COURSE FACT SHEET FOR DEPARTMENTAL PROGRAM REVIEW

1. Title, Course, Number, and Credit Hours. (Explain credit load of course if it is in some way unusual.)

General Physics II:Thermodynamics, Electricity and Magnetism; PHYS 253; 3 credit hours

2. What is the catalog course description for the course?

Heat and themodynamics; Electrical and magnetic properties of matter, AC and DC circuits, electrical fields and particles, magnetic fields induction. Maxwell's equations, introduction to electronics. Prerequisites: Mathematics 192, Physics 251. Three lecture periods and one laboratory period per week.

3. What are the prerequisites or other background required of students for this course? Are these requirements adequate?

The prerequisites for this course are Mathematics 192 and Physics 251. These requirements are adequate for this course.


4. How does this course fit into the departmental program?

This course is the second course in the calculus-based introductory sequence of physics courses required of all physics and engineering majors. It introduces the fundamental concepts, subject matter, and applications of electricity and magnetism to students, using calculus-based mathematical techniques.

5. At what type of student is this course aimed? What gaps or needs in the curriculum is this course intended to fill?

This course is primarily aimed at physics and engieerning majors. It may also be suitable for advanced chemistry majors. The course introduces the fundamental concepts and applications of electricity and magnetism to physics, chemistry and engineering fields. The materials covered in this course will form the foundation for later more advanced courses.

6. How is this course important to a particular field of study?

Electricity and magnetism are two most important areas in all sciences and engineerings. This course lays the foundation of electricity and magnetism in the physics and engineering studies. A good understanding of the materials is absolutely necessary for all later physics, engineering and chemistry courses.

7. How is this course different from any other courses in the catalog or why must the material covered in the course be treated separately instead of being incorporated into another course?

This course is unique in the entire catalog and there are no similar courses like it in the curriculum. This is the only calculus-baed, introductory course on electricity and magnetism.

8. If this course is similar to another course in the catalog, explain why both courses should exist or suggest whether something should be dropped or changed.

This course is unique in the entire physics and engineering curricula. PHYS 204 deals with similar subjects of less sophistication and depth, using only algebra-based techniques.

9. When, how and by whom is this course taught?

The course will be offered every fall semester. It consists of two lectures and one laboratory peried per week. The course will be taught by Dr.Tom Burns or Dr. Kuo-Ho Yang or Dr.Guy Worthey, depending upon situations.

10. Are the current holdings of the O'Keefe Library adequate to support this course or are additional materials needed?

The current holdings of the O'Keefe Library are adequate; additional materials may be helpful but not essential. The physics department has computers andsoftware to help students tackle complicated and difficult problems encountered in this course.