Electricity and Magnetism

Course Description

PHYS 321 is a junior level course that starts out with electrostatics and magnetostatics and builds up to classical electrodynamics. This course assumes that you have had the introductory calculus-based physics sequence of University Physics I and II. 3.0 Credits

Course Objectives

The knowledge base covered in Electricity and Magnetism is an essential foundation for students seeking to understand the behavior of charged particles, the nature of electric and magnetic fields and the unification of electric and magnetic phenomena and its underlying laws.

Textbook

Electromagnetism by Pollack and Stump

Other Useful References

Griffiths Introduction to Electrodynamics (Benjamin-Cummings)

Franklin Classical Electromagnetism (Pearson-Addison-Wesley)

Ohanian Classical Electrodynamics (Infinity Science)

Lectures

MW at 5:40 PM - 6:55 PM, in SCI 219

Problem Sets

Weekly problem sets will be assigned here. Problem Sets should be completed by the following week, and graded and returned within a few class meetings. You are expected to be able to work the problems without the aid of the solutions, and are welcome to seek my help. Homework counts towards 20 % of the final grade.

Exams

This course has two in-class midterm exams and a two-hour final. The exams are largely based on material from lectures and problems similar to those assigned in the weekly homework.

Exam Schedule

This course has two in-class midterm exams and a two-hour final. The exams are largely based on material from lectures and problems of the same level of difficulty as those assigned in HW and will contain a mix of short-answer questions and long problems. You are allowed to bring a letter sized (8.5. x 11.) sheet of paper with anything you want hand-written on it. The schedule of exams is as follows:

• Midterm Exam I Monday, February 18, 2008

Midterm Exam II Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Final Exam Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Grading

The final grade will be based on:
Two midterms (20%) + (20%), Final Exam (40%), Homework (20%)

The final exam is cumulative. Your final grade will be based on the total points in this system. Any student who achieves a percentile score of above 85 %, 75 %, 65 %, 55 % is guaranteed to receive an A, B, C, or D respectively. These percentile scores may be adjusted based on a class curve.

Office Hours

Monday 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Monday 04:30 p.m. - 05:30 p.m.

Tuesday 10:45 a.m. - 12:00 noon

Wed 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

and by appointment, SCI-221A. Tel: 773-442-5638

Academic Integrity

The NEIU policy on academic integrity applies to all students and can be found here.