Spring 2010 -- Section 3799

Catalog Description
Credits: 3; Prereq: PHY 2049, PHY 2061 or the equivalent; MAP 2302 or the equivalent.
First part of the sequence in electromagnetism. Static electric and magnetic fields, electric circuits. Maxwell's equations, propagation of electromagnetic waves and radiation.

Instructor
Prof. Steve Hagen
Office: 2362 NPB
Email: sjhagen (at) ufl.edu
Office hours: Mondays 1-3 pm
grader: Yu Ji (graduate student)

Class Meetings
MWF 4^th period (10:40 - 11:30 am)
Room 1002 NPB

Textbook
- Required text: (Available on course reserve at Marston Science Library)
  Author: David J. Griffiths (website)
  Title: Introduction to Electrodynamics 3^rd edition
  Publisher: Prentice Hall (1999)
  List price $130 | Read reviews
  Click here for used copies, but avoid buying cheap "international" or bootleg editions. Believe it or not, some of those editions actually contain serious errors.
  ISBN-10 013805326X
  ISBN-13 978-0138053260
- Other useful (optional) texts
  - E.M. Purcell - Electricity & Magnetism (ISBN-13: 978-0070049086) A classic textbook. Definitely lower level and less mathematical than Griffiths, but very intuitive and crystal clear. Lots of nice (fairly simple) problems.
    (Available on course reserve at Marston Science Library)
  - J.D. Jackson - Classical Electrodynamics (ISBN-13: 978-0471309321) Another classic, usually considered to be the definitive textbook for electromagnetism. Has a dry, formal approach that can seem intimidating. Some nasty HW problems. Can be used by undergrads, but is really aimed at graduate students who have some prior familiarity with E&M.
Goals
PHY3323 is the first part of a two-semester course in electrodynamics, suitable for advanced undergraduate physics and engineering majors. The goal of this first semester is to investigate static properties of electric and magnetic fields. Electrostatics and magnetostatics are the foundation for electrodynamics (the second semester - PHY4324), which in turn provides the foundation for a number of advanced topics in physics, such as electromagnetic radiation, wave optics, antennas, diffraction theory, waveguides, nonlinear optics, synchrotrons, etc. Therefore, although most students taking PHY3323 will probably have already taken a one semester course in electromagnetism, this two semester sequence reexamines the topic, using a much deeper and more sophisticated approach characteristic of upper-division and graduate physics courses. Along these lines, a secondary goal of the course is to develop familiarity and intuition in the use of mathematical tools (including surface and line integrals, gradient, divergence, curl, complete & orthogonal functions, etc.) that become very important in advanced physics courses. The theory of electromagnetism is one of the most thoroughly successful and broadly useful theories in all of science ... it's a challenge to learn but it's well worth the effort.

Topics covered
1. Vector Calculus - divergence, curl, grad, spherical coordinates, etc.
2. Electrostatics - Gauss's Law, electrical potential, Poisson's Equation, etc.
3. Electric fields in matter - polarization, dielectrics, bound charge, etc.
4. Solving Laplace's Equation - image methods, uniqueness, orthogonal functions, etc.
5. Magnetostatics - the Biot-Savart law, Ampere's Law, properties of the B-field, etc.
6. Magnetic fields in matter - dipoles, the H-field, diamagnetism, etc.

Website & Calendar
The calendar (and all current information) is posted on the website, which is maintained on the UF E-Learning Services (WebCT/Vista) server. Access the site by visiting the UF E-learning Services site (http://lss.at.ufl.edu), or click here for a direct link into the site. Then use your Gatorlink ID to log in to the "E-Learning System". On the website you will find the course calendar along with the syllabus, homework and quiz problems and solutions, and various other timely information. The instructor will assume that all students visit the website regularly and are familiar with the information and announcements that are posted there.

Copyright
The UF Code of Student Conduct (6C1-4.041, section 3(i) Unauthorized Recordings) prohibits a student from making any type of recording of any class or activity without express authorization from the instructor and from other participants. Please also note that the instructor of this course holds the copyright to all course materials other than the textbook. This includes but is not limited to the content of all lectures, notes, exams, homework solutions, and/or review materials, and this syllabus. Permission to redistribute, reuse, recycle, or republish this material elsewhere in any form for any purpose is denied. Period.

Homework
The only way to learn electromagnetism is to work a large number of homework problems. Regular homework is therefore at the heart of this course. Griffiths' book contains lots of excellent problems, which will be assigned regularly, perhaps continuously. Do not be surprised if these assignments take up a fair amount of your time. Work with a friend if you like. Solutions will also be posted online. But make sure that you understand each problem and that you can present your solution. People who don't seriously engage with the homework invariably do poorly in this course. If you don't have time to do lots of regular homework, then you don't have time to learn this subject and you should not be taking this course.
Homework will be collected in class. It will not be accepted out of class. Please do not slide it under my office door or place it in my mailbox. Each homework assignment will be graded on a 3-point scale (0-3 points). Late homework will not be graded and missed assignments cannot be made up. I will drop the two lowest homework scores at the end of the semester, so there is no need for you to provide an excuse for missed homework.
We will have frequent short quizzes in-class. These quizzes are designed to assess whether you have read the textbook and solved the homework problems. Most quiz problems will closely resemble recent homework problems, or examples discussed recently in class. Each quiz will be graded on a 3-point scale (0-3 pts). If you have been coming to class and you can do the homework, you will find the quizzes to be easy.

