Course Syllabus

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PHY 2054 - Physics 2 - Fall 2025

Course Description and Details

PHY2054 - Physics 2. Second semester of introductory physics de-emphasizing calculus. Electric charge, fields and circuits; electromagnetism, applied electricity; geometrical optics , wave optics, applied optics; electrons and photons; atoms and nuclei. This course affords students the ability to critically examine and evaluate the principles of the scientific method, model construction, and use the scientific method to explain natural experiences and phenomena.

Credits: 4

General Education Course Designation: Physical Sciences (P)

Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills: PHY 2053 or the equivalent

Class Number: 21776

Instructor: Shawn Weatherford

Office: NPB 2142

Email: Canvas mail

Phone: (352) 392-8747 (for emergencies only)

Office Hours:

Wednesdays 1pm - 3pm via Zoom. Zoom Link is on Course Home Page

Contact: I will respond within 24 hours during weekdays, and 48 hours on weekends. Please allow a week to return graded work requiring feedback, unless otherwise notified through course announcement.

Modality: This course is online asynchronous. All videos are prerecorded. No synchronous requirements exist. Live office hours are available according to the schedule above for assistance as needed. You will need to show your work during office hours after which I will help you. Attendance to office hours is optional and the office hours are not recorded.

Course Objective

By the end of this course, students will have improved their existing foundation in the concepts, principles, terminology, and methodologies used to describe electricity (charge, electric fields, electric potential, circuits) and magnetism (magnetic fields, induction, and magnetic interactions) and the behavior of light.

These objectives are encompassed by the general education physical sciences subject area objectives. The general education subject area objectives are found at this link.

Course Student Learning Outcomes

Specifically, students will be able to:

    1. Analyze particular physical situations, and thus identify the fundamental principles pertinent to those situations to make successful predictions of system behavior,
    2. Apply fundamental principles to formulate mathematical equations describing the relation between physical quantities in these particular situations,
    3. Solve mathematical equations to find the values of physical quantities, and
    4. Communicate unambiguously both the principles that apply to a situation and the results of specific calculations resulting from the steps above.

    These course learning outcomes align with the UF General Education student learning outcomes and physical science area learning outcomes.

    General Education SLO Category Physical Science SLO Course SLO Alignment Assessment
    Content Identify, describe, and explain the basic concepts, theories and terminology of natural science and the scientific method; the major scientific discoveries and the impacts on society and the environment; and the relevant processes that govern physical systems. Objectives 1-4 All assessments and student practice assignments offer opportunities for students to demonstrate learning about the physics content covered in this course.
    Critical Thinking Formulate empirically-testable hypotheses derived from the study of physical processes or living things; apply logical reasoning skills effectively through scientific criticism and argument; and apply techniques of discovery and critical thinking effectively to solve scientific problems and to evaluate outcomes Objectives 1-3

    Independent Practice

    • Weekly Graded Homework
    • Optional Practice Assignments

    Formative: Weekly Reading Quizzes

    Summative: 4 exams
    Communication Communicate scientific knowledge, thoughts, and reasoning clearly and effectively. Objective 4
    • Required postings to discussion boards

    Student Expectations

    To achieve the learning outcomes, students are expected to:

    • Visit the weekly module page at the beginning of the week to understand the module learning objectives and to plan your engagement with course content for the week ahead.
    • Read the assigned chapters in the textbook and to view the corresponding lecture videos.
    • Work through the examples presented in the text and in the practice problem videos in order to learn the physics concepts, principles, and problem-solving techniques of introductory physics.
    • Complete reading quizzes and homework assignments to self–assess your understanding of the module’s concepts and problem solving strategies on a weekly basis.
    • To seek help from your instructor and other students when specific content does not make sense, and to seek out additional practice when needed to gain mastery before moving on to future modules. These additional materials should include problems at the end of the chapter that are not assigned as part of your homework.

    This course requires an extensive amount of time to do all of the above, and students should plan accordingly to spend 12 hours per week on course preparation and practice.

    Required Materials

    The required text is College Physics, a strategic approach, by Knight, Jones and Field, 4thed, published by Pearson. The course is set up for an All-Access opt-in to purchase the text online for students who have registered in the course. The opt-in procedure begins with this link: https://www.bsd.ufl.edu/AllAccess/OptIn

    The required online homework system is Access Pearson, access to which is included in the purchase of the online textbook described above. Access Pearson using the link provided in the Canvas website. Technical support for students can be found at the student support site.

