Physics 208, Fall Semester, 1994
Course Information

This html document is provided as a convenience to the student. The intention is that it should reflect the same information as was distributed to the student during the first week of class. In the unlikely event that any information here is inconsistent with the printed information already distributed, then that printed information supercedes this document.

Prerequisites:

1 full year of calculus and a semester of mechanics (Physics 207 or Physics 218 or the equivalent).

Instructor:

Dr. George R. Welch.

Office:

Room 415, Engineering Physics Building, Office Wing.
Telephone: 845-7737, email: grw@tamu.edu

Textbook:

Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Third Edition, by Raymond Serway. Chapters 23-38. Either the complete text or volume two.

Optional: Study Guide or Study Guide with Courseware Disk.

Recommended: Don't Panic, vol 2, by William Bassichis.

Recitation and Lab:

Recitations meet in 119 Heldenfels Hall for the first hour, and then proceed to the lab, as indicated by the recitation instructor, for the laboratory during the next two hours.

Homework and Recitation:

Homework assignments are suggested only. They will not be taken up or graded. Recitation is a problem session, where the recitation instructor will work problems and answer questions. During the semester approximately 10 quizzes will be given in recitation. Each will test your ability to work one of the assigned homework problems. Quizzes will be announced the week before they are given.

Exams:

There will be 3 in-class exams for 50 minutes each, and will generally consist of 4 problems similar in content and difficulty to the homework. Each problem will be worth 25 points. The entire solution will be graded and partial credit given for partially correct solutions. Your work must be shown-- the answer alone is not sufficient. We will judge your use of physics in arriving at the solution! You can expect at least 1 problem to be something you have not seen, but that can be worked with the material presented in the course.

The final exam is comprehensive and lasts for 2 hours. It consists of 8 problems, similar in content and difficulty to the other exams.

Makeup Exams:

One makeup exam (coveing all material through Chapter 34) will be given the week of Nov. 28. Only students whose absence from an hourly exam was due to factors listed in the University regulations as cause for an authorized absence by the University may take the makeup. The student must notify the professor of their desire to take the makeup exam by the end of the first class period following the exam missed.

Grades:

Exam grades may be ``curved'' so that the resulting letter grade distribution reflects, in the professor's judgement, an accurate measure of the performance of the class. In no case will a curve result in a lower letter grade than the standard 90-100% A, 80-89% B, 70-79% C, 60-69% D, and <-60% F.

Course Grade:

3 exams      300
Final exam   200
Laboratory   100
Recitaion     50
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Total        650

The course grade will be determined using a numerical score for each component so that, for example, a high B on exam 1 will result in a higher final average than a low B on the same exam if all other grades are the same. You must pass the laboratory in order to pass the course!