Exams and Grades
The final grade will be determined by
- 15% - Homework assignments
- 15% - In-class quizzes
- 20% - Midterm exam #1 - Friday February 12, 2010
- 20% - Midterm exam #2 - Wednesday March 17, 2010
- 30% - Final Examination - Tuesday April 27, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
- 100% - Total
The second midterm exam date will be announced shortly. No letter grades will be given for quizzes or midterms: The only letter grade will be the final course grade. This approach minimizes roundoff errors in your final grade, so it is ultimately more fair, even if it causes some anxiety at times.
The midterm exams are given in class. The final exam is an assembly exam. During the exams and quizzes you will be provided a copy of the official Phy3323 formula sheet, but you may not use any other notes or books. You may bring a calculator.
Please plan carefully. Check the midterm and final exam dates carefully before you make any plans to travel away from campus during the semester. If you purchase an airline ticket to travel during the semester, and you later realize that your travel conflicts with a scheduled exam, it will cost you money to change the ticket.

Final Examination
The final examination is comprehensive - it covers the entire semester. The date and time is already chosen by the Registrar as Tuesday April 27 at 10:00 am - 12:00 pm. (This is exam group 27B. ) Mark your calendar.

Make-ups
The Instructor believes that make-ups are intrinsically unfair. This unfairness can be mitigated (but not eliminated) by keeping the number of make-ups to an absolute minimum. Therefore there will be no makeups for missed quizzes or homework. A make-up for a missed exam will be granted only in a truly dire situation. (A student who lacks diligence in contacting the instructor once this dire situation arises is unlikely to be granted the make-up.)
Some students may nevertheless suffer from a severe personal or family emergency that forces them to miss a quiz: Therefore, the two lowest quiz scores (and the two lowest homework scores) will be dropped when final grades are calculated.

Attendance
Regular class attendance is definitely expected. Mastery of the course material will require each student to make a sustained and consistent investment of effort throughout the semester. Class attendance is part of that effort. Poor attendance or frequent lateness will result in a reduced final grade, or even a failing grade. A student who stops participating in the class - i.e. who ceases attending class, doing homework, communicating with the instructor, taking quizzes/exams - should drop the course, because otherwise a failing grade is certain. No special end-of-semester arrangements (such as make-up work, late-drop petitions, incomplete grades, signatures on various forms, etc.) will be provided to any student who simply disappeared for a substantial portion of the semester. Such accommodations are only available to students who have participated in class and kept in regular contact with the instructor during the term.

Auditing the course
Unfortunately the instructor cannot approve requests to audit PHY3323. Every student must register formally and take the class for credit. Coursework of unregistered students is not graded.

Latin
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Privacy
Student academic records are confidential, under federal law. I will not answer emailed questions about your grades or other academic matters, unless the email comes from your UF email or WebCT account. Parents (and others) cannot ask instructors for information on a student's attendance, grades, performance, etc, either by phone or email. Even your UFID is confidential.

Disabilities (Accomodations)
Students who will require a classroom accommodation for a disability must contact the Dean of Students Office and request proper documentation. Upon bringing that documentation to the Instructor, the student will be given the appropriate accommodations. No accommodations are available to students who lack this documentation.
It is the policy of the University of Florida that the student, not the instructor, is responsible for arranging accommodations when needed. The instructor will not remind the student to schedule accommodations prior to each quiz or exam. If you require extra time for in-class work, you must initiate this request at least seven days before the exam or quiz.

Professional Behavior
It is a sad commentary on the 21^st century that some people need to be reminded of appropriate classroom behavior. Frequent lateness, entering and leaving the classroom during the lecture, listening to headphones or reading the ALLIGATOR during class, clacking away at email or instant messaging during class, cellphone rings, etc. ... are all rude and disruptive behaviors. They distract the teacher and the other students in the classroom - a direct violation of the Student Conduct Code. Please show courtesy and respect for yourself, your colleagues, and your institution by avoiding such distracting behavior.

Academic Honesty
All students are required to abide by the principles of academic honesty expressed in the Student Honor Code . Consistent with university policy, any incident of academic dishonesty in this course will be reported to the Dean of Students Office. It is normal and reasonable for students in this physics course to work together on homework assignments, but certain other activities are unacceptable: academic dishonesty includes plagiarism, fabricating information, giving or receiving any unauthorized assistance on academic work, and interfering with the academic work of other students. Submitting homework solutions that were simply copied or transcribed from another student, a book, or a website is clearly dishonesty, because it is not your own work. Supplying a false or fabricated excuse for missed academic work is also academic dishonesty. If the incident is the student's first offense at UF, the student will receive a failing grade in PHY3323. If not, the Dean of Students Office will decide the appropriate sanction.
The Dean of Students Office website has further details on academic honesty policies at UF.

Religious Holidays
Major religious observances will be accommodated. It is university policy, however, that the student must inform the instructor of religious observances that will conflict with class attendance or other activities, prior to the class or the occurrence of that activity. Since major religious holidays are generally known well in advance, the instructor expects the student to provide at least 7-10 days of advance notice of any upcoming religious observance.