Apr. 16 - Chapters 34: Images
Apr. 18 - Chapters 34, 35: Images, Interference
Apr. 23 - Chapteris 35, 36: Interference, Diffraction
Apr. 25 - Chapter 36: Diffraction
Apr. 30 - Final Exam, Tuesday, 07:00-09:30pm; part I: Chaps. 33-36, part II: comprehensive
There will be three in-class exams as follows:
Exam 1, Chapters 21-24, Thursday, Feb. 7
Exam 2, Chapters 25-28: Thursday, Mar. 7
Exam 3, Chapters 29-32: Tuesday, Apr. 9
Final Exam Part 1, Chapters 33-36: Tuesday, Apr. 30, 7-9:30pm, Room 227 Gallalee Hall
Final Exam Part 2, comprehensive Chapters 21-32: Tuesday, Apr. 30, 7-9:30pm, Room 227 Gallalee Hall
All exams will be a mix of regular problem-solving and conceptual questions, and will be graded in a multiple choice format. For each exam there will be a study guide to provide some focus since the amount of material is so large.
Homework: The class will be using an online homework system called Sapling (cost $29.99). When you enroll in Sapling, you will be asked for a key code that will automatically sort you into your individual class sections. Here are sign-up instructions:
Use one of the following
Section 003 -
Section 004 -
Section 005 -
1. Go to https://saplinglearning.com
2. a. If you already have a Sapling Learning account, log in then skip
to step 3.
b. If you have Facebook account, you can use it to quickly create a
Sapling Learning account. Click the blue button with the Facebook symbol on
it (just to the left of the username field). The form will auto-fill with
information from your Facebook account (you may need to log into Facebook
in the popup window first). Choose a password and timezone, accept the site
policy agreement, and click "Create my new account". You can then continue
to step 3.
c. Otherwise, click "create account". Supply the requested information
and click "Create my new account". Check your email (and spam filter) for a
message from Sapling Learning and click on the link provided in that email.
3. Find your course in the expandable list (listed by subject, term, and
instructor) and click the title link.
4. Select your payment options and follow the remaining instructions.
When prompted, enter the key code:
5. Once you have registered and enrolled, you can log in at any time to
complete or review your homework assignments.
During sign up - and throughout the term - if you have any technical
problems or grading issues, send an email to
support@saplinglearning.com
explaining the issue. The Sapling support team is almost always more able (and faster)
to resolve issues than your instructor.
Regular in-class quizzes, often of a conceptual nature, will be given almost every class period using the clickers from TurningPoint Technologies. These are required for the class and are available at the UA Supply Store (and other local bookstores) and cost $52 new and $39 used. The clicker comes with a lifetime user's license.
To use your clicker, you must register it for the class. This is done on the class Blackboard Learning website which you can access through mybama.ua.edu. Find the class in the Blackboard Learning section and in the left bar click on "Course Home Page" There you will see an icon labeled "Turning Point Registration Tool." There is no extra charge for registering the clicker. Please get your clicker by Tuesday, January 15. The Response Device ID is the 6-digit ID under the barcode on the back of your clicker.
The receiver in Room 227 is on Channel 27. To register your responses in this room, you must change your clicker to this channel. To change channels:
- press menu
- press "yes" (down button) until "Change Channel" is highlighted
- press "Enter"
- Type "1"
- press "Enter"
- you should see "Channel Changed," "Receiver Found"
- use a similar procedure to set the clicker for "Presentation Mode": Menu--> Yes -->"Presentation" --> Enter. You should see "Presentation Mode, Channel 1". To test this, press any number key. You should see "Not accepting answers!" If you see "Sending ... No receiver on channel XX within range," then you are on the wrong channel.
Lab grade: 15%
Homework: 15%
In-class clicker quizzes: 10%
Exam 1: 12%
Exam 2: 12%
Exam 3: 12%
Final exam, Part 1: 12%
Final exam, Part 2: 12%
There will be no makeup exams or makeup homework. If for some reason you miss an in-class exam, the final exam will count more to make up for it.
There is only one way to take this class, and that is: SERIOUSLY. Being serious means attending class on its scheduled days, and being there when the class is supposed to start and staying in the class until it is finished for the day. Late arrivals or early departures are disruptive practices that should be avoided. If you miss classes you will miss the in-class clicker quizzes, which is not recommended because they will be given almost every class period. However, the clicker quiz scores will be computed out of a minimum number, such that any clicker credit above tht minimum will count as extra credit. Another reason for regular attendance is that we cannot cover all the topics in the textbook, and if you miss classes you will not be able to keep up with the topics that actually are covered.
There are no course materials needed other than the textbook, a TurningPoint Technologies clicker, and registration for Sapling.
Any possible opportunities for extra credit will be discussed during the semester.
All students in attendance at the University of Alabama are expected to be honorable and to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. The University expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to avoid discipline. Academic misconduct includes all acts of dishonesty in any academically related matter and any knowing or intentional help or attempt to help, or conspiracy to help, another student.
The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.
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