Course Description

The course text is University Physics, Pitt custom edition, vol. 2, 2nd ed., by Young and Freedman.

Topics to be covered include:

• Electric Charge and Fields (ch 21)
• Gauss' Law (ch 22)
• Electric Potential (ch 23)
• Capacitance (ch 24)
• Current and Resistance (ch 25)
• Circuits (ch 26)
• Magnetic Fields (ch 27)
• Magnetic Fields due to Currents (ch 28)
• Induction (ch 29)
• Electromagnetic Waves (ch 32)
• The Nature of Light (ch 33)
• Interference (ch 35)
• Diffraction (ch 36) [if time permits]
• Quantum Theory (chs 38,39,40) [if time permits]

Course Objectives

Students will be able to

• apply Gauss's and Coulomb's laws to solve problems in electrostatics
• obtain electric fields from given charge configurations
• analyse electrical circuits in terms of Kirchhoff's and Ohm's laws
• explain and apply the concept of the magnetic field to the motion of charged particles, loops, motors, and other systems
• construct and solve differential equations describing RL, LC, and LRC circuits
• use power and energy concepts to describe circuits containing resistors, capacitors, and inductors
• apply the Lorentz force law to describe the motion of charged particles in a magnetic field
• apply the laws of Biot-Savart and Ampere to derive the magnetic field due to given charge configurations
• apply Faraday's and Lenz's laws to describe electromagnetic induction and induced fields
• compute the flow of energy and momentum due to electromagnetic waves
• apply Huygen's principle, Snell's law, and Brewster's law to derive properties of reflected, refracted, and polarized light

Students should already be able to

• use scientific notation and the SI system of units
• manipulate trigonometric and logarithmic functions
• solve systems of two equations for two variables
• compute the components of vectors using trigonometric functions and add vectors
• correctly use the vector equation F=ma
• correctly use the equation x = x0 + v0 t + 1/2 a t*t
• apply the equation F = m v*v/r to circular motion

Contact Information

• Lecturer: Eric Swanson
• Office: 217 Allen Hall
• Office hours: you may drop by any time, but making an appointment is safer
• Phone: 624-9057
• E-mail: swansone@pitt.edu. I don't guarantee that I will respond to all email.
• Lectures: MW 9:00-10:50 (Thaw 104)
• course web site: http://bloodaxe.phyast.pitt.edu/py175/

Marking Scheme:

BEST OF

• 0.2 assignments + 0.3 exam + 0.25 midterm1 + 0.25 midterm2
• 0.2 assignments + 0.5 exam + 0.3 best of (midterm1, midterm2)
• 0.2 assignments + 0.8 exam

Teaching Assistant:

• Hon-Man Wong email

Recitation Sections

• Wed 12:00 - 12:50 103 Allen
• Wed 1:00 - 1:50 103 Allen
• Thurs 1:00 - 1:50 319 Allen

Physics Exploration Centre
Resource Room

Assignments

due dates

• Asst 0 LON-CAPA Warmup Aug 31, 3 AM
• Asst 1 Electric Charge and Coulomb's Law Sept 6, 3 AM
• Asst 2 Gauss's Law Sept 14, 3 AM
• Asst 2b More Gauss's Law Sept 24, 3 AM
• Asst 3 Electric Potential Sept 30, 3 AM
• Asst 4 Capacitance and Dielectrics Oct 8, 3 AM
• Asst 5 Current, Resistance, and EMF Oct 15, 3 AM
• Asst 6 DC Circuits Oct 22, 3 AM
• Asst 7 Magnetic Fields and Forces Nov 5, 3 AM
• Asst 8 Sources of Magnetic Fields Nov 12, 3 AM
• Asst 9 Induction and Faraday's Law Nov 24, 3 AM
• Asst 10 EM Waves Dec 4 , 3 AM
• Asst 11 The Nature of Light Dec 11, 3 AM

Special Dates

• Aug 28 classes begin
• Sep 4 no class
• Sep 8 drop/add cutoff
• Midterm 1 Oct 9 results
• Oct 27 monitored withdrawal cutoff
• Midterm 2 Nov 20 results
• Nov 22-26 incl Thanksgiving recess
• Dec 8 last class
• EXAM Dec 16 08:00-09:50 Thaw 102/104
• Dec 20 grades dues

Web Resources

A list of web resources covering magnetic induction, waves, sound, and light.

If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and Disability Resources and Services, 216 William Pitt Union, (412) 648-7890/(412) 383-7355 (TTY), as early as possible in the term. DRS will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course.

A comprehensive description of the services of that office can be obtained at www.drs.pitt.edu.