PHYS 1054—Physics for Architects II

Spring, 2009

Office: PHYS 204 Instructor: Min Xiao

Time: MWF 9:30 am—10:20 am Phone: 575-6568

Place: Vol Walker Auditorium Office Hours: MWF 10:30am-11:30am

e-mail: mxiao@mail.uark.edu

A. Textbook: Physics for Architects, by Yehuda Salu.

B. Attendance: You should attend all lectures, except when you are sick or have emergency. You are responsible for all materials discussed in lectures. Ignorance of instructions given in class is not a valid excuse.

C. Homework: Homework problems will be assigned frequently. Solving problems is an integral and most important part of the course. It is very important that you try to solve the problems on your own. Turn in your homework on time to be graded. Late homework will not be accepted.

D. Examinations: There will be two mid-term exams and a final exam.

G. Lab: the laboratory is an integral part of the course. Your lab grade will count as 20% of your final course score.

E. Weather policy: following the University Guidelines. If the University is open, we will have class.

F. Grades:

Homework: 20%

First mid-term exam (Chapters 7 & 8): 20%

Second mid-term exam (Chapters 9 & 10): 20%

Final exam (Chapters 7-10): 20%

Labs: 20%

Tentative syllabus:

Part 1 (Chapter 7) covers heat and thermodynamics: temperature scale, thermal expansion of materials, heat and temperature, heat exchange, heat conduction, and thermal resistors.

Part 2 (Chapter 8) covers electricity: Coulomb’s law, current, resistance, energy, DC and AC power, electric wiring and safety.

Part 3 (Chapter 9) covers optics: dual nature of light, physics of color, light intensity, reflection, refraction, and attenuation of light.

Part 4 (Chapter 10) covers acoustics: sound waves and propagation, sound intensity, sound waves in materials, interference and diffraction of sound.

I will present some extra materials in class when appropriate.