PHYSICS 208: Electricity and Magnetism (Fall 2011);

Sections 501,503,504,527 and 516,518-520, MWF, Aud 205 MPHY

Co/Pre You should have taken PHYS 218, MATH 151 and currently be enrolled in MATH 152 (or have taken it). You are expected
requisites to have a working knowledge of plane and solid geometry, trigonometry, algebra, vectors, differentiation and integration.

Instructor Dr. Alexander Finkelstein

Office: MPHY, Room 411
Contact: (tel.) 458-5701; (e-mail) finkelstein@physics.tamu.edu
Office hours: Monday. 1:40-2:30 & Wednesday. 1:40-2:30, or by appointment

Web page http://faculty.physics.tamu.edu/finkelstein

Textbooks “University Physics,”12th ed. by Hugh Young and Roger Freedman (Volume 2); 12th ed. rather than 13th !!!
“Laboratory Manual for Physics 208,” 11th ed. by S. Ramirez, J. Ross and W. Saslow
Rec. & Lab Recitation meets in 334 Mitchell Physics Building (MPHY) for the first hour, and is followed by a one-hour Laboratory
session in 211 or 212 MPHY. If you have taken the course before and received 80% or more on the lab part of the course,
speak to me immediately. With my permission you will not have to repeat the lab; however, you must still attend
Recitation and take the weekly quizzes. The lab schedule is handed out separately. (Note, no recitations or labs meet
during the first week.)

Quizzes/ Homework assignments, bonuses, recitations and quizzes are for your benefit so that you can practice
HW problem solving techniques: (a) To receive credit you must submit a homework via the “MasteringPhysics” web site
but not later than the due time. You are expected to do all the problems listed there for weekly homework assignments
and ”bonuses”. ”Bonuses” are short computer assignments that are tutorial in style and based on the material given in
the class. Marks for assignments and bonuses are accumulated together. I highly recommend start studying a new chapter
from bonuses. Instructions for using “MasteringPhysics” appear on a separate page. (b) Recitations are problem-solving
sessions, during which the recitation instructor will work problems and answer questions originating from you. (c) During
the semester, at least 10 quizzes will be given in recitation. Each quiz will test your ability to work one of the assigned
homework problems or a similar problem from the text.

Exams There will be three midterm exams and one final exam: (a) Each midterm exam will be 45 minutes long and the
final exam will be 2 hours long. These exams will consist of 4-5 problems. For each problem, the entire solution will be
graded and partial credit given if merited. Your work must show the steps toward the solution; the answer alone is not
sufficient. (b) You will be supplied with a formula sheet with each exam. To assist in your preparation for these exams,
a copy of this sheet will be distributed to you in class the week before each exam. (c) You will need to bring a calculator
to the exams. However, this must not be a programmable type calculator with large memory unless you can demonstrate
that the memory is clear before beginning the exam. (d) If you miss an exam due to an authorized excused absence
as outlined in the University Regulations, you must contact me no later than the next class meeting following the missed
exam to arrange for a makeup exam. This exam will be administered outside normal class time within 7-10 days following
the missed exam. Note that very few conditions qualify as an authorized excused absence, so avoid missing an exam at all
costs. (e) You must bring your student ID with you to all exams for identification purposes.

Exam Grade Midterm exams will each receive a numerical grade (not “curved”). The class will also be told approximate grade boundaries
for each exam. By comparing your grade to these boundaries, you can get an indication of the grade you might expect in
the course if you keep achieving at the same level. However these approximate grade boundaries are not necessarily the
same as the boundaries that will be used for the final course grade.

Total Exams The total exams grade (TEG-500) is derived from a total of 500 points distributed as follows: If your final exam mark is
Grade higher than the average of your three mid-term exams, it will count for 300 points and the mid-term average will count
for 200. If the average of mid-term exams is higher, then it will count for 300 and the final will be worth 200.