    In addition, use of HonorLock (free) is required for examinations. You need access to a computer with a video camera, a microphone, and a good internet connection. In order to take exams under the supervision of HonorLock, these technology resources must be available in a quiet room where you can take the exams in privacy.

    To complete your tasks in this course, you will need a basic understanding of operating a computer and using word processing software. You will need to know how to operate a scientific calculator (handheld or the Honorlock scientific calculator).

    Materials and Supply Fee: None

    Canvas Information

    Canvas is the where course content, grades, and communication will reside for this course.

    For help with technical issues or difficulties with Canvas, please contact the UF Help Desk at:

    Any requests for make-ups due to technical issues should be accompanied by the ticket number received from the Help Desk when the problem was reported to them. The ticket number will document the time and date of the problem. You should email your instructor within 24 hours of the technical difficulty if you wish to request a make-up.

    Course Policies

    ATTENDANCE POLICY:  You are expected to watch the lecture and problem-solving videos and to attempt the online reading quizzes, homework, and exams by their assigned deadlines. You are also expected to interact with the instructor and with your fellow students through discussions of the material through the Canvas discussion forum.

    ASSIGNMENT POLICY: Homework, reading quiz, and exam windows are announced in the course calendar and appear at the bottom of this page

    HOMEWORK POLICY:Homework sets are completed online through Access Pearson at any time between the opening of the assignment and the deadline announced in the course calendar. These assignments provide formative feedback on your progress meeting the learning objectives of each module, and are therefore due weekly. Google Chrome is the recommended browser. These assignments are not timed or proctored, but they are subject to the UF Policy on Academic Misconduct (see below).

    It is permissible to seek assistance or collaborate on homework with your instructor or your assigned study group partners only. This assistance may include help with interpreting the problem, identifying relevant information in the textbook or course videos, or identifying one’s errors.  No credit is available for late assignments. (See “Getting Help” below for what to do in the event of technical problems with the Canvas e-Learning system.)

    Homework scores will be synced to Canvas a few days after the deadline for each assignment.

    EXAM POLICY:  Three mid-term exams and a cumulative final exam will be taken online, each under the supervision of HonorLock during a time window announced in the course calendar. Exams are not collaborative and are completed alone without any study or reference aids other than what is provided by the exam. Performance on midterm exams set the bar for establishing a measurement of your mastery of the learning outcomes for the modules covered by each exam. The final exam will include a subset of questions covering the big ideas from the previous midterm exams. Google Chrome is the recommended browser.

    CLASS DISCUSSION: Each week will introduce a new module (chapter) on physics. Please post your observations or questions on the material, or help answer your fellow classmates’ questions, using the Canvas discussion forum. Your discussion postings are graded based on the quality of the questions posed about course content, the quality of the feedback offered to other students, and the amount of interaction you offer to the course. Waiting to post during the week prior to the exam will reflect poorly on your score for these assignments. The grade encourages consistent and habitual reflection of your understanding and posting your thoughts in a public forum. Discussion postings are evaluated four times throughout the semester, coinciding with each exam.

    MAKE-UP POLICY:Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work are consistent with university policies that can be found here. For a foreseeable absence, it is your responsibility to identify yourself as requiring an accommodation prior to the absence. Documentation is required to support the request for an excused absence, except for days where a religious observance prohibits attendance or participation in academic activity.

    EXTRA CREDIT POLICY: There are two extra credit assignments worth in total an additional 1% above the course grade. The first one will be available the first week of class. The last one is due during week 13.

    Online Proctoring

    In order to maintain a high standard of academic integrity and assure that the value of your University of Florida degree is not compromised, course exams will be proctored.

    • You are not permitted to utilize any resources in addition to what is provided during the exam.
    • You are not permitted to discuss the contents of the exam following its administration.
    • You are not permitted to receive any information prior to taking the exam about the exam contents.

    Violation of any of these conditions is academic misconduct and will be dealt with according to the protocols for reporting Honor Code violations. This is your only warning and if you have questions about whether an action constitutes a violation, you should consult your instructor prior to following the course of action in question. 

    Honorlock

    You will take your exam electronically using the course website and these exams will be proctored with Honorlock. With Honorlock, there is no scheduling required with a testing proctor, and you can complete the exam anytime during the 48 hour testing window. Please make sure you complete and submit the exam before the end of the testing window. You will need a webcam, speakers, microphone and reliable Internet connection to be able to take your exams. Wireless internet is not recommended. You may also need a mirror or other reflective surface. Google Chrome is the only supported browser for taking exams in Canvas.

