Course Syllabus

Instructor: Prof. Amlan Biswas

Contact Information:

• Email Address: amlan@ufl.edu (all email communication related to the course will be through canvas)
  
• Office Phone Number: 352 392 8592

Class hours and location: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, period 7, 1:55 pm - 2:45 pm (on zoom)

Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, period 8, 3:00 pm - 3:50 pm (on zoom). At other times you can make an appointment for a zoom meeting.

Textbook: The required text is Blundell and Blundell, Concepts in Thermal Physics, (2nd edition, Oxford University Press) ISBN: 9780199562107.

Coreq: PHY 2049 or equivalent

Synopsis: First part of the  PHY 3513-PHY4523 sequence. Treatment of classical thermodynamics including fundamental postulates, entropy, equations of states. Thermodynamic equilibrium and potentials, Maxwell relations, phase transitions. Physics 3513 will cover selected chapters of the textbook. See outline for details. Lecture slides will be available, usually, a day before class on this website.

Course objectives: To obtain a thorough understanding of thermal physics with detailed mathematical treatment. The link between microscopic and macroscopic properties will be explored. Applications to modern technology will be emphasized along with a historical perspective.

Grading policy:

Homework and in-class zoom quizzes: There will be nine UNGRADED homework assignments during the semester. The homeworks will be discussed in class and the partial solutions to the homework will be made available on the course website 3 to 4 days later. About a week after the homework is assigned, there will be a short (15 minutes) in-class quiz based on that homework. There will be a total of 9 such quizzes (Q0.5 to Q8) and the minimum two scores will be dropped. Each quiz will be worth 6% of the course grade for a total of 42% of the course grade (only Q0 will be for practice and not for grade, Q0.5 to Q8 will be graded). The problems will usually be multiple choice but partial credit will be given if the calculations (uploaded as a file in the quiz) are shown to be partially correct. See course schedule for homework and quiz dates. You can have your own work for the corresponding homework assignment, your notes, and textbook during the quiz.

Video lectures and video-based quizzes: The video lectures will be like “trailers” for topics to be covered during the upcoming week. These videos will hopefully enhance the discussion of topics during the zoom lectures and encourage student participation. Two short videos will be made available on most Thursdays. The videos will describe briefly the topics to be covered during the zoom lectures on the following Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Each video will have an embedded question (two questions per week) which students will need to answer in the Video Lecture Quizzes (VQ) on canvas by 11:59 am on Monday. There will be a total of 9 such quizzes (VQ1 to VQ9) and the minimum score will be dropped. Each quiz will be worth 2% of the course grade for a total of 16% of the course grade (video lecture 0 will be made available before classes start and the associated questions in VQ0 will not be for grade).

Mid-term exams: There will be THREE IN CLASS (on ZOOM) MID-TERM EXAMS of 50 minutes duration, scheduled for September 30, October 28, and November 18. Each of these exams will be worth 10% of the total grade. Hence the mid-term exams will constitute 30% of the total grade. The mid-term exams will be based on the homeworks assigned in the previous weeks and the quizzes. The exams will be open notes and open book.

Final exam: There will be a 75 minutes, cumulative final exam on December 16 starting 3pm. Details about the exam format will be posted here (see module final exam).  The final exam will be worth 12% of the total grade.

Extra credit programming project: There will be a programming project worth 5 extra credits. The project will be based on concepts and techniques learned during the semester. Basic matlab techniques will be discussed in class or in the assigned homeworks. However, students can choose to use a different programming language.

Make-ups: Make-up tests and quizzes will be given if a situation satisfies the make-up policy (see below).

