PHYS212 : Classical and Quantum Mechanical Waves is an introduction to wave mechanics. Roughly two thirds of the semester will be devoted to general wave properties, Fourier analysis, and classical waves. Classical systems we will consider include waves on a string, acoustic waves, and electromagnetic waves. In the latter third of the course, we will cover topics in quantum theory. Prerequisites are PHYS112 and MATH112. This is a 4 semester hour course.

http://webpages.ursinus.edu/lriley/courses/p212

We will use a combination of my online lecture notes and your favorite modern physics text.

In addition, here is a list of other books of possible interest that I have placed on reserve in the Myrin Library:

William C. Elmore and Mark A. Heald, Physics of Waves, Dover (1985).

A.P. French, Vibrations and Waves, W.W. Norton (1971).

Iain G. Main, Vibrations and Waves in Physics, Cambridge University Press (1978).

Dudley H. Towne, Wave Phenomena, Dover (1989).

The reading assignment for each class meeting is linked to the topics for that day on the online schedule. Roughly once per week, the reading assignment will include a set of questions. They are due by 9 pm the night before the corresponding class meeting. Your responses to these questions will help me to plan our class time most productively. I will not grade your responses for accuracy, but rather for the depth with which you engage them.

Note: Please use the "Respond" link below each set of reading questions to send your answers. This will automatically give your reply a standard subject line which will make it much easier for me to efficiently collect and read responses.

I assign and grade homework weekly. Assignments are posted on the web. I make my own solutions to homework assignments available through Blackboard. I post my solutions to each assignment after the due date. If an assignment does not appear on time, please feel free to remind me. Once posted, solutions remain available through the end of the semester.

Late homework receives no credit. However, when I calculate final grades, I will drop your lowest three homework grades. This policy is intended to address illness, stress, athletic events, and any other situations impacting your completing homework assignments on time. Barring a major crisis which removes you from classes for extended periods, I consider this policy to fully address the kinds of reasonable situations which arise over the course of a semester.

Occasional laboratory exercises will be integrated into our regular meetings. Laboratory work will involve direct observations and measurements, analysis of existing data, computer simulations, or some combination of these. I will collect some sort assignment for each lab.

There will be three unit exams. Two of them will be held during the semester, and the third will take place during exam week. There will also be an optional oral final exam. The best way to prepare for exams is to make sure that you can answer questions and solve problems similar to those assigned for homework and laboratory exercises.

I encourage you to collaborate with each other on homework and lab work. Not only can you get help when you need it, but you can teach other people as well. Teaching is a very effective way to learn. While I encourage collaboration, it is also important that you understand your work and articulate your reasoning clearly. Hence, I require that you hand in answers to questions, solutions to problems, and lab reports, written in your own words, for grading.

It is good ethical and professional practice to acknowledge the help you receive from collaborators and others. If you work with others on an assignment, include a written acknowledgment along with the work you hand in. ("I worked with Jane and Joe on this assignment.", e.g.) If you get help from others on an assignment, including faculty members and students not taking the course, also include an acknowledgment. ("Professor Throckmorton helped me with problem 4, and Amanda helped me think through my reasoning for question 2.", e.g.)

Handing in someone else's homework as your own is plagiarism, while receiving help which you acknowledge is not. Please clear up any questions you have about what constitutes plagiarism right away. Collaboration of any kind or copying someone else's work during an exam is cheating. If I believe that you have cheated, plagiarized, or committed any academic honesty violation, I will discuss the incident with you and consult with the Dean of the College regarding the consequences. (See the Student Handbook for a detailed description of College policies related to Academic Honesty.)

Most of the graded work in this course involves quantitative problem solving. When I grade a problem you have solved, I am looking for the process you used to get your answer and, where appropriate, what conclusions you have drawn from it. Show your work. In addition, a sentence or two describing your thought process is often helpful. When I grade a solution to a problem, I am looking for the following components of your solution.

• Assumptions you are making
• The theoretical model or models (generally but not always expressed as equations) you use to solve the problem
• The work involved in obtaining your result, including mathematics, verbal reasoning, and diagrams
• Your result(s)
• Your interpretation of your result(s)

• Units with physical quantities (those which have them)
• Correct use of significant figures
• Validity checks (units correct?, physically reasonable?)

I will calculate final grades using the following grading scheme.

Your attendance record does not figure directly into your final grade, but it often has important indirect consequences. If I believe your attendance habits are having a negative impact on your performance in the course, I may express my concerns to you and to your academic adviser.

Email and the Web

Having a working email account and checking your messages periodically is required for this course. I sometimes use email to convey important course information, and I will assume that you are able to receive it.

Some students have found email dialogs with me to be an efficient way to ask and get answers to questions, since neither of us needs to carve a large block of time out of our schedules. This is not for everyone, but if you think you might like it, give it a try.

If I am unable to hold class due to inclement weather, I will send out an email notification as early as possible. If the Dean declares an "inclement weather day," students off campus may make up all tests and laboratory work missed.