Physics
&
Astronomy

Spr '02 Courses

General Physics II

Jim Mahoney (mahoney@marlboro.edu)

General Info

Time
MWF 10:30 - 11:20
Place
SciBldg 217
Text
Young & Freedman's University Physics
General Physics II is continuation of the last term's physics course. This semester emphasizes electrodynamics.

While the course itself will not require math beyond algebra, the text does use calculus notation, including some vector calculus. My intent is to discuss what the calculus notation means and to use that notation conceptually.

Expect weekly problem sets, posted here, and about three exams spread over the term. The course is worth 4 credits.

The highly recommended "Zap!" lab is designed to complement the course and give some hands-on experience with this stuff. See the Zap! stuff below for details.

Assignments

  1. for Wed Jan 30 (electric charge and force)
    1. Read chap 22 and 23 on electric charge, electric Field, and Gauss' Law.
    2. Q22-6,12; 22-5, 11, 33, 59, 85
    3. 23-11, 33
    4. Use Gauss' Law to find the electric field from a point, line, and plane.
  2. for Wed Feb 6 (voltage)
    1. Read chap 24, on voltage
    2. Q24-4, Q24-9, 24-5, 24-15, 24-39, 24-53, 24-79
    3. Sketch the equipotentials and electric field around two charges, each a distance D apart, when they are (a) +Q and +Q, (b) +Q and -Q. For part (b), where is the voltage zero?
  3. for Wed Feb 13 (capacitance) - warning: test 1 coming up!
    1. Read chap 25
    2. Q25-4, Q25-8, 25-7, 25-9, 25-19, 25-29, 25-39
    3. Make sure you can do the parallel plate capacitor from first principals: from Gauss' law and the definition of capacitance, find C .
  4. for Wed Feb 27 - circuits
    1. Read chapters 26 and 27
    2. Q26-17, 26-9, 26-23, 26-31, 26-41, 26-59
    3. Q27-4, Q27-16, 27-7, 27-10, 27-15, 27-33, 27-59, 27-74
      (This may be too many problems - use your judgement.)
  5. for Wed March 13 (Magnetic Field):
    1. Read chapters 28 and 29
    2. Q28-8, Q28-17, 28-13,23,27,43
    3. Q29-2, 29-7,15,24,65
  6. - test 2 - magnetostatics - Thurs/Fri March 12/13
    (spring break)
  7. for Wed April 10 (Induction)
    1. Read chapter 30, and 29-10 (the badly-named "displacement current")
    2. 29-37, Q30-7, 30-1, 30-13, 30-19, 30-21, 30-42
  8. for Wed April 17 (Inductance, start AC)
    1. Read chapter 31
    2. Q31-12, 31-7,17,19,45
  9. for Fri April 26 (AC circuits and complex numbers)
    1. You should be able to do arithmetic with complex numbers - see summary of complex numbers
    2. Do the exercises I gave in class on complex numbers
    3. Read chapter 32
    4. Do Q32-4,6; Exercises 32-7, 27, 32, 39, 52*
  10. - test 3 - induction / AC - Mon/Tues April 29/30
    (practice test is PracticeInductionTest.html)
  11. for Mon May 6 (E/M waves - last assignment)
    1. Read chapter 33
    2. Q33-7, Q33-12, 33-27, 33-43, 33-47

ZAP! Lab

A hands-on lab focusing on basic circuits and some basic notions of experimental work. Each student is issued a "toolbox" and will build (among other things) a high-voltage power supply. (A shocking experience.)

You will be required to keep a "lab notebook" (i.e. diary); please get a blank book to record your work.

  1. Jan 25 - Coin Flipping Lab

Online Resources

Physics & Astronomy at Marlboro | Jim's Schedule

Last modified
Jim Mahoney (mahoney@marlboro.edu)
© Marlboro College