Total Course The final course grade (A,B,C...) is derived from TWO criteria: (i) the TEG-500 and (ii) the total number of points
Grade (TNP-787) which is calculated as follows:

Points
TEG 500
Recitation quizzes 75
Laboratory 100
Homework 75 + 37
Total 787

NOTE: Homework includes assignments (max 75 points) and ”bonuses” (max 37 points).
You must pass the lecture part of the course (3 midterm exams plus the final) and the laboratory part separately in order
to pass the whole course. Completion of all laboratory experiments is required.
Once again, both criteria, TEG-500 and TNP-787, are applied for determining the final grade A,B,C...
 Class Schedule

Week of Chapters Topics

Aug. 28 21 Electric Charge and Electric Field
1−7
Sept. 4 22 Gauss’s Law
1−5
Sept. 11 23 Electric Potential
1−5
Sept. 18 24 Capacitance and Dielectrics
1−4
Sept. 25 Exam 1 (Chap. 21-23) – Sept. 28 in class
25 Current, Resitance and Electromotive Force
1−5
Oct. 2 26 DC Circuits
1−5
Oct. 9 27 Magnetic Fields and Magnetic Forces
1−7
Oct. 16 Exam 2 (Chap. 24-26) – Oct. 19 in class
28 Sources of Magnetic Field
1−7
Oct. 23 29 Electromagnetic Induction
1−7
Oct. 30 30 Inductance
1−5
Nov. 6 32 Electromagnetic Waves
1−4
Nov. 13 Exam 3 (Chap. 27-30) – Nov.16 in class
33 The Nature and Propagation of Light
1 − 3, 5, 7
Nov. 27 34 Geometrical Optics and Optical Instruments
1 − 4, 6
Final Exams (Chap. 21-30, 32-34)
Dec 12 Monday good luck!

ADA Note The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights
protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be
guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you
have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Department of Student Life, Services for Students with
Disabilities, in Room B118 of Cain Hall, 979-845-1637.

Honor Code “An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do.” All work for this course will be gov-
erned by the the Aggie Honor Code. To familiarize yourself with these rules they can be found on the web at:
http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor.
QUESTION (AF): will we use the 13th edition of Young and Freedman or
still the 12th edition?

ANSWER: Because the students who will take 208 used the 12th edition of
Young and Freedman for their 218 class, they will still use the 12th
edition for the fall semester, so these students will still be able to
use the 12th edition. (The fall 218 classes will use the 13th edition,
so the 208 classes in the spring semester will use the 13th edition.)

The bookstore and book companies will try to get the students to
purchase more than is required. They will recommend purchase of the
solutions manual, student study guide, and other items. Unless you
want to recommend that the students purchase these extra items, the
only thing the students will need is the textbook and a code to access
the Mastering Physics site.

Computer Assisted problem Solving

Your credit for Homework in this course comes from a set of problems
on the web site www.MasteringPhysics.com. These problem numbers appear
on the Class Schedule under “Homework Assignment”. This web site is
provided by the publisher of the textbook and has a number of nice
features including assistance in working the problems.

The instructions below tell you how to access the web site. You
actually enter your work on the computer, so you will need to learn
their system for doing that. The first assignment is there to guide you
through using the system. (There is no credit for this first
assignment.) As with any computer system, there will be a learning
curve, so begin to use the system as soon as possible. The first major
assignment for credit – the homework for Chapter 21 – will be due
Tuesday, September 13, at 1:00am (i.e. after midnight Monday night)!

To log onto MasteringPhysics, you will need the Course ID (given

below), an access code, and your student ID.

Students who purchased new text books should find their access code
in the Student Access Kit that comes with the text. Students who
purchased used texts may purchase an access code directly from the
MasteringPhysics website.

Students who have difficulties enrolling should contact Technical

Support on the MasteringPhysics website.

For Sections 501,503,504,527 the Course ID: MPFALL2011FINKELSTEIN

For Sections 516,518-520 the Course ID: MPFINKELSTEIN2011FALL

Please, DO NOT confuse the two codes!

