University Physics II: Electricity & Magnetism

Instructor Information

• Course Coordinator: Dr. Megan Hollander (Assistant Teaching Professor of Physics)
• Section Instructors: Listed for each section in AlkimiHub. Your section instructor's office hours and office are posted in your Canvas course page.
• Email: mhollander@university.alkimi.ai
• Office: Meridian Science Center 414
• Coordinator Office Hours:
  • Monday & Wednesday: 3:00–4:30 p.m. (In person, Meridian Science Center 414)
  • Tuesday: 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (Virtual via Zoom; link posted in Canvas)
  • Also available by appointment.

Course Description

Calculus-based electrostatics, Gauss's law, electric potential, capacitance, DC circuits, magnetic fields, induction, AC circuits, and electromagnetic waves, with a weekly three-hour laboratory. PHYS 122 completes the foundational calculus-based introductory physics sequence, investigating electromagnetic interactions that govern atomic matter and technological infrastructure. Students apply multivariable vector calculus to understand electrostatics, Gauss's law, electric potential, capacitance, direct-current circuits, magnetic fields and forces, Ampère's law, Biot-Savart law, electromagnetic induction, alternating-current circuits, and Maxwell's equations leading to electromagnetic radiation.

Prerequisites

PHYS 121; MATH 141 (prior or concurrent).

Measurable Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of PHYS 122, students will be able to:

1. Calculate Electric Fields and Apply Gauss's Law: Compute electric fields for discrete and continuous charge configurations using Coulomb's law and apply Gauss's law to highly symmetric charge distributions.
2. Determine Electric Potential and Capacitance: Calculate electric potential and electrostatic potential energy, and analyze capacitance, dielectric materials, and energy storage in capacitors.
3. Analyze Direct-Current Circuits: Apply Ohm's law, Kirchhoff's junction and loop rules, and RC transient equations to multi-loop and time-dependent direct-current circuits.
4. Evaluate Magnetic Fields and Biot-Savart Law: Determine magnetic forces on moving charges and current-carrying wires, and calculate magnetic fields using the Biot-Savart law and Ampère's law.
5. Apply Faraday's Law and Induction: Calculate induced electromotive force using Faraday's law of induction and Lenz's law, analyze mutual and self-inductance, and model RL/RLC circuits.
6. Synthesize Maxwell's Equations and Wave Propagation: Formulate Maxwell's equations in integral form and deduce the speed, energy transport (Poynting vector), and polarization of electromagnetic waves.

Required Course Materials & Approximate Costs

1. Halliday, David, Robert Resnick, and Jearl Walker. Fundamentals of Physics. 12th ed., Wiley, 2021. Approx. $65 for digital access; approx. $140 for print purchase.
2. OpenStax University Physics, Volume 2. Free digital access at openstax.org. Free.
3. Scientific calculator with trigonometric and algebraic functions (graphing calculators prohibited on exams). Approx. $15 to $25.
4. Total estimated cost: $15 to $165.

Generative AI Policy (AI Level 2: AI Permitted with Disclosure for Specified Tasks)

In accordance with Alkimi University Academic Policies (Student Handbook §5.8), PHYS 122 operates under AI Level 2.

• What is permitted: You may use Alkimi or other approved AI tools to visualize 3D vector fields, generate practice integration problems for continuous charge distributions, or clarify the conceptual meaning of Maxwell's equations.
• What is prohibited: You may not use AI tools to generate answers for assigned weekly homework sets, compose lab notebook conclusions, or access generative platforms during quizzes, midterms, or the common final exam.
• Disclosure: Include an explicit AI disclosure statement on each submitted problem set specifying any AI platforms consulted, prompts entered, and verification steps taken, or state that no AI tools were used.

Grading Components and Weights

• Midterm Exam 1: 15% (In class during week 5 (week of September 21))
• Midterm Exam 2: 15% (In class during week 10 (week of October 26))
• Weekly Problem Sets: 20% (Due Fridays at 11:59 p.m. in Canvas (weeks 2–13; lowest dropped))
• Laboratory Investigations & Reports: 20% (Weekly laboratory write-ups submitted in Canvas; sections meet weekly)
• Weekly Concept Quizzes: 5% (Canvas pre-lecture quizzes due Tuesdays at 11:59 p.m.; lowest two dropped)
• Common Final Examination: 25% (Friday, December 11, 2026, 1:30–3:30 p.m.)

Grading Scale (Alkimi University Standard)

• A: 93–100% | A-: 90–92%
• B+: 87–89% | B: 83–86% | B-: 80–82%
• C+: 77–79% | C: 73–76% | C-: 70–72%
• D+: 67–69% | D: 60–66% | F: Below 60%
• Extra credit: No extra credit assignments are offered in coordinated multi-section courses.

Course Schedule (Fall 2026)

All sections follow this common weekly schedule. Section meeting days vary, so dates are shown by week; your section instructor posts exact class dates in Canvas.

Course Policies

Attendance Policy

Mastering electromagnetism requires consistent, active participation in both lectures and laboratory experiments. If an unavoidable illness or approved university conflict forces an absence, notify Dr. Hollander and your lab instructor in advance. Accumulating more than two unexcused lab absences results in course failure. Students who miss the first two class meetings without notifying the instructor may be dropped. Students may miss class for religious observance without penalty if they notify the instructor in writing within the first two weeks of the semester (by Wednesday, September 9, 2026). Absences for university-sponsored activities (athletics, performances, conferences) are excused with a letter from the sponsoring office at least one week in advance.

Late Work Policy

Homework problem sets submitted within 24 hours of the Friday deadline receive a 20% deduction; no problem sets are accepted after 24 hours because detailed solutions are released. Pre-lecture quizzes close strictly at the deadline, though the two lowest quiz grades are dropped automatically.

Final Exam Policy

The final examination (Friday, December 11, 2026, 1:30–3:30 p.m.) is a common exam for all sections, scheduled by the University Registrar and can't be moved without the Dean's written approval (Faculty Handbook §5.5). A student with three or more final exams on the same calendar day may reschedule one of them. Requests go to the instructor of the middle exam by the last day of classes. For this term, send the request by Wednesday, December 9, 2026 (Student Handbook §6.4).