Introduction

Welcome to Physics 105, a continuation of 100. This class meets MWF at 9 am, and class attendance is important/essential. I expect that we will all be here for every class meeting. We will try to cover most of the rest of your 100 text. We do almost a chapter a week; it is a fast pace and requires consistent hard work on your part.  The subject material is challenging and (I hope you’ll agree) interesting.  We spend lots of time of electricity and magnetism, then move on to optics and finally, during the last month, we study the amazing physics of the 20th century – Special Relativity and Quantum Mechanics.  That’s the best part.

Your grade in this class will be calculated using the following weighting:

                  2 exams and the final          15%, 15% and 30% = 60%
                  Homework                          (18-2) HW’s = 15%
                  Quizzes                               2 Quizzes =5%
                  Lab                                     20%
LAB:
Lab meets from 1-4 Monday-Thursday (starting this week).  There are 12 labs, so we have two extra weeks. We will not have lab during weeks when midterms exams are scheduled

Grades for individual labs will depend on your participation during lab period and on your lab notebook. Detailed information about how your lab work is assessed and graded will be explained this week in lab – and is very similar to the system you are familiar with from last semester. If you have to miss a lab because of illness or a scheduled college activity, please let your lab instructor know ahead of time so we can reschedule.

HOMEWORK:
Homework will normally be due every other class period at 9am. So, Wednesday of the first week, Monday of the second week etc. Make your HW neat and easy to read. Show your work! We can’t give you any credit for correct answers if you give no justification. Underline or highlight your final answer so the grader can find it.

Your questions and problems will be collected and solutions will be posted on Blackboard. Your work will be graded and returned. For the sake of the grader (and for fairness) late HW is strongly discouraged and will be penalized: -20%/day starting the first day. I will drop your lowest 2 HW scores when compiling final grades. Office hours are scheduled so that you can come and get help with problems:

OFFICE HOURS
MONDAY         2-4pm
TUESDAY         3-4pm
FRIDAY            2-3pm
TUESDAY and THURSDAY mornings by appointment

You may also use the Q-lit center as a resource; please indicate on your problem sets when you have done so. You are also encouraged to discuss the homework problems in general terms with other members of this class, BUT PLEASE HAND IN WORK THAT REFLECTS YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING.

QUIZZES
We will have two quizzes this semester on Fridays of weeks 2 and 13 that count for a small portion of your grade. They will be based on homework problems and class notes. A third quiz will be given on Friday of week 8 (March 12) and will ad 5 extra-credit points to your midtermexam scores.

EXAMS
Two midterm exams are scheduled for the 5th and 10th weeks of the semesters. The first midterm is on Tuesday evening 2/16/09 and the second on Thursday evening 4/8/09.

The final exam will be cumulative and is scheduled for Wednesday evening of exam week.