Outline of Physics 313, University Physics III, Fall 2001

Course material can be found online at URL

http://spiff.rit.edu/classes/phys313/phys313.html

Instructor

Michael Richmond
Building 8, Office 3336
Office phone: 475-2538
E-mail: mwrsps@rit.edu

Class hours

   Monday     9:00 -  9:50 am   08-3305 
   Tuesday    9:00 -  9:50 am   08-3305   (section 2 only)
   Wednesday  9:00 -  9:50 am   08-3305   (section 1 only)
   Thursday   9:00 -  9:50 am   08-3305 
   Friday     9:00 -  9:50 am   08-3305

Office Hours

   Monday    11:00 -  1:00 pm   08-3336  in my office
   Tuesday    2:00 -  3:00 pm            in the COS Study Center
   Friday    11:00 -  1:00 pm   08-3336  in my office

You may also make an appointment to see me, by telephone or E-mail. If my office door is open, feel free to visit.

Grading

   20  points  quizzes
   20  points  homework 
   30  points  tests (15 points each)
   30  points  final exam
    4  points  optional experiments (2 points each)
   -----------
  104  points

Course grades are based on a total of 100 points. I will adopt the following system of assigning letter grades:

total score above 90% = A, 80% to 90% = B, etc.

I may move the boundaries slightly to lower values, but never higher ones.

Before each class, you will be told to read specific sections of your textbook. At the beginning of any or all class meetings, you will be given a very brief quiz on that material. If you read the assignments in advance, you should be able to answer all questions with ease.

Extra-credit experiments are optional. Students may elect to do one or two experiments during the quarter. You may work in small groups (1 to 3 people) on experiments. No such assignments will be given during the final week of classes.

Textbook

Fundamentals of Physics, by Halliday, Resnick and Walker, Sixth Edition.

Lab course

This course has an associated laboratory course, Physics 377 (or Physics 373 for Physics majors only). It meets for a single two-hour period per week. The lab course has its own handbook. There is also a reference manual, Uncertainties, Error Propagation, Graphing and Vernier Caliper, associated with the lab course. Both are available from the campus bookstore, for about $2 each. You may wish to look at a primer I wrote on Examples of Uncertainty Calculations.

Other resources

There is a Study Center on the first floor of the College of Science. A schedule posted outside the room lists times at which someone will be available to help with questions. You may also contact the Learning Development Center, in the Eastman Building, second floor. The Office of Special Services can arrange one-on-one tutorial sessions for qualified students.

Missing classes/tests

If you miss a quiz or test, you will not, in general, be able to make up the work. In order to request a make-up test, you must provide me with a note explaining your absence, signed by your academic advisor or department chair. Note that extra-credit experiments can provide roughly as many points as a single quiz or homework assignment.

If you have any special needs, you must inform me during the first week of classes. Otherwise, I may not be able to make arrangements in time to help you. Please contact me after class or at my office.

This page maintained by Michael Richmond. Last modified Sept 5, 2001.