 Bonus assignments

In addition to the 75 points credit for weekly homework

assignments in the course, you can receive up to 37 points for doing
the short assignments that will be due after each class. This is to
encourage you to consolidate the lecture material while it is still
fresh in your mind. The first bonus assignment will be due Friday,
September 9, at 1:00am (i.e. after midnight on Thursday night)!

All assignments – regular and bonus – for each chapter will be available on the
computer starting on Friday of the week before we cover the material. The bonus
assignments will be due by 1:00am of the night immediately following each class. The
chapter assignments will be due by 1:00am Tuesday (i.e. Monday night!) more than a
week after that chapter has been completed in class. The only exceptions are the
Chapters 33 and 34 homework assignments, which are postponed because of the
Thanksgiving break. (The due dates are all shown on the following page and at the
MasteringPhysics web site.) For the regular assignments, the correct answers will not be
accessible at the web site until after the due date. All the assignments will remain
available for review purposes until Dec 20.

Assignments and Mid-term Exams Schedule

TITLE DUE DATE/TIME

Introduction to MasteringPhysics
Chapter 21 Bonus 1
Chapter 21 Assignment
Chapter 22 Bonus 1
Chapter 22 Assignment
Chapter 22/23 Bonus
Chapter 23 Bonus 2
Chapter 23 Assignment
Chapter 24 Bonus 1
Chapter 24 Assignment
Chapter 24/25 Bonus
Chapter 25 Bonus 2
Chapter 25 Assignment
Chapter 25/26 Bonus
Chapter 26/27 Bonus
Chapter 26 Bonus 2
09/09/11 at 02:00am
09/09/11 at 02:00am
09/13/11 at 02:00am
09/16/11 at 02:00am
09/20/11 at 02:00am
09/22/11 at 02:00am
09/24/11 at 02:00am
09/27/11 at 02:00am
Exam 1: Sept 28
Material: Chs 21-23
09/30/11 at 02:00am
10/04/11 at 02:00am
10/06/11 at 02:00am
10/08/11 at 02:00am
10/11/11 at 02:00am
10/13/11 at 02:00am
10/13/11 at 02:00am
10/15/11 at 02:00am
 TITLE DUE DATE/TIME
10/18/11 at 02:00am
Chapter 26 Assignment Exam 2: Oct 19
Material: Chs 24-26
Chapter 27 Bonus 2 10/22/11 at 02:00am
Chapter 27 Assignment 10/27/11 at 02:00am
Chapter 28 Bonus 1 10/28/11 at 02:00am
Chapter 28 Assignment 11/01/11 at 02:00am
Chapter 29 Bonus 1 11/03/11 at 02:00am
Chapter 29 Bonus 2 11/05/11 at 02:00am
Chapter 29 Assignment 11/08/11 at 02:00am
Chapter 30 Bonus 1 11/10/11 at 02:00am
Chapter 30 Bonus 2 11/12/11 at 02:03pm
11/15/11 at 02:00am
Chapter 30 Assignment Exam3: Nov 16
Material: Ch 27-30
Chapter 15/32 Bonus 11/19/11 at 02:00am
Chapter 32 Bonus 2 11/20/11 at 02:00am
11/22/11 at 02:00am
Chapter 32 Assignment
Nov 24-27, Th-giving
Chapter 33 Bonus 1 11/29/11 at 02:00am
Chapter 33 Assignment 12/01/11 at 02:00am
Chapter 33/34 Bonus 12/03/11 at 02:00am
Chapter 34 Bonus 2 12/04/11 at 02:00am
12/06/11 at 02:00am
Chapter 34 Assignment
Final Exam Dec 12
 DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
200 Level Physics Teaching Laboratories
Physics 208 Lab Schedule – FALL 2011
WEEK OF RECITATION / EXPERIMENT
Aug 29 – Sept 02 No recitation – No lab (first week of class)
Sept 05 – 09 Recitation – 2. Static Electricity Lab
Sept 12 – 16 Recitation – 2. Static Electricity Lab (continued)
Sept 19 – 23 Recitation – 5. The Oscilloscope
Sept 26 – 30 Recitation – 5. The Oscilloscope (continued)
Oct 03 – 07 Recitation – 7. RC & RL Transient Response
Oct 10 – 14 Recitation – 7. RC & RL Transient Response (continued)
Oct 17 – 21 Recitation – 8. Magnetic Fields Lab
Oct 24 – 28 Recitation – 8. Magnetic Fields Lab (continued)
Oct 31 – Nov 04 Recitation – 9. Faraday’s Law Lab
Nov 07 – 11 Recitation – 9. Faraday’s Law Lab (continued)
Nov 14 – 18 Recitation – Make up Lab (#12 Optics), for one missed lab only
Nov 21 – 25 Thanksgiving Holiday (Thurs/Fri)
Nov 28 – Dec 02 Recitation – Make up Lab (#12 Optics), for one missed lab only (continued)
Dec 05 No recitation, no lab – Redefined day, Friday classes
Dec 06 No recitation, no lab – Redefined day, Thursday classes

