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Course Syllabus

PHYS 2220 Physics for Scientists and Engineers II

  • Division: Natural Science and Math
  • Department: Physics
  • Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 4; Lecture: 4; Lab: 0
  • Prerequisites: PHYS 2210
  • Corequisites: PHYS 2225
  • Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
  • Semester Approved: Spring 2022
  • Five-Year Review Semester: Summer 2027
  • End Semester: Fall 2027
  • Optimum Class Size: 18
  • Maximum Class Size: 24

Course Description

PHYS 2220 is the second semester of a two-semester sequence in calculus-based physics for scientists and engineers. It is a necessary preparation for continuing studies in upper division STEM courses. It includes an introduction to electricity, magnetism, circuits, optics, and relativity. The methods of calculus are applied to develop theories and to solve problems.

Justification

This course is a necessary component of the curriculum for geology, chemistry, computer science, physics, math, and engineering majors. It is fully transferable to higher education institutions across the state of Utah (same course number).

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will know the important scientific laws and principles in electricity and magnetism.
  2. Students will be able to use sound problem-solving strategies to solve paper-and-pencil physics problems and apply them to real life.

Course Content

1. Electric Fields a. Coulomb’s Law b. Gauss’ Law 2. Electric Potential and Capacitance a. Potential difference b. Capacitance and capacitors 3. Current and Resistance a. Ohm’s Law b. Resistance and temperature c. Electrical energy and power 4. Direct Current Circuits a. Electromotive force b. Resistors in series and parallel c. Kirchhoff’s Rules d. RC circuits 5. Magnetic Fields a. Sources of magnetic fields; Biot-Savart Law b. Effect of magnetic fields on charges c. Magnetic flux d. Ampere’s Law 6. Faraday’s Law and Inductance a. Lenz’s Law b. RL circuits c. Energy in a magnetic field d. Oscillations in LC circuits 7. Alternating Current Circuits a. Power and Phasors b. Resonance c. Transformers 8. Electromagnetic Waves a. Maxell’s Equations b. Energy, momentum, and radiation pressure c. The spectrum of electromagnetic waves 9. Nature of Light and Geometric Optics a. Speed of light b. Reflection and refraction c. Dispersion and total internal reflection d. Images formed by lenses and mirrors 10. Interference, Diffraction, and Polarization of Light Waves a. Young’s Double Slit Experiment b. Narrow slits and the diffraction grating c. Polarization of light waves11. Relativity a. Michelson-Morley Experiment b. Einstein’s Special Relativity12. Introduction to Quantum Mechanics a. Blackbody radiation c. Bohr’s model of the atom d. Wave-particle duality