Course Syllabus

Physics 4B Fall 2021

Instructor: Max Yuen, PhD

Email:  yuenmax@fhda.edu

Lab Instructor: David Marasco, PhD

Email: marascodavid@fhda.edu

Lecture: via Zoom MW 10:00am - 11:50am F 10:00am - 10:50am

Lab: in person, 4718 W 1:00pm - 3:50pm

Dates: Sept 20^th, 2021 thru Dec 10^th, 2021 (12 weeks)

• Midterm 1: Oct 13^th
• Midterm 2: Nov 3^rd
• Midterm 3: Nov 29^nd
• Final Exam:  Dec 8^th, 2021 - 10:30am - 12:30am

Text Books:

Default Text (Free!)

University Physics Volume 2, OpenStax

Recommended Additional References (May cost some $$, but not required)

Feynman's Lectures Vol. 2 by Feynman, Leighton, and Sands

Electricity and Magnetism by Purcell & Morin

Div Grad Curl and All That by Schey

Schaum's Outlines Electromagnetics by Navhi and Edminister

Prerequisites:

• Physics level: High school physics or PHYS 6 (highly recommended), or PHYS 2A/4A.
• Math level: Completion of Math 1B or higher. Math 1C/D highly recommended.

Objectives and Expectations:

The purpose of this introductory course is to develop an intuition and deep understanding of the physics of electricity and magnetism. Strong emphasis will be placed on solving real life problems related to everyday technology. Blind memorization is not encouraged and I do not subscribe to the “plug and chug” model of instruction.

Topics include but are not limited to: Coulomb’s Law, Gauss’ Law, Electric and Magnetic fields (E and B fields), Flux integrals, Divergence Theorem, Electric Dipoles, Electric Potential, Material properties (D and H fields), Capacitors and Inductors, Steady-state Currents, Electronic circuits, Ampere’s Law, Biot-Savart Law, Vector Potentials, Faraday’s Laws, Frequency Domain Analysis of AC circuits, L-C Resonance. Special topics may include the following: Solid State Devices, RF Receiver, Rail Guns, Superconductivity, Special Relativity and more (if time allows).

Grading:      

Quizzes	10%
Midterms	40%
Final	30%
Labs	20%

Letter Grade Scheme:

Percentage	95-100+	90-94.99	85-89.99	80-84.99	75-79.99	70-74.99	65-69.99	55-64.99	0-54.99
Letter	A+	A	A-	B+	B	B-	C+	C	F

I do not grade on a curve.

Homework/Labs:

• HW (not graded) will be assigned online to be completed weekly.
• Projects can be worked on with other people (Max 3 students).
• See Lab Instructor for lab details. You must pass the lab section with a grade of >60% to pass the class.

Quizzes, Midterm/Final Exam rules:

The quizzes, midterms and final Exams will be closed book, closed class notes unless otherwise specified. A one-page formula sheet may be allowed. Laptops, smart-phones, etc., are not allowed. Scientific or graphing calculators are ok.  There will be NO MAKEUPS. Excused absences from the exams must be documented and the appropriate documents provided as proof, such as jury duty summons, police reports, doctor’s notes, etc. In the case of an excused absence from the midterm, the midterm score will be replaced by the final exam score. The final exam will be cumulative and will cover all the topics discussed in class.

Academic Honesty:

There are severe consequences for cheating or plagiarism. According to the Academic Honor Code, cheating and plagiarism are defined as follows:

• Cheating is the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for academic work through the use of dishonest, deceptive or fraudulent means.
• Plagiarism is representing the work of someone else as your own and submitting it for any purpose.

The punishment(s) for cheating and/or plagiarism:

• 1^st offense leads to zero credit for the entire homework/exam/lab work where cheating and/or plagiarism were involved.
• 2^nd offense leads to an F for the class.
• The student(s) will be reported to the college administration immediately.

For more information, visit: https://foothill.edu/handbook/academic-integrity.html

Attendance and Behavior:

Treat others with respect.

Attend all lectures and labs and come prepared.

Turn off or silence cell phones in class or lab.

Disability:

To obtain disability-related accommodations, students must contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) as early as possible in the quarter.  To contact DRC, you may:

• Visit DRC in Room 5400 (newly renovated)
• Email DRC at drc@fhda.edu
• Call DRC at 650-949-7017 to make an appointment

If you already have an accommodation notification from DRC, please contact me privately to discuss your needs.

Tutoring/Getting Help:

The Virtual Tutorial Center is a great place to get help. https://foothill.edu/tutoring/

Join the STEM tutoring virtual lounge via zoom meeting number: 378611456

Legalities:

This syllabus does not replace the official course outline or the course catalog as the legal description of the course. This syllabus simply serves to facilitate your successful completion of the course.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to . . .

1. Discuss basic electrostatics and electric potential, and solve related problems.
2. Analyze resistance, capacitance, and DC circuits, computing associated quantities.
3. Discuss magnetic fields and forces, and solve related problems.
4. Explain electromagnetic induction and inductance, and solve related problems.
5. Extrapolate their understanding of DC circuits and circuit elements to AC circuits.
6. Explain electromagnetic waves.
7. Assess the limitations of physical laws and make mathematical approximations in appropriate situations.
8. Understand how physical laws are established and the role of scientific evidence as support.