Times for Rec // Lab Monday Wednesday

08:00-09:00 // 09:00-10:00 521 (334//211) 506 (334//211)
09:10-10:10 // 10:10-11:10 522 (334//212) 513 (334//212)
10:20-11:20 // 11:20-12:20 523 (334//211) 508 (334//211)
11:30-12:30 // 12:30-01:30 524 (334//212) 509 (334//212)
12:40-01:40 // 01:40-02:40 525 (334//211) 510 (334//211)
01:50-02:50 // 02:50-03:50 511 (334//212)
03:00-04:00 // 04:00-05:00 527 (334//211) 512 (334//211)
04:10-05:10 // 05:10-06:10 528 (334//212) 507 (334//212)
05:10-06:10 // 06:10-07:10 514 (334//211)
06:10-07:10 // 07:10-08:10 515 (334//212)

Times for Rec // Lab Tuesday Thursday

08:00-09:00 // 09:00-10:00 516 (334//211)
11:10-12:10 // 12:10-01:10 518 (334//211)
12:45-01:45 // 01:45-02:45 519 (334//212)
02:20-03:20 // 03:20-04:20 501 (334//211) 520 (334//211)
04:55-05:55 // 05:55-06:55 503 (334//211)
05:55-06:55 // 06:55-07:55 504 (334//212)
06:55-07:55 // 07:55-08:55 505 (334//211)

■ The schedule above indicates the room numbers for the recitation and for the laboratory for all of the sections.
Example: 521 (334//211) indicates that for section 521, recitation is in room 334 and the laboratory is in room 211.
■ Recitations will always be held unless canceled by the lecturer.
■ Lab manual required : Laboratory (E&M) Experiments for Physics 208, 11th Ed, by Santos Ramirez ,
Joseph H. Ross and Wayne M. Saslow, published by Hayden-McNeil.
■ Mr. Ramirez’s Physics Lab Updates will be posted in the bulletin board in front of the Physics Office 1st floor.
■ You will be provided with lab safety information and rules. It is imperative that the safety rules be followed by all
students in the lab. Disobeying the safety rules can result in expulsion from the lab.
208 501, 503-504, 527 MWF 12:40 - 1:30 Finkel'stein 205
13844 501 Xin Huang 334/211 2:20 - 3:10p 3:20 - 5:10p T

13846 503 Xin Huang 334/211 4:55 - 5:45p 5:55 - 7:45p T

13847 504 Steven Rose 334/212 5:55 - 6:45p 6:55 - 8:45p T

16268 527 Joshua Kellams 334/211 3:00 - 3:50p 4:00 - 5:50p M

516,517-520 MWF 11:30 - 12:20 Finkel'stein 205

13859 516 Steven Rose 334/211 8:00 - 8:50a 9:00 - 10:50a R

13861 518 Xin Huang 334/211 11:10 - 12:00p 12:10 - 2:00p R

13862 519 Angela Marotta 334/212 12:45 - 1:35p 1:45 - 3:35p R
13863 520 Xin Huang 334/211 2:20 - 3:10p 3:20 - 5:10p R