Physics 126
Electricity, Magnetism, Light, and Modern Physics

This course is a quantitative algebra-based survey of modern physics, designed to provide a useful foundation for going forward in other fields of study. We cover the basic principles of electricity, magnetism, light, optics, atomic and nuclear physics. We will highlight practical applications and, wherever possible, connect the science with the powerful and ubiquitous technologies that it has enabled.

Lecturer
Dan Amidei

Discussion Leaders
Konstantin Bobkov
Timothy Cohen
Samuel Moukouri find
Jian-Ming Qian
   
Administrative Issues  
phys126lecture@umich.edu  

Text

Cutnell and Johnson, Physics, 7th Ed

Links
    
     
Grade Policy
  Lectures Other Resources

 

 

Phys 126 Winter 2008 Topics, Schedule, HW, Tests, Links
*** Preliminary !! ***
Lec Day Date Topic Reading Action
1 Mon Jan 7

Electric Charge and Coulombs Law
PDF

 18.1-18.5 Practice Problems
18.9, 18.12
solutions
2 Wed Jan 9

Electric Fields
PDF
Fun with Triboelectricity
2D electrostatics applet
3D electrostatics applet

 18.6-18.8

18.26, 18.31, 18.33, 18.35, 18.40, 18.57,
18.62
solns

  Sun Jan 13     HW01 due 11pm
3 Mon Jan 14

Electric Potential Energy
PDF

 19.1-19.4

Chap 19: 2,7,12,
13(convert to eV!), 23,55 solns
4 Wed Jan 16.

Capacitors and Dielectrics
PDF

 19.5-19.6 19: 36,39,46
solns
  Sun Jan 20     HW02 due 11pm
  Mon Jan 21 Martin Luther King 1929-1968    
5 Wed Jan 23

Current, Resistance, Ohm's Law
Microscopic Origin of Resistance
Ohm's law applet (W. Fendt)
PDF

20.1-20.4 Add/drop deadline
Chap 20: 6,7,10,16,
23,24
solns

6		 Mon Jan 28

DC Circuits, Grounding
Caps in Series and Parallel
PDF

20.6-20.9, 20.11-20.12 Chap 20: 42,44,49,
53,58,62
solns
  Tues. Jan 29     HW03 due 11pm
7 Wed Jan 30

AC Circuits, Safety
AC resistive circuit applet (W.Fendt)
Charging a capacitor applet
PDF

20.5,20.13-20.14 Chap 20: 30,33,96,98,106
solns
  Thurs Jan 31 Exam 1 8:00-9:30 pm
Covering Chap. 18-20 as in HW01-03
  Sample Exam 1
8 Mon Feb 4

Magnetic Fields
Lorentz force on a current applet
How an electric motor works
PDF

21.1-21.6 Chap 21: 8,16,30,39,71
solns
9 Wed Feb 6

Sources of Magnetic Field
Magnetic Field of a wire applet
3D Magnetostatics applet
PDF

21.7-21.10 47,50,52,74
solns
  Sun Feb 10     HW04 due 11pm
10 Mon Feb 11

Magnetic Induction
PDF

 22.1-22.6

Chap.22: 1,6,10,15,
19,20,28,33
solns
11 Wed Feb 13

Generators, Transformers
PDF

22.7-22.10 Chap. 22:35,44,49,56,57,60
solns
  Tues Feb 19     HW05 due 11pm
12 Mon Feb 18

RC, RL circuits. LC Oscillators
Tesla Coils LinkA LinkB
PDF

23.1,23.2,23.4 23.6, 23.12,23.26
solns
13 Wed Feb 20

Electromagnetic Wave
The E&B Wave Applet
Oscillating Charge Applet
EM Radiation Pattern Applet
PDF

 24.1-24.4 Chap 24: 2,6,12,20,26
solns
  Winter Recess No Classes Week of Feb 24    
14 Mon Mar 3 EM Waves: Energy, Polarization, Doppler Effect
Polarization.com!
Doppler Effect
PDF
24.5-24.7 Chap 24: 29,30, 33, 36,37
solns
  Tues Mar 4     HW06 due 11pm
15 Wed Mar 5 No class! Study up.
   
  Thurs Mar 6

Exam 2 8:00-9:30 pm
Covering Chap. 20-24 as in HW04-06

  Sample Exam 2A
Sample Exam 2B
16 Mon

Mar 10

Reflection and Mirrors
PDF
25.1-25.7 Chap 25:13,17,18,32,35,39
solns
17 Wed Mar 12

Refraction and Dispersion
PDF

26.1-26.5 Chap 26:
3,15,18,26,27,33,38 solns
  Sun Mar 16     HW07 due 11pm
18 Mon Mar 17 Optics with Lenses
PDF
26.6-26.14 Chap 26: 48,49,50,60,70,79
solns
19 Wed Mar 19

Interference
PDF
Superposition of Waves Applet
Two Slit Experiment Applet
Calculations for Two Slit Experiment
Thin Film Reflection Applet

27.1-27.4 Chap 27: 3, 6,11,12
solns
  Sun Mar 23     HW08 due 11pm
20 Mon Mar 24

Diffraction
PDF

27.5-27.9 Chap 27: 21,22,23,24
solns
21 Wed Mar 26

Quantum mechanics
PDF
Einstein on Reality

 29.1-29.3
29.5-29.6		 Chap 29: 4,8,21,28,33,42
solns
22 Mon Mar. 31

Atomic Physics
PDF
Bohr Model (W. Fendt)
Atomic Transitions/Radiation
Atomic Orbitals

30.1-30.3,
30.7-30.9

Chap 30: 8,12,15,16,41
solns
  Tues Apr 1     HW09 due 11pm
23 Wed Apr 2

The Nucleus
PDF

31.1-31.4 Chap 31: 9,10,12
solns
  Thurs Apr 3

Exam 3 8:00-9:30
Covering text Chap. 25-27,29-30 as in HW07-09.

  Sample Exam 3A
Sample Exam 3B
24 Mon Apr 7

Radioactivity
PDF

31.5-31.9 Chap 31: 20,23, 35,36,42,43
solns
25 Wed Apr 9

Dosimetry, Nuclear Devices
PDF

32.1-32.5 Chap 32: 4,5,24,26
solns
26 Mon Apr 14

No class! Sleep. Study.

 
  Tues Apr 15 Last Discussion Section   HW10 due 11pm
  Fri Apr 18

Final Exam 7:30-9:00 pm
Moukouri/Qian: MLB AUD3
Bobkov/Cohen: MLB AUD4



Sample Final Exam