Course Syllabus

Please fill out the Course Evaluation at 

https://evaluations.ufl.edu/evals/Default.aspx

Instructor:  Prof. Katia Matcheva

Meeting times: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 4th period (10:40-11:30 am)

Room: NPB1002

Office hours: Monday and Wednesday 5th period in room NPB 2073 or by appointment.

Synopsis

This is the first semester of a two-semester sequence in electrodynamics. The material covered in this class will introduce you to the physics of static electric and magnetic fields. Along the way we will pick up some mathematical techniques (gradients, curls, line integrals, surface integrals etc.) useful for calculating electric and magnetic fields. During the course, you will develop fluency in the requisite mathematical techniques and an understanding of the physical nature of the electromagnetic interaction between charged objects. While it is important not to lose sight of the physics when you do physics, to succeed in this class it is equally important to understand the math when you do math. 

Time and Location

The class will meet three times a week Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:40 am - 11:30 am in  room NPB 1002 in the Physics Building (NPB). 

Office Hours: 

I will have office hours Mondays and Wednesdays between 11:45 pm and 12:45 pm in my office (NPB 2073) or by an appointment. 

Required Materials

The main textbook for this class is  "Introduction to Electromagnetism" by D. J. Griffiths, Prentice Hall, 4th edition. Earlier versions are also acceptable. Note that Griffiths maintains a WEB site containing errata for the textbook at http://academic.reed.edu/physics/faculty/griffiths.html. Look at the bottom of the page for corrections to different printings.

Prerequisites

Differential equations (MAP2302); one-year calculus based physics at the level of PHY 2048, 2049. It is also very useful to have had vector calculus (MAC2313) or to be concurrently registered.

PHYS 3323 web page

The web page will contain information relevant for the class. On the page you will find the latest announcements, class schedule, assignments, solutions to exam and homework problems. Please check for updates regularly.

Exams

There will be two midterm exams and one final exam during the semester. The time of the exams will be announced ahead of time in class and on the Announcements. If a midterm exam conflicts with an important commitment, advance arrangements (at least one week in advance) must be made to take an alternative test shortly before or after the normal time. 

Final exam: May 2, 10:00 am - 12:00 noon .

Assignments (homework)

Your success in this course is directly proportional to the amount of time you spend on solving homework problems. You can work by yourself or in groups. Problem sets will be assigned weekly and the homework will be due in one week in class by 11:30 am (the end of class). Each problem will be graded on a 10-point scale. It is important that you attempt to do all problems. Partial credits are one of the keys to success in this course. Late Homework: Homework turned in after 11:30 am on the due date will be graded down accordingly: homeworks that are turned in within 24 h after the deadline will receive 75% of the total score; if your are up to 48 h late you will receive 50% of your total score. On the third day, the solutions to the problems will be posted and no late homeworks will be accepted.

Quizzes

For homework quality control, I will occasionally give a short "pop-quiz" in class based on the problems in the homework. The average of the quizzes will be 20% of the final grade.

Grading

Your grade will be based on your performance on the three exams, homework assignments, and quizzes. Each exam (two midtherms and a final) will be worth 20% of your grade. The homework and the quizzes are also 20% each. The final letter grade will be determined according to the following grading scale: 100-85%=A, 84-80%=A-, 79-75%=B+, 74-70%=B, 69-65%=B-, 64-60%=C+, 59-55%=C, 54-50%=C-, 49-45%=D+, 44-40%=D, 39-35%=D-,  less than 35%=E.

Academic Honesty

A person caught cheating in any form during class exams/quizzes will fail the entire course automatically and will be subject to Honor Court penalties. The Dean of Students Office website has a detailed discussion about academic honesty and the University of Florida Honor Code, which is adopted by the Student Council and this class.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due