Physics 7B (Spring 2002) Course Description

The goal of this course is to make you familiar, at the conceptual and basic problem-solving level, with the physics of electricity, magnetism, optics, and modern physics.

The basic philosophy of the Physics 7B to achieve this goal can be summarised as follows:

1. Read about it (textbook)
2. Untangle it (lectures)
3. Play with it (labs)
4. Challenge yourself (homework)
5. Close the loop (discussion)

The first exposure you will have to any material will be when you, on your own and prior to lecture, read about it in the text-book (1).   This first step is one that all of the following items rest on, and should be taken very seriously.

The lecture (2) will not simply requrgitate what you have read, rather it will take the concepts you are having difficulty understanding and will expand/explain them, usually with the aid of demonstrations.

Your participation is required both prior to and during each lecture!

The lab is designed to give you the opportunity to explore the concepts you have read about in the textbook and discussed in lecture. 

The homework (4) covering each week's material is due on Friday (5 pm) of the following week.  This means you will have the background of reading the text and the experience of lectures and a hands-on lab to guide you in finishing each weekly homework assignment.  Homework problems are designed to test your understanding of the concepts as well as simple problem-solving skills.

To cap things off, a weekly Discussion section (5) will go over the concepts you have learned about in the previous week's text reading, lectures, and homework. 

To help you keep track of "what is due when" we have put together a handy Web based planner.  You can link to it here, or from the main Physics 7B homepage.

It should be clear to you that Physics 7B relies very heavily on student interaction and feedback. Please use office hourse and discussion hours to tell us what you do and don't understand. Please participate!

The pre-requisite for this class is Physics 7A. As in Physics 7A, we will assume you are sufficiently adept with math to use trigonometry, solve simple simultaneous equations, and manipulate vectors.

Textbook:
The required text for this class is the Third Edition of "PHYSICS for SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS" by Douglas C. Giancoli (Prentice Hall, 2000).

Lectures:
Lectures are held in xx LeConte on Mon., Wed. and Fri. between 8 and 9 a.m., and you are strongly encouraged to attend and participate. 

Homework:
Weekly problem sets will be due Friday at 3 p.m. There will be a total of 12 problem sets with around 10 problems per set. You must turn in at least 7 problem sets to obtain a grade in this course ! Homework assignments will be available in pdf format on the course website. Your papers should be stapled and folded lengthwise. Write 1) the problem set number, 2) your name, 3) your TA's name, and 4) your discussion section number on the outside top of your folded homework. Place your problem set solutions in the box which is outside Rm. 206 LeConte and is marked with your discussion section number. No Late Homework is accepted. It is your responsibility to collect the homework returned to you in a timely fashion. Homework grades as recorded in the course record will be posted regularly. ANY missing or incorrect scores MUST be corrected BEFORE the exam (midterm or final) which the homework precedes. For example, changes to the scores in the first four homeworks must be made BEFORE Midterm I.

Discussion Sessions:
Each discussion section meets once per week and is designed for discussion of the course material such as lecture and homework in a small and informal group. Sections begin the first week of class (the week of Jan. 24). Any changes to your discussion section must be made through the Head TA. All of your grades will be recorded according to your discussion section, so you must be in one, and you must know which one it is.

Course Center:
202 LeConte is where you go to get extra help understanding course material and/or to be helpful to others by sharing your understanding with them. Graduate student instructors (GSIs or TAs) will schedule their office hours in this room (Room 206 LeConte) to be available to help you. You may also meet there when no TA is present.

Exams:
There will be two 1.5 hour exams (midterm exams) and a three-hour final exam. The exams include both conceptual questions and conventional problems. The final exam will cover material from the whole semester. You are allowed to use a formula sheet (8.5" x 11") on the examinations (so that you can focus on the meaning of the equations).

Your final grade for Physics 7B will be based upon your total score on all the components of the course. The total possible score is 100% and is broken down as follows:

Department guidelines will be followed for the distribution of grades: 15% A's, 30% B's and 40% C's. However, I will have an absolute grading scale. Therefore, you are not competing with your fellow students for a high grade; It is in principle possible for everyone to get an "A" grade in this class. I encourage you to study with your fellow students.

You cannot compensate for low examination grades by just getting high homework/lab grades. On the other hand, you can seriously lower your grade by doing poorly on these.  The real payoff for doing well on the homework and labs is a better understanding of the physics and consequently higher examination scores.

During the term, you will have a few chances to check that the exam, homework, and lab grades are correctly entered.  It is your responsibility to bring any problems with your assigned grades to the attention of your head TA immediately.

Grade of Incomplete:
The grade of incomplete is given only in exceptional circumstances such as (a) illness; (b) personal crisis (e.g. automobile accident, required court appearance, death of a close relative, weather conditions which make it impossible to get to the university); and (c) required attendance at an official UCB activity (e.g. varsity athletics, band concert).

In case of (a), a written excuse is required. The excuse should contain your doctor's name and telephone number so that the head TA or the instructor can call to verify the information.

In case (b) amd (c), contact the head TA or the instructor as soon as possible.