This class strives to be an inclusive community, learning from the many perspectives that come from having differing backgrounds and beliefs.  As a community, we aim to be respectful to all.  We reject all forms of prejudice and discrimination, including but not limited to those based on age, color, disability, size, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, and veteran status. The instructional staff and students are expected to commit to creating an environment that facilitates inquiry and self-expression, while also demonstrating diligence in understanding how others’ viewpoints may be different from their own.

If you'd like to contact the instructors or TAs listed below, please use the Canvas mail utility (click on the INBOX icon at the far left in your web browser or at the bottom of the mobile app).

COURSE INSTRUCTORS Doug Bergman Professor, Physics & Astronomy Office:  INSCC 230 Electricity & Magnetism instructor Jordan Gerton (he/him/his) Professor, Physics and Astronomy Office:  South Physics 223 Quantum Mechanics instructor I like to hike, play squash, SCUBA dive, and knit!

Our goal is for you to develop knowledge and problem-solving skills in two core areas of physics - electromagnetism and quantum mechanics.  In particular, we hope that by the end of the course, you will be able to demonstrate the following:

Electricity & Magnetism:

• Visualize and depict mental models of the Electric Potential, Electric Field, Magnetic Field and the Vector Potential.
• Use geometric understanding of vector fields to derive and explain Gauss's Law and Stokes' Theorem.
• Find the electric potential and electric field for a given configuration of fixed charges and charged conductors.
• Find the magnetic field produced by a configuration of current elements.
• Use the principle of relativity to explain why a changing magnetic field must act as an electromotive force.
• Describe why a displacement current is necessary to complete the electromagnetic theory.
• Show that Maxwell's equations allow for wave solutions which propagate at the speed-of-light.

Quantum Mechanics:

• Use the postulates of quantum mechanics to analyze physically interesting systems.
• Use the state vector to analyze Stern-Gerlach measurements on spin- systems.
• Find the eigenvalues and eigenstates of a given operator.
• Use the appropriate projection operator to describe the results of a measurement.
• Identify Hermitian and commuting (or noncommuting) operators and explain their importance.
• Describe the results of experiments on ensembles by calculating and interpreting the expectation value and uncertainty of observables.
• Predict the results of multiple sequential measurements on quantum systems.
• Find the time evolution of a quantum system.
• Make predictions about the results of measurements of two-particle spin systems.
• Explain how the spin of a particle determines the symmetry of the two-particle wavefunction when exchanged with an identical particle.
• Describe how quantum exchange symmetry underlies many important phenomena.

Content

This course will cover electromagnetism (EM) for the first half and quantum mechanics (QM) for the second half.  You will also learn and practice mathematical methods to help you understand the physics content and solve problems.  The material is covered at an intermediate level, i.e., equivalent to the first few chapters of advanced undergraduate textbooks.

We will be using two physical textbooks covering E&M and QM, and an online textbook covering mathematical methods:

1. E&M:  Introduction to Electrodynamics by David Griffiths (ISBN-13:  978-1108420419).  That ISBN number is for the 4th edition, but you're welcome to get any edition you can find.  Copies will also be on reserve in the library.
2. QM:  Quantum Mechanics:  A Paradigms Approach by David McIntyre (ISBN-13:  978-0321765796).
3. Math Methods:  The Geometry of Mathematical Methods by Corinne Manogue and Tevian Dray (https://books.physics.oregonstate.edu/GMM/book-1.html)

Please use any legal means to acquire these resources - the bookstore will have copies but you are free to find other sources.

Canvas

All course materials will be posted on the PHYS 4010 Canvas site:  https://utah.instructure.com/courses/975382/ .  Make sure to be comfortable and familiar to navigate the Canvas site.

Class announcements will be sent through the Canvas server, and individual email communication with you will also happen through Canvas. Therefore, it is extremely important that you receive your Canvas notifications and emails at your preferred email address. To manage your preferred email on Canvas, go on Canvas under Account → Settings, at the top right of the screen edit Email Addresses. In addition, it is important that you receive the Canvas Course Announcements as soon as they are posted, these will often contain timely information; to edit your Notification settings, go on Canvas under Account → Notifications, and select “Notify me right away” for Announcements.

Discussions Boards

We will be using the Canvas Discussions Boards in this course, an online platform embedded on Canvas for everyone to post questions or respond to specific prompts for graded assignments. There will be different Discussion Boards based on the topic and purpose. Post questions on the Discussion Boards to get quick responses from your instructor, TAs, LAs, and classmates. In this way, everyone can learn from your questions and you will be answered more quickly. I also encourage you to post answers to help your fellow classmates.

Late Homework Submission Policy

Generally speaking, you will turn in homework assignments using Gradescope.  A link to the course Gradescope page will be provided within each homework assignment on Canvas.  We will accept homework submissions for 3 days (72 hours) beyond the due date with the following penalty schedule:

Checking Your Course Grades

It is your responsibility to ensure the accuracy of grades recorded for all assignments.  If you see any error in your grades on Canvas, reach out to an instructor as soon as possible, or at the latest within two weeks from when the assignment grade was posted.

How Your Final Grade is Determined

Your final grade will be determined using a criteria-based system in which your grade depends only on your performance against set criteria, and is not affected by your classmates' performance.  Thus, you are all on the same team, so to speak, and we encourage you to work together and support each other throughout the semester. 

We have developed two grading schemes for this course - one which includes all assignment categories and one which excludes weekly assignments.  The second scheme is designed to accommodate students who may be unable to keep up with weekly homework deadlines (for any number of reasons) but who are nevertheless able to demonstrate mastery of the material.  You do not need to choose a particular grading scheme or inform us:  we will automatically use whichever results in a higher final grade at the end of the semester.

