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Physics 3, 4
Basic Physics

This course is designed primarily to provide the essential elements of physics needed by premedical students. It can also be taken by other students who feel that they do not have the mathematical background (calculus) or physics background (a good physics course in high school) generally needed for Physics 5, 6. Students who have the background to take Physics 5, 6 should normally do so; they should not be in Physics 3, 4 unless there is a significant reason for it (e.g. a very heavy course load, conflict of the Physics 5, 6 lecture time with the meeting time of another essential course, etc.). Those who have a good background in physics and math, and a particular interest and aptitude in physics, should consider entering Physics 7, 8, given for physics majors.

The primary goal of Physics 3, 4 is to teach physics, and introduce the student to the physicists' methods of understanding and analyzing physical phenomena. Consequently, much of the lecture material involves explanations and derivations of concepts and relationships. Some problems are solved in class as an example of employing the concepts and relationships to obtain quantitative solutions, but most of the practice in applications is achieved by the students in preparing homework assignments. Algebra and trigonometry are used extensively, and the concepts of calculus to a limited extent. Appendix B in the back of the course text contains most of the mathematics you will need.

Physics 3 deals with the phenomena of motion, and the properties of matter related to motion and heat. Physics 4 concentrates on electric and magnetic phenomena, including radiation, and behavior of matter at the atomic level.

The Bare Essentials

  • Text: University Physics, Extended Eighth Edition, H. Young (Addison-Wesley 1992). Physics 3: Chapters 1-14, 19-21; Physics 4: Chapters 22-31, 33-35, 37, 40 and 41.

Tests and Final Exam

The final exam will be at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 12, and there will be two midterm exams, on the following evenings (7:00 - 9:00 p.m.):

  • Wednesday, February 26
  • Wednesday, April 9

We cannot give tests at other times for individuals, except in cases of illness or other emergencies, verified by a note from your medical consultant or a dean. Please take account of the test dates in planning your other activities. If you foresee an unavoidable conflict, discuss it with Professor Levin (room 528, extension 2291) as soon as possible. Makeup exams will be given only during Reading Period, on a day to be specified, and only to students with approved excuses.

Review Sessions

Professor Pelcovits will conduct a review session on the evening before each midterm exam from 8 until 10 p.m in Barus-Holley, room 166.

Laboratory

Lab does not meet every week, but the schedule is known well in advance. Therefore the scheduled two-hour lab period is committed every week. Labs are an essential part of the course. Labs sections are coordinated by Professor Partridge(Room 524, extension 2634). Please fill out the form Choice of Lab Section attached to these notes and hand it in by Friday, January 24. Consult Professor Partridge on all matters having to do with lab, even if you only want to switch sections for one week. The first lab meetings will take place during the week of February 3. By then we expect the section assignments should be settled. You will need a special notebook for recording and reporting your lab work. Two good possibilities, obtainable in the Bookstore, are ``Science Notebook" and ``Engineering-Science Notebook". All lab data must be recorded in your notebook. Do not destroy your data until you have received your semester grade. If you have taken this course before, but not passed it, you may be able to get credit this year for lab work done previously. If this applies to you, consult Professor Partridge before labs start, and bring your old lab reports for him to see.

Notices

All announcements made in class will be posted on the Web page for the course and a copy of each handout will be available on a display rack near room 111. If you miss a lecture, please be sure to check the Web for the day's announcements, and get a copy of any handout you missed.

Staff

Three professors are responsible for this course. Professor Pelcovits will give the lectures as well as assign the homework, devise the exams and offer office hours (see the last page of this document for the office hour schedule). Professor Levin will write the homework and exam solutions, offer office hours, and handle all administrative and scheduling problems, including make-up exams and grading questions. Professor Partridge administers the lab and should be consulted regarding any laboratory matters.

To Help You

Obviously the success of the course for you will depend on your own initiative, and the study methods you use are up to you. We provide all of the following things to help you, and while none are required we strongly recommend that you take advantage of them. They will make a difference.

Lectures

These can't cover everything in the text, but are meant to highlight the essentials and illustrate their use. A prior reading of the text material will make them much more meaningful, but it's better to come cold than not to come at all. The 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. lectures are essentially the same and you may attend either on any given day.

