Physics 171.106: SPRING 2005

Introduction to Classical Physics

Page Contents:

  1. Important Messages From the Professor
  2. Professor & TA Contact Information
  3. Class & Section Meeting Times
  4. Course Description
  5. Textbooks
  6. Requirements and Grading
  7. Syllabus and Assignments

Messages From the Professor

There are no important messages at this time.

Contact Information
 

Professor

Teaching Assistant

Bob Leheny

Shengfeng Cheng

leheny@pha.jhu.edu

chengsf@pha.jhu.edu

X6-64424 

X6-7287

Bloomberg 353 

Bloomberg 333

Office Hours: Tues. 3-5

Office Hours: Mon. 1-2; Wed. 4:45-5:45

Class:

11-12AM Mon, Tues., and Wed. in Bloomberg 278.

Section:

11-12AM Thurs. Bloomberg 274.

Course Description:

This course is a one semester introduction to electricity and magnetism. It is the second course in a four semester introductory sequence that includes Physics 105 and Physics 201-202 or 319-320. As such, it is primarily intended for students who are planning to take at least two years of physics courses. Students planning to take a single year of physics should consider the introductory 101-102 or 103-104 sequences.

The goal of this course is to give a solid grounding in the core topics of classical electricity and magnetism, and to prepare students for further study in physics. It will not contain a survey of "Modern Physics" such as found in Physics 102 or 104. Calculus will be used in keeping with the students'; level of math preparation, and additional mathematical techniques will be introduced as needed.

Prerequisites – Physics 171.105 (C- or better) or either Physics 171.101 or 103 and permission of the instructor.

Corequisites – Introductory Physics Laboratory 173.112 Section 16, and Calculus 110.109 or higher level mathematics course.

Textbooks:

Required: E. M. Purcell, Electricity and Magnetism, 2nd Edition (McGraw Hill, New York).
Recommended: Used Math by Clifford Swartz

The book by Purcell is a classic book that treats the material with more mathematical sophistication than most introductory texts. Supplementary material will be used for a treatment of ray optics and in place of sections that rely on special relativity. The book by Swartz, which veterans of 105 may already have, is a useful primer/reminder for the math used in the course.

Requirements and Grading:

 

Requirement

When

    

% of grade

 

Homework

Weekly

20

1st Midterm exam

Wed., March 2 (tentative)

20

2nd Midterm exam

Wed., April 6 (tentative)

20

Final Exam

Mon., May 16

40

Homework:

Solving problems is not only the best way to learn physics, it is the only way. For this reason, the problem sets are probably the most important part of the course. You may work together on the problem sets; however the final write-up must be your own. To get the greatest benefit from the problems sets you should attempt to think through every problem yourself before discussing it with others. Problem sets are due on the Wednesday the week after they were assigned. Homework will be graded and returned with solutions by section on Thursday. No credit will be given for homework submitted after the solutions are distributed.

Your homework should clearly indicate what steps you have taken in reaching your answer and why. Simply stating the answer is not sufficient.

Homewood-wide statement on Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability or believe you might have a disability that requires accommodations, please contact Dr. Richard Sanders, Homewood Undergraduate Disability Services Coordinator, in the Office of Academic Advising, Garland Suite 3A, (410) 516-8216, sanders@jhu.edu, to discuss reasonable and appropriate accommodations.

 

University-wide statement on Academic Ethics

The strength of the university depends on academic and personal integrity. In this course, you must be honest and truthful. Ethical violations include cheating on exams, plagiarism, reuse of assignments, improper use of the Internet and electronic devices, unauthorized collaboration, alteration of graded assignments, forgery and falsification, lying, facilitating academic dishonesty, and unfair competition. As noted above, collaboration on homework sets is encouraged. However, you should attempt problems independently before collaborating and must write up your homework independently.

 

Report any violations you witness to the instructor. You may consult the associate dean of students and/or the chairman of the Ethics Board beforehand. See the guide on "Academic Ethics for Undergraduates" and the Ethics Board web site (http://ethics.jhu.edu ) or http://www.advising.jhu.edu/ethics.html for more information.

Syllabus: The syllabus will be updated as the course progresses.
 

Week of

Subject Matter

Reading

Problems

Due Date

Jan. 31

Units, Coulomb's Law, the electric field

Ch 1.1 - 1.7

Problem set 1

Wednesday, Feb. 9

Feb. 7

Gauss's Law, electric potential

Ch 1.8 - 1.15, 2.1 - 2.5

Problem set 2

Thursday, Feb. 17

Feb. 14

More potential,Gauss's Theorem

Ch 2.6 - 2.12

Problem set 3

Wednesday, Feb. 23

Feb. 21

Conductors, Capacitance

Ch. 3

Problem set 4

Wednesday, Mar. 2

Feb. 28

Current, Conductance

Ch. 4.1-4.8

Problem set 5, part 1

Wednesday, Mar. 23

Mar. 7

Batteries, RC Circuits

Ch. 4.9-4.11

Problem set 5, part 2

Wednesday, Mar. 23

Mar. 21

Magnetic Field, Ampere's Law

Ch. 2.13-2.16, 6.1-6.6

Problem set 6

Thursday, Mar. 31

Mar. 28

Induction, Faraday's Law

Ch. 7.1-7.8

Problem set 7

Wednesday, Apr. 6

Apr. 4

RLC circuits

none

prepare for midterm

Midterm Apr. 13

Apr. 11

more RLC circuits, Maxwell's Eqs.

Ch. 7.9-7.10, Ch. 8

Problem set 8

Wednesday, Apr. 20

Apr. 18

Electromagnetic Waves

Ch. 9

Problem set 9

Wednesday, Apr. 27

Apr. 25

Electric Fields in Matter

Ch. 10.1-10.12

Problem set 10

Wednesday, May 4

May 2

Magnetic Fields in Matter

Ch. 10.13-10.15, Ch. 11

Problem set 11

Wednesday, May 11