PHY 215 Spring 2006
Michigan State University
Personnel
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Course Coordinator:
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Felicia V Berryman, Tibor F Nagy |
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Teaching Assistant (Section 001):
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Tibor F Nagy 9, Michael David Youngs |
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Instructor Information
Tibor F. Nagy
Office: 1253 BPS
Phone: (517) 355-9200 x 2515
Email: nagy_t@pa.msu.edu, nagytibo@msu.eduCourse Description
Topics: relativity, thermodynamics, atomic and quantum physics, nuclear physics.Prerequisites
(PHY 184 or PHY 184B or LBS 272 or PHY 294H or PHY 234B) and (MTH 234 or MTH 254H or LBS 220).Class Hours
Mo-Tu-We-Th: 9:10-10:00 AM, BPS 1415.Office Hours
Thursday, noon-2:00 PM in BPS 1248, or by appointment in room BPS 1253.Helproom Hours
BPS 1248, Strosacker Center
Teaching Assistant:
Mike Youngs - Mo: 6-8 PM, We: 6-8 PM, Th: 4-6 PM.
Honor students:
Abby Velie - Th: 10 AM - noon.
Andrew Baczewski - Fr: 9:30-11:30 AM.
Amit Patel - Fr: 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM.Exam Information
There will be two 50-minute midterm exams with optional 30% partial credit for corrections (PCC) and one 2-hour final exam. The midterm exams and the final exam will be based on the material covered in lectures, the textbook, quizzes and homework.
Dates and locations of exams are:
Midterms
Tuesday, Feb 14, Lecture time, Room 1415 BPS,
Tuesday, Apr 04, Lecture time, Room 1415 BPS.
Final Exam
Wednesday, May 03, 07:45-09:45 AM, Room 1415 BPS.
You are responsible for bringing the following to the midterm and the final exams:
(i) A calculator: All exams will require the use of a calculator. Make sure that your calculator's batteries are fresh. All other electronic devices (PDA, Cell phone, CD-Player, etc) are not allowed. The calculator must be a hand calculator not a computer, nor a device that can communicate by some means such as wireless.
(ii) Two #2 (HB) pencils to be used for filling out the computer scoring sheet.
(iii) Midterms: You may bring one two-sided 8.5 by 11 help sheet containing hand-written formulas.
(iv) Final exam: Your may bring three two-sided 8.5 by 11 help sheets.
Partial credit for corrections (PCC) works as follows: After the exam, the same set of problems is assigned as homework (the PCC set). Answers can be entered through LON-CAPA, as for any other homework until the respective due date. If your PCC score is higher than your exam score, 30% of the difference will be credited to your exam.
Quizzes
Quizzes will be given frequently in class. Quizzes will be based on current lecture materials, textbook, and previous homework. Quizzes are not announced and at least one quiz per week should be anticipated. The quiz will be posted on LON-CAPA prior to the week of a quiz. This gives you an opportunity to practice the methodology for the problems in advance. You will need a pocket calculator to solve them and a #2 pencil to fill out the computer scoring sheet. No makeup for quizzes will be given, but 90% score on quizzes will earn the full 10% credit towards the course grade.
Homework
There will be 14 homework assignments for which solutions are entered through the LON-CAPA system. The homework due dates are Monday, midnight. Solutions will be posted Wednesday 10:00. Note that homework assignments are individualized.Grading Information
Grades are based on the following formula: homework: 30%, two midterm exams: 30% (15% each), quizzes: 10%, final exam: 30%. The scale below is based on the total percentage of points earned. The scale may be slightly lowered but it will not be raised.
4.0 > 92%
3.5 > 84%
3.0 > 76%
2.5 > 68%
2.0 > 60%
1.5 > 52%
1.0 > 44%
0.0 < 44%Readings
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From ------- To | Wk, Chapter and Topic
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01/09 --- 01/13 | 01 Ch.2 Special Relativity
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01/16 -- Monday | Martin Luther King Day (no classes)
01/17 --- 01/20 | 02 Ch.2 Special Relativity, Ch.15 General Relativity
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01/23 --- 01/27 | 03 Thermodynamics I.
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01/30 --- 02/03 | 04 Thermodynamics II.
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02/06 --- 02/10 | 05 Thermodynamics III.
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02/13 --- 02/17 | 06 Ch.3 Experimental Basis of Quantum Theory
02/14 - Tuesday | Midterm #1 (covering weeks 1-5)
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02/20 --- 02/24 | 07 Ch.4 Structure of the Atom
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02/27 --- 03/03 | 08 Ch.5 Wave Properties of Matter and QM I.
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03/06 --- 03/10 | Spring Break (no classes)
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03/13 --- 03/17 | 09 Ch.6 Quantum Mechanics II.
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03/20 --- 03/24 | 10 Ch.7 The Hydrogen Atom
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03/27 --- 03/31 | 11 Ch.8 Atomic Physics
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04/03 --- 04/07 | 12 Ch.9 Statistical Physics
04/04 - Tuesday | Midterm #2 (covering weeks 6-11)
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04/10 --- 04/14 | 13 Ch.12 The Atomic Nucleus
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04/17 --- 04/21 | 14 Ch.13 Nuclear Interactions and Applications
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04/24 --- 04/28 | 15 Ch.14 Elementary Particles
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05/03 Wednesday | Final exam: 07:45-09:45 AM, BPS 1415
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Textbook
Stephen T. Thornton, Andrew Rex: Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 3rd edition, Saunders College Publishing, 2006. (The second edition of the textbook is perfectly fine.)