UNIVERSITY of MIAMI

Department of Physics

PHY 206 Syllabus

 

In this class we will study mechanical waves, thermodynamics, light, and a few topics in modern physics.

 

Dr. Thomas Curtright, 325 J. L. Knight Physics Building

Fall Semester, August 28 – December 11, 1997

University Physics II , PHY 206 (Section FP)

 

Lectures and Discussions:

1:00 - 1:50 pm M, W, F, and 10:50 – 12:05 pm R, 109 J. L. Knight Physics Building.

 

Office Hours:

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 11:00 - 12:00 noon or by appointment (phone 284 - 2324 ext 4).

  

Required Textbooks:

Physics For Scientists & Engineers, Raymond Serway, 4th Edition, Saunders College Publishing, 1996.

Vector Analysis, Murray Spiegel, Schaum’s Outline Series, McGraw-Hill, 1959 (30th printing, 1995).

 

Recommended Homework:

You should read and study chapters 15-22 and 35-38 (and perhaps 39 if there is time) in Serway, according to the schedule below. You are encouraged to attempt as many exercises and problems in that text as you can. If you can do them all, the exams should not be very difficult. Additional problems may be assigned from Spiegel.

 

Graded Problems:

These will be due as announced in lecture, about one week in advance. Solutions to these problems and others will be given during the in-class discussions, usually on Thursdays, but possibly on any other class day. Unannounced in-class quizzes are also possible, so you are strongly urged to attend every lecture and discussion session. The graded problems and quizzes are worth a total of 100 points.

 

Progress Exams:

There will be three progress exams on the following Thursdays, 10:50am – 12:05pm, in J. L. Knight 109:

I - September 25,

II - October 23,

III - November 20.

Each progress exam is worth 100 points. There will be no make-up exams.

 

Final Exam:

Thursday, December 11, 5:00 – 7:30pm, location TBA. This is worth 200 points, the same as two progress exams.

 

Grading Policy:

Your grade will be based on your best five scores from the above six 100 point possibilities. That is, you will be forgiven your worst score out of the six.

Any student suspected of cheating will receive an E grade for violation of the student honor code and will be referred to the appropriate University court for adjudication.

Suggested Study Schedule for PHY206, Fall 1997 

(Of course, we may fall behind this schedule depending on the amount of in-class discussion.)

You should do the following during the week of

August 28:

September 1:

September 8:

September 15:

September 22:

September 29:

October 6:

October 13:

October 20:

October 27:

November 3:

November 10:

November 17:

November 24:

December 1:

December 8:

Ch 14: Review mechanics of gravity.

Ch 13 & 16: Review oscillations and study one-dimensional waves.

Ch 18: Superposition and interference of waves.

Ch 15 & 17: Properties of fluids and sound waves.

… Exam I

Ch 19 & 21.1,5,6: Temperature and some kinetic theory.

Ch 20 & 21.2,3,4: The 1st law of thermodynamics and more kinetic theory.

Ch 22: Entropy and the 2nd law of thermodynamics.

… Exam II

Ch 35 & 36: Light and geometrical optics.

Ch 37: Interference of light waves.

Ch 38: Diffraction of light waves.

… Exam III

Ch 39: Relativity and Thanksgiving

Ch 39 & Handouts: More modern physics.

… The Final.