    Important: Prior to each exam, visit the Honorlock system check (Links to an external site.) to evaluate your equipment and software. Also, take the practice quiz, worth 0 points, to get familiar with the Honorlock procedure for beginning and taking proctored exams.

    Download and read through the HONORLOCK-StudentPreparationLinks.pdf handout for an overview of test taking tips and requirements. There will be questions answerable from information presented on this handout on your syllabus quiz.

    If you experience any difficulties with the proctoring system, contact Honorlock's free 24/7 LiveChat and phone support. The LiveChat is available by clicking on the chat window at the bottom right of the exam. Of course, the support team can't answer questions to help you on answering questions about the contents of the exam, but they will be willing to diagnose and offer solutions for technical difficulties with the proctoring system.

    Institutional Policies and Procedures

    Please see this link (https://go.ufl.edu/syllabuspolicies) for the university policies and resources.

    Course Schedule and Calendar

    On Sunday of each week, a new module will become available providing access to lecture videos, worked example videos, and a homework assignment. A reading quiz will be due typically on Wednesdays (except during weeks containing an exam where it is due on Thursdays). The homework assignment is due the following Monday. Weekly postings to discussion boards are expected, with the final week's posting due the Monday before the next exam. All assignments are due at 11:59 ET.

    An exam window opens for 48 hours during an exam week beginning on the Tuesday of the exam week (at 12:00am ET) and closing on the next Wednesday (at 11:59pm ET).  Please note that Florida observes Daylight Savings Time.

    Module 

    Week Starting

    Exams

    Topics

    Assignments

    0

    8/21 (Thurs.)

    Orientation, introductions, and math review, scientific notation, units

    Introduction Discussion Board

    Extra Credit: E&M Survey 1

    Introduction to Mastering Physics

    1

    8/25 (Mon)

     

    Electric Forces
    Reading: 20.1-20.3 (pp.696-709)

    Lectures and Examples (122 minutes)

    Posting to Module 1-4 discussion board

    Module 1 Reading Quiz

    Module 1 HW

    2

    9/01

    Electric Fields
    Reading: 20.4 –20.7
    (pp.710-725)

    Lectures and Examples
    (123 minutes)

    Posting to Module 1-4 discussion board

    Module 2 Reading Quiz

    Module 2 HW

    3

    9/08

    Electric Potential
    Reading: 21.1-21.5
    (pp.734-755)

    Lectures and Examples
    (113 minutes)

    Posting to Module 1-4 discussion board

    Module 3 Reading Quiz

    Module 3 HW

    4

    9/15

     

    Capacitors
    Reading: 21.7-21.8
    (pp.755-765)

    Lectures and Examples
    (68 minutes)

    Posting to Module 1-4 discussion board

    Module 4 Reading Quiz

    Module 4 HW

    5

    9/22

    Exam 1

    (Mod 1-4)
    9/23-9/24

    Current & Resistance
    Reading: 22.1-22.6
    (pp.774-792)

    Lectures and Examples
    (126 minutes)

    Posting to Module 5-8 discussion board

    Module 5 Reading Quiz

    Module 5 HW

    6

    9/29

    Circuits
    Reading: 23.1-23.7
    (pp.800-827)

    Lectures and Examples
    (118 minutes)

    Posting to Module 5-8 discussion board

    Module 6 Reading Quiz

    Module 6 HW

    7

    10/6

    Magnetic Fields
    Reading: 24.2-24.4
    (pp.840-850)

    Lectures and Examples
    (92 minutes)

    Posting to Module 5-8 discussion board

    Module 7 Reading Quiz

    Module 7 HW

    8

    10/13

     

    Magnetic Forces
    Reading: 24.1, 24.5-8
    (pp.838-840; 851-869)

    Lectures and Examples
    (minutes)

    Posting to Module 5-8 discussion board

    Module 8 Reading Quiz

    Module 8 HW

    9

    10/20

    Exam 2

    (Mod 5-8)
    10/21-10/22

    Induction and Waves
    Reading: 25.1-7
    (pp.879-906)

    Lectures and Examples
    (minutes)

    Posting to Module 9-11 discussion board

    Module 9 Reading Quiz

    Module 9 HW

    10

    10/27

    Wave Optics
    Reading: 17.1-17.6
    (pp.586-612)

