Presbyterian College > Academic Web Server > Jon Bell > Physics 302 > General Information
Dr. Jon Bell
Office: Richardson 103A
E-mail: jbell at presby.edu
Period G (12:00 Monday and Wednesday; 11:00 Thursday) in Richardson 119
Classical and Statistical Thermodynamics, by Ashley Carter
This course is an introduction to classical thermodynamics. Topics include
Students must have a working knowledge of introductory physics at the level of Physics 121 and 122 (General Physics). They must also be reasonably fluent in differential and integral calculus at the level of Mathematics 201 and 202 (Calculus I and II).
Classical thermodynamics relies heavily on partial derivatives of functions of more than one variable. Therefore, students should be acquainted with partial derivatives, from Math 302 (Calculus IV), Physics 220 (Methods of Theoretical Physics), or Physics 303 (Electricity and Magnetism I).
At the end of this course, students should have a conceptual understanding of the basic principles of classical thermodynamics, and be able to discuss their origins and relationships between them. They should also be able to solve problems involving thermodynamic relationships.
The final grade in the course will be calculated as follows:
There will be no "extra credit" assignments.
All students must take the tests and final exam; there will be no exemptions. A midterm test typically consists of four or five problems that mostly test knowledge of basic definitions, relationships and problem-solving techniques. The final exam will be similar, but about twice as long, i.e. eight to ten problems. Partial credit will be given as appropriate. Grades will use a scale of 0% to 100% as follows:
I will collect and grade homework exercises periodically. I will grade each exercise (or section of a multi-part exercise) on a four-point scale. For incomplete or incorrect solutions, I may give a provisional grade, and give you the opportunity to re-submit the solution later for a higher grade. I will not accept homework for grading after I have graded that batch and returned it to the rest of the class, unless you have a medical or other reason that would qualify as an "excused absence" (see attendance policy below).
If you have more than ten absences from class, you will be dropped from the course with a grade of F. I will not distinguish between "excused" and "unexcused" absences in this respect. I will normally take attendance near the beginning of the class period, so if you arrive significantly late, I will count you as absent.
You are responsible for finding out from classmates about material that was covered, or announcements that were made in class, during your absence.
If you are absent from a previously-announced test, I will normally allow you to make it up if the absence is because of:
In such situations, you must notify me in writing (via e-mail or signed written statement) as soon as possible so that we can make arrangements for a makeup test. For anticipated absences such as field trips or athletic events, you should notify me before the absence if at all possible; for unanticipated absences you must notify me no later than the second weekday following your return to campus. Your notification must briefly summarize the reason for your absence, with documentation or at least enough information that I can verify it if I choose to do so.
I will also follow the rules described above in handling late homework.
See the course schedule for details. This schedule is subject to change, via revisions of the Web page and via in-class announcements. You are resposible for the material covered by the reading assignments, including topics and examples that we do not specifically cover in the lectures, unless I tell you to ignore certain material.
Please refer to my daily schedule for my "official" office hours. You are also welcome to try to catch me outside of office hours; I will be glad to talk to you unless I absolutely positively need to get something finished just then. Otherwise, you can make an appointment. Finally, please feel free to send me e-mail.
Please be aware of the provisions of the Presbyterian College Honor Code, as stated in the "blue book." All material that you submit for a grade (tests, homework, lab reports, etc.) must contain a pledge statement.
You must take all tests and examinations without outside assistance, including textbooks and other reference materials, unless you are explicitly permitted to do otherwise. For example, I may allow you to bring a sheet of equations for reference.
You are encouraged to help each other with homework assignments, but you must do the detailed work individually, and your work must be clearly recognizable as your own in style, format, details, etc.
This document was last revised on 9 January 2008.
Presbyterian College > Academic Web Server > Jon Bell > Physics 302 > General Information
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