Homework

Problems from the text are assigned weekly, graded and returned on the shelves outside Room 111. Solutions to the homework problems will be available on the display rack near room 111 after that, and will also be handed out at the next lecture session after the session at which the homework is turned in. Your homework grades will be recorded, and count for 10% of your grade. HOMEWORK IS DUE IN LECTURE OR AT THE VERY LATEST IN PROF. LEVIN'S OFFICE BY 1:30. Doing the homework regularly is really the only satisfactory way to learn the material and be ready for tests. To get the maximum benefit from your work you should take the time to compare the handout solutions with your own solutions. It's wise to turn in your homework even if you don't think it's very good. Partial credit is given. NO credit is given for late homework.

Drop-In Center

A Drop-In Center in Barus and Holley 153 will be open several hours in the afternoon each weekday. Here an experienced Teaching Assistant will be available to answer questions or help you with the course in other ways. No appointment is necessary. Hours are stated on the last page of this handout. We urge you to consult Professor Pelcovits (Room 333) or Professor Levin (Room 528) during their office hours for additional help or administrative or scheduling problems. (For labs., see Professor Partridge as stated above.)The services of an individual tutor are available on request to Dean Reed's office, 313 University Hall, extension 3228. Also, Dean Targan's office will sponsor Study Groups for Physics 4 students who wish to study/learn problem solving together under the guidance of an advanced undergraduate. Interested students should contact Dean Targan, 205 University Hall, Ext. 2314.

Reserve Collection

The following items are on reserve for this course, in the Sciences Library:

  • Last year's tests and final exam, with solutions
  • Halliday and Resnick, Fundamentals of Physics (text 1992-1993)
  • Giancoli, General Physics
  • Young and Freedman, University Physics (the course text)
  • J. Marion, R.C. Davidson, Mathematical Preparation for General Physics
  • Blatt, Principles of Physics (course text 1990-91)
  • Study Guide to accompany University Physics
  • Solution Manual to accompany University Physics

Grading

The course grade will be computed from scores on the tests and final exam, the laboratory grade and the homework. The laboratory grade will constitute 15% of the course grade, the homework 10%, the two midterm exams 40% and the final 35%.

There will be a total of 8 problems contained in two midterm tests (4 on each test). In computing your test average, only your best 7 scores for the 8 problems will be counted.

  • A test paper may be returned for correction of errors in grading any time within one week of the day the graded tests are made available. It should be given to Professor Levin, together with a specific written explanation of why the assigned grade seems to be wrong. Regrading can lead either to an increase or to a decrease in grade. No requests for regrading will be accepted if the problem in question has erasure marks on it.

Students are expected to complete all of the stipulated experiments in the laboratory. Incomplete laboratory work may result in an NC in the course, regardless of performance in the three tests and the final exam. Completion of none of the laboratory work, or performance of only a minor portion of it, will definitely result in a grade of NC in the course.

The numerical borderline between letter grades (A/B, B/C, C/NC) will be set after the final exams have been graded. However, the borderlines will not be set higher than 90% (A/B), 80% (B/C) and 60% (C/NC or S/NC). The exact requirement for determining the grade will be established at the end of the semester.

Mathematics

It is essential that you understand that calculus is a concurrent requirement for Physics 3, 4. That is, you must be taking Math 9, 10 (or other appropriate calculus courses) while you are taking Physics 3, 4 unless you have already a year of college-level calculus, or have been passed through Math 9, 10 on the basis of the relevant test. If you fall in the latter category, you may not have reviewed or used calculus for several years. If that is the case, you should immediately begin to review calculus and become comfortable in using simple derivatives and integrals, because they will be used in this course.

All students in this course should also review some basic elements of algebra and trigonometry that will be used in Physics 3, 4. Appendix B in the textbook for Physics 3, 4 is useful for reviewing the mathematics needed for this course. A scientific calculator including trigonometric functions is essential.

Office Hours

Please come to office hours if you have problems. Between Professor Pelcovits' and Professor Levin's office hours, plus the daily drop-in center, there should be ample opportunity for any student to get help when needed. But note that offices may be crowded with students during the week before each evening exam.

