Preliminary Syllabus

PHYSICS 317L: General Physics II

Fall semester 2015
Unique No: 55490
MWF 10-11am in PAI 4.42

Instructor: M. Downer (downer@physics.utexas.edu; 1-6054)

Office Hours: MWF 11-12 noon outside PAI 4.42, & by appointment
TA: TBA
TA Office Hours: TBA; we are working on setting up a Monday recitation session

Text: Essential University Physics, Richard Wolfson, 2nd edition (2012), Vol. 2 (required).
Web pages: All students are required to use the following 2 web-based services:
1) QUEST (quest.cns.utexas.edu) Enrollees in this course should find this course already listed under My Courses. If
not, contact the instructor. Clear up problems by Wednesday, Sept. 2. The functions of QUEST include:
Homework Click on course, then assignment name (e.g. Homework 1) to download weekly homework assignments.
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Enter your solutions as instructed, then view solutions (after due date) on-line at the QUEST site. After the 12 class day, QUEST
will ask you to pay a $30 charge via credit card for the maintenance and operation of the system.
Register iClickers Purchase an iClicker at the University Coop (new or used) or re-use one from a previous semester.
Then register it following instructions at https://getquest.cns.utexas.edu: click Help, Documentation for Students, and Your
Quest profile. Be ready to use iClickers in class on Wed., Sept. 2.
2) CANVAS (http://canvas.utexas.edu). - download electronic files containing handouts, illustrations used during lecture,
solutions to quizzes and other course information. Check FREQUENTLY for updates!

I. Weekly Classwork (33% of grade)

1) Homework will be posted on QUEST by Friday each week, and is due 10 days later (Mon. night) at the time indicated on
QUEST. All students are required to submit solutions by the due date. Success in this course has been closely correlated with
completion of high quality homeworks. Allocate them HIGH PRIORITY and adequate TIME. You may consult each other, but
each student must complete his/her own work. Homeworks will count 20% of your grade (based on best 10 of 13). Many HWs
will have optional bonus questions for extra credit. HW #0 will count as an initial deposit of extra credit.
HELP: The TA and I will all hold weekly office hours. An optional discussion session will be held every Monday, 1-3 pm in JGB
2.202. In addition, TAs are available at the coaching tables on the 5th floor of RLM. Check bulletin board by coaching tables
after the first week for schedules.
2) Reading quizzes: 5 minute, 1 question quizzes given at the beginning of most Wednesday classes. Their purpose is to test
comprehension of a textbook reading assignment that will be specified in advance. Altogether they will count 7% of your grade.
3) Concept quizzes: short, 1 question quizzes given periodically during most lectures. They will not count toward your grade,
except for evaluating participation & attendance. Their purpose is to involve you in the lecture, to help you develop scientific
reasoning skills, and to monitor informally how well you are following basic concepts as they are introduced. They will also
familiarize you with the style of some of the questions I ask on exams. You should PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY, GUESS
INTELLIGENTLY when unsure, and dont be afraid to MAKE MISTAKES. Making, then correcting, mistakes on CQs is a good
way to avoid them on tests.
4) Class attendance & participation: class attendance and participation is required and will count 6% of your grade. It will be
evaluated from your CQ participation and RQ answer sheets.

II. Hour Tests (34% of grade)

3 tests will be given during class time on Wednesdays Sept. 23, Oct. 28 and Dec. 2 in BUR 106. The 2 best test grades together
will count 34% of your course grade. No additional make-ups will be scheduled. During exams, NO books or notebooks or crib
sheets are allowed. I plan to hold a help session before each hour test (time & place TBA).

III. Final Exam (33% of grade)

A comprehensive final exam on Thursday, December 10 will count 1/3 of your grade.
Bonuses:1. Final Exam over-ride: If your final exam score exceeds the average of your 2 best hour tests, and if you have
completed 10 homeworks with score of 50% or higher, both hour tests with passing grade, and have at least a
75% class attendance record, then your final exam will over-ride any hour tests that are lower.
2. Optional extra credit homework exercises, including all of Homework 0, will receive bonus credit.
3. You will receive 5 bonus points out of 200 on your final exam for each of the following goals which you achieve:
90% attendance record, 80% cumulative reading quiz score.
Bonuses & over-rides will be applied after initial grade distributions and cut-offs have been established using the basic criteria. In
this way eligible students will benefit from them without penalizing other students.

Laboratory: Physics 117N is a distinct, separately graded course, but is co-requisite with PHY 317L. Labs begin after Labor Day.

Physics 317L tentative course schedule

Textbook Chapters

Class Dates

Homework Due

Chapter 30: "Reflection & Refraction"

Aug 26, 28
Aug 31

HW#0: Aug 31

Chapter 31: "Images & Optical Instruments"

Sept 2, 4
Sept 9, 11, 14

HW#1: Sept. 8
HW#2: Sept 14

12th class day: last day to add a course, last day to drop
for possible refund

September 14

Chapter 32: "Interference & Diffraction"

Sept 16,18, 21

TEST #1: Chapters 30 - 32

HW #3: Sept 21

Wednesday, September 23 (in BUR 106)

Chapter 20: "Electric Charge, Forces and Field"

Sept 25, 28
Sept 30,Oct 2

HW#4: Sept 28

Chapter 21: Gausss Law

Oct 5

HW#5: Oct 5

Chapter 22: Electric Potential

Oct 7

Chapter 23: "Electrostatic Energy & Capacitors"

Oct 9,12

HW#6: Oct 12

Chapter 24: "Electric Current"

Oct 14, 16, 19

HW#7: Oct 19

Chapter 25: "Electric Circuits"

Oct 21, 23, 26

HW#8: Oct 26

TEST #2: Chapters 20-25

Wednesday, October 28 (in BUR 106)

Chapter 26: "Magnetism: Force & Field"

Oct 30, Nov 2

HW#9: Nov 2

Last day to drop course with deans approval ,

or to change to pass/fail

November 3

Chapter 27: "Electromagnetic Induction"

Nov 4, 6, 9

HW#10: Nov 9

Chapter 28: "AC Circuits"

Nov 11, 13, 16

HW#11: Oct 16

Chapter 29: Maxwells Equations & EM Waves

Nov 18, 20, 23

HW#12: Oct 23

THANKSGIVING BREAK
Chapter 33: Relativity

TEST #3: Chapters 26-29, 33

Nov 30; Dec 1

Wednesday, December 2 (in BUR 106)

Dec 4

FINAL: Comprehensive

HW #13: Dec 4

December 10, 9-12 noon

Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community
Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 512-471-6259, http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/
PHY 317L carries the Quantitative Reasoning Flag (see http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/core/flags for more information about
flag courses). Quantitative Reasoning courses are designed to equip you with skills that are necessary for understanding the
types of quantitative arguments you will encounter regularly in your adult and professional life. You should therefore expect a
substantial portion of your grade to come from your use of quantitative skills to analyze real-world problems.