Grade calculation:

Letter Grade	Percent Score $$$$
A	$$$\mathrm{}$
A-	$$$$$\mathrm{}$
B+	$$$$$\mathrm{}$
B	$$$$$\mathrm{}$
B-	$$$\ge$$\mathrm{}$$\mathrm{}$
C+	$$$$$\mathrm{}$$$$$$\mathrm{}$
C	$$$$$\mathrm{}$$$$$$\mathrm{}$
C-	$$$$$\mathrm{}$$$$$$\mathrm{}$
D+	$$$$$\mathrm{}$$$$\mathrm{}$
D	$$$\ge$$\mathrm{}$
D-	$$$$$\mathrm{}$
E	$$$\mathrm{}$

The percent score ranges may be lowered, depending upon numerous factors, but will not be raised. The course grades are not curved. Link to UF grading policy.

Attendance and make up assignments/tests: Regular attendance is expected but not enforced. In class quizzes are announced in advance. Make up quizzes/exams will be given for valid excused absences. Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with university policies. Excused absences must be consistent with university policies and require appropriate documentation.  Click here to read the university attendance policies.

Holidays (no classes): Labor Day (September 7), Veteran's Day (November 11), Thanksgiving (November 25, 27).

Course evaluations: Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals. Click here for guidance on how to give feedback in a professional and respectful manner. Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens, and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas course menu under GatorEvals, or via ufl.bluera.com/ufl/. Summaries of course evaluation results are available to students here.

Privacy related issues for online course with recorded materials: Our class sessions may be audio visually recorded for students in the class to refer back and for enrolled students who are unable to attend live. Students who participate with their camera engaged or utilize a profile image are agreeing to have their video or image recorded.  If you are unwilling to consent to have your profile or video image recorded, be sure to keep your camera off and do not use a profile image. Likewise, students who un-mute during class and participate orally are agreeing to have their voices recorded.  If you are not willing to consent to have your voice recorded during class, you will need to keep your mute button activated and communicate exclusively using the "chat" feature, which allows students to type questions and comments live. The chat will not be recorded or shared. As in all courses, unauthorized recording and unauthorized sharing of recorded materials is prohibited.

Accommodations: Students with disabilities who experience learning barriers and would like to request academic accommodations should connect with the disability Resource Center. Click here to get started with the Disability Resource Center. It is important for students to share their accommodation letter with their instructor and discuss their access needs, as early as possible in the semester.

Academic Honesty: UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, “We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code. On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.” The Honor Code specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Click here to read the Honor Code. Furthermore, you are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor or TAs in this class.

Campus resources:

Health and Wellness

• U Matter, We Care: If you or someone you know is in distress, please contact umatter@ufl.edu, 352-392-1575, or visit U Matter, We Care website to refer or report a concern and a team member will reach out to the student in distress.
• Counseling and Wellness Center: Visit the Counseling and Wellness Center website or call 352-392-1575 for information on crisis services as well as non-crisis services.
• Student Health Care Center: Call 352-392-1161 for 24/7 information to help you find the care you need, or visit the Student Health Care Center website.
• University Police Department: Visit UF Police Department website or call 352-392-1111 (or 9-1-1 for emergencies).
• UF Health Shands Emergency Room / Trauma Center: For immediate medical care call 352-733-0111 or go to the emergency room at 1515 SW Archer Road, Gainesville, FL 32608; Visit the UF Health Emergency Room and Trauma Center website.

Academic Resources

• E-learning technical support: Contact the UF Computing Help Desk at 352-392-4357 or via e-mail at helpdesk@ufl.edu.
• Career Connections Center: Reitz Union Suite 1300, 352-392-1601. Career assistance and counseling services.
• Library Support: Various ways to receive assistance with respect to using the libraries or finding resources.
• Teaching Center: Broward Hall, 352-392-2010 or to make an appointment 352- 392-6420. General study skills and tutoring.
• Writing Studio: 2215 Turlington Hall, 352-846-1138. Help brainstorming, formatting, and writing papers.
• Student Complaints On-Campus: Visit the Student Honor Code and Student Conduct Code webpage for more information.
• On-Line Students Complaints: View the Distance Learning Student Complaint Process.