Professor Pelcovits's Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 1:30-2:30 PM in B&H Room 333, ext. 1432, Email: Pelcovits@physics.brown.edu

Professor Levin's Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 1:30-2:30 PM in B&H Room 528, ext. 2291, Email: fsl@brownvm.brown.edu

The Drop-In Center is located in B&H Room 153.

For questions relating to the lab portion of the course, Professor Partridge and the lab Teaching Assistants will have office hours, to be announced later.

Physics 4 Syllabus

Date Topic Reading Homework Lab
January 22 Introduction;Electric charge
Demos: static electricity 		Sects. 22-1,2,3,4 None
January 24 Coulomb's Law and Electric Fields
example 22-4
Demos: van de Graaf generator 		Sects. 22-5,6 None
January 27 Electric field calculations
Examples 22-8, 9
Demo: field lines 		Sects. 22-7,8 None
January 29 more on electric fields
Example 22-10
Electric dipoles 		Sects. 22-7,8,9 None
January 31 Introduction to Gauss' Law
Demo: Gauss' Law 		Sects. 23-1,2 None
February 3 Calculations with Gauss' Law
Examples 23-4,5,6, and 7 		Sects. 23-3,4,5 Assignment no. 1 this week: Lab #1
February 5 Gauss' Law and Conductors
Example 23-8
Demos: Faraday cage, shielding
Introduction to Electric Potential 		Sect. 23-6
Sects 24-1,2,3
February 7 More on potential
examples 24-8,9 		Sects. 24-4,5, 7
February 10 Capacitors
Demos: capacitors 		Sects. 25-1,2,3 Assignment no. 2 No lab this week
February 12 more on capacitors
Circuit concepts
Demos: resistance 		Sect. 25-4
Sects. 26-1,2,3,4
February 14 emf and energy in electric circuits Sects. 26-5,6
February 17 NO CLASS No lab this week
February 19 DC circuits Sect. 27-1,2,3,4 Assignment no. 3
February 21 resistance-capacitance circuits
Demos: flashing light 		Sect. 27-5
February 24 conceptual review Assignment no. 4 No lab this week
February 25 Exam I review (8-10 PM)
February 26 NO LECTURE
Exam I: 7-9 PM, chapters 22-27
February 28 Magnetic fields I
Demo: Crooke's tube 		Sects. 28-1,2,3
March 3 Magnetic fields II
Demo: jumping wires 		Sects. 28-4,5,6 Lab #2
March 5 Magnetic fields III
Demo: motor 		Sects. 28-7,8
March 7 Sources of magnetic fields
Demo: force between wires 		Sects. 29-1,2,3,4,5
March 10 Ampere's Law
Examples 29-8,9,10 		Sects. 29-7,8 Assignment no. 5 Lab makeup
expts. 1 and 2
March 12 Electromagnetic induction I
Examples 30-7,8
Demo: induction 		Sects. 30-1,2,3,4
March 14 Maxwell's equations
Demo: jumping ring 		Sects. 30-5,6,8
Sect. 29-10
March 17 Inductors Sects. 31-1,2,3,4,5 Assignment no. 6 Lab #3
March 19 more on inductors
Demo: Jacob's Ladder, welding
Electromagnetic waves 		Sects. 33-1,2,3
March 21 more on electromagnetic waves Sects. 33-4,5,8
March 24-28 SPRING BREAK
March 31 Geometric optics
Demo: fiber optics		 Sects. 34-1,2,3,4
Sects. 35-1,2		 Lab #4
April 2 Mirrors
Demos: mirrors
Sects. 35-3,4		 Assignment no. 7
April 4 Lenses
Demos: lenses 		Sects. 35-6,7
April 7 conceptual review Assignment no. 8 No lab
April 8 Exam II review (8-10 PM)
April 9 NO LECTURE
Exam II: 7-9 PM, chaps. 28-31, 33-35
April 11 Wave interference Sects. 37-1,2,3
April 14 Origins of quantum mechanics Sects. 40-1,2,3 Lab #5
April 16 Atomic line spectra, Bohr model Sects. 40-4,5,6,9,10
April 18 Wave nature of matter I Sects. 41-1,2,3 Assignment no. 9
April 21 Wave nature of matter II Sects. 41-4,6 Lab #6
April 23 NO CLASS
April 25 Review Assignment no. 10
April 28 Review Makeup lab
expts. 3-6
April 30 Review