    Lectures and Examples
    (142 minutes)

    Posting to Module 9-11 discussion board

    Module 10 Reading Quiz

    Module 10 HW

    11

    11/03

     

    Ray Optics
    Reading 18.1-18.7
    (pp.620-649)

    Lectures and Examples
    (156 minutes)

    Posting to Module 9-11 discussion board

    Module 11 Reading Quiz

    Module 11 HW

    12

    11/10

    Exam 3

    (Mod 9-11)
    11/11-11/12

    Optical Instruments
    Reading: 19.1-19.7
    (pp.657-683)

    Lectures and Examples
    (67 minutes)

    Posting to Module 12-13 discussion board

    Module 12 Reading Quiz

    Module 12 HW

    13

    11/17

    Nuclear Physics
    Reading: 30.1-30.5
    (pp.1054-1073)

    Lectures and Examples
    (102 minutes)

    Posting to Module 12-13 discussion board

    Module 13 Reading Quiz

    Module 13 HW

    14

    11/24

    Happy Thanksgiving!

     

    15

    Sun & Mon

    12/07-12/08

    Exam 4

    (Mod 12-13; cumulative)

     

     

     

    Grade Components and Calculation

    Students will complete graded course activities that fall in one of the four categories below:

    Reading Quiz: The weekly reading quiz (one per module) evaluates your understanding of the assigned reading according to your ability to correctly answer multiple choice reading comprehension questions. There is only one submission for each item. A green check for each question indicates you have successfully submitted a response. Your score will be presented immediately, but the information about which questions were correct or incorrect is not released until after the assignment deadline. The reading quiz category is worth 10% of the overall course grade.

    Homework: The weekly homework assignment provides opportunity to practice the problem solving skills you've learned by reviewing course lectures and reading the assigned textbook sections. Each HW assignment contains roughly 10-15 questions. Points are earned based on how many submissions are used to arrive at the correct answer. A small point deduction of 5% for each correct submission after the 2nd submission will be applied. There are no more than 5 attempts allowed for each question/question part. The exception is for multiple choice questions where the number of attempts is one fewer than the number of presented options. The HW category is worth 10% of the overall course grade.

    Discussion Posting: While studying the material for each exam you are to post to the appropriate discussion forum at least once. These posts provide practice communicating science and articulating specific elements of confusion through descriptions of your thinking. You are encouraged to respond to classmates to share your understanding in the conversation. This is the primary forum to submit questions about the course content and receive assistance, including Homework assistance. You are not required to post each week, but are welcome to post when you have the need. The more you engage, the better your understanding of course material is likely to be. The discussion posting boards are worth 8% of the overall course grade.

    Exams: Four exams (3 during term exams and one final exam) assess your achievement in this course. The exams consist of 15 questions each and will consist of multiple choice, multiple select, and numerical type problems. Although the format is predominantly numerical. Each exam score will be scaled to 18 points (your earned points / 15)*18. Each exam is worth 18% of the overall course grade.

    Grades in the course are awarded based on an overall course score made up as follows:

    Assignment/Categories

    Max Scaled Points

    Exam 1

    (Modules 1-4)

     18

    Exam 2

    (Modules 5-8)

     18

    Exam 3

    (Modules 9-11)

     18

    Exam 4

    (Modules 12-14; cumulative)

     18

    Homework**

     10

    Reading Quizzes**

     10

    Discussion Postings

     8

    Total Course Points

    100

    ** Canvas will drop the lowest score in these categories.

     

    Grade Scheme

    The following grading standards will be used in this class:

    Grade Range
    A 100 % to 80.0%
    A- < 80.0 % to 70.0%
    B+ < 70.0 % to 65.0%
    B < 65.0 % to 60.0%
    B- < 60.0 % to 55.0%
    C+ < 55.0 % to 50.0%
    C < 50.0 % to 45.0%
    C- < 45.0 % to 40.0%
    D+ < 40.0 % to 35.0%
    D < 35.0 % to 30.0%
    D- < 30.0 % to 25.0%
    F < 25.0 % to 0.0%                        

     The university policy for assigning grade points is found at https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/academic-regulations/grades-grading-policies/

    A minimum grade of C is required for general education credit.

    Congratulations! You have reached the end of the syllabus!

    Course Summary:

    Course Summary
    Date Details Due