Please note that two homework assignments, two discussion posts, and two lab assignments will be dropped before calculating your final score/grade.

Grade Thresholds

Your final letter grade will be determined from your total course grade percentage according to the grade thresholds shown below.  We reserve the right to adjust grade thresholds, but only to increase student grades, not to decrease them. We also may adjust the grading scheme if we think it is not serving the purpose of the course well or if we become convinced it is inequitable.  Finally, we may apply a scaling factor to some assignment scores if, for example, we determine there were flaws that impeded the ability of students to perform well.

This course consists of two 80-minute "lecture" sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays and one 2-hour math methods "lab" each Friday.  Before lectures on Mondays (and maybe Wednesdays) you will complete a pre-class assignment consisting of a reading/activity and a discussion post.  Friday sessions are for developing the math and other skills needed to understand the physics content and solve problems, and will rely heavily on our TA team.  We will schedule several study-hall hours in JFB 209 (and potentially on Zoom) during the week to support your learning and completion of assignments.

Punctuality  

Please be on time for lectures and lab sessions.  If you come late, you may not be able to join some of the class activities.  Tardiness is also disruptive to other students in the class and to the instructors.

Meetings with Instructors

Instructors will be available for short questions before and after each class and to schedule one-on-one appointments.  Instructors will also attend Study-Hall regularly every week. Please send the instructors a message on Canvas if you cannot attend Study-Hall, and we'll accommodate your schedule to find a time to meet.

Collaboration

Group work and collaboration are essential tools to succeed in almost any career (research teams, firefighting personnel, nursing teams, committees, construction teams, etc.) and they will be fundamental and invaluable tools for your learning of physics in this class.  Learning to work effectively with a variety of people will prepare you to work with your colleagues and collaborators at your work place, and will enhance and deepen your understanding of physics. The best discoveries in science very often arise from the group work and collaboration of several people. By discussing ideas, posing questions, listening to other people’s way of thinking, we each grow intellectually and can overcome struggles that seem daunting individually.

We encourage you to hone your team-work skills in this course. Specifically, we encourage you to collaborate, talk, discuss, make your classmates your best study-partners, bug them with questions, build ideas together. The course is designed to encourage the collaboration with your classmates inside and outside the class. You may sometimes work in groups during the lecture and lab sessions.  Study-halls will enable you to meet and work together with colleagues in the class; the Discussion Boards on Canvas will be another place where interact with your peers online. You can set up your own study-groups, or come together to study-hall. There will be a lot to understand and discover in this class, and while it can sometimes be rewarding to struggle on your own, often it can be fun to struggle together in a group.  

We are NOT grading on a curve in this class, so your classmates are friends, collaborators, and team mates, not competitors.

It is our goal to provide you with the tools you need to learn, be engaged, and succeed in this class. We'll make available multiple resources that you can use as best fits your learning style.

• If you have a formal accommodation through the Center for Disability and Access please reach out to your instructors as soon as possible during the first weeks of class.  Whether you seek or receive an official accommodation through the CDA, we'd be happy to meet with you to discuss how we can best meet your needs in this class. 
• If you don’t know about the CDA and/or if you may need a formal accommodation, we encourage you to visit the Center for Disability and Access website to learn about the process and eligibility and to schedule an appointment. The CDA gets very busy at the start of the semester, so the sooner you make an appointment the better. Feel free to reach out to us as well if you like to discuss your situation with us and how we can support you in this class.
• If you don’t have or need a formal accommodation but you find any aspect of the course inaccessible to you or if you have any suggestions for us that can help your learning experience in our class, please do not hesitate to reach out to us and we'll do our best to meet your needs. Please send us a message using Canvas or come talk to us at the end or beginning of class.

Classroom Guidelines

The following are guidelines for participation and engagement in class. We expect all students to follow these guidelines.

• Be on time. Due to the logistics required to run a class, our teaching team appreciates that you regularly join class on time; if you come late, you may not be able to join some of the class activities.
• Take care of yourself and be aware of others. Feel comfortable to engage, as needed, in any activities that reduce stress or anxiety (e.g., stimming, support people, caretaker, support animals, leaving the room for breaks, etc.), but also be open and aware of other members’ sensitivities.
• Limit distractions on phones and laptops. Although a laptop and/or cellphone will be required for some in-class activities, please limit the use of these technologies to activities related to class. You can make it easier to focus on your learning by turning off notifications, closing or minimizing running apps, and muting your smartphone.
• Avoid multi-tasking. You’ll retain the material better if you refrain from replying to emails or text messages during class. There are studies that show how multitasking during class time is detrimental for your learning and affect your class performance.
• Keep any class conversation/questions on-topic. Please limit the in-class or online communication to questions/responses related to the material discussed by the instructor in that moment. Feel free to be friendly and chat with your classmates before/after class or during the breaks, during the lecture time please be professional, avoid jokes and stay on topic.
• Respect your TAs:  they are there to help you. TAs will be around in the lecture and math lab sessions, and they may check in on your group. They might not announce themselves, but don’t worry, they’re just there to check if you need help.

Community Guidelines

The following are community guidelines we expect all students in the class to respect during Lecture and Lab sessions. Your suggestions for this list are welcome!

• Treat your instructor, teaching team, and classmates with respect in any communication (in person or online).
• Be professional in your interactions with the teaching team and your classmates.
• There are no bad questions! All questions are welcome.
• Mistakes are good! Everyone makes them! (including the instructor and TAs).
• Support your peers and help them when you can.
• Learn to collaborate well with others. Make sure to always include everyone in the group.
• Be yourself, be present, engage with the material.

Technical Requirements

In order to participate in this course you will be required to:

• Have access to a laptop or desktop computer to access the course Canvas site regularly throughout the week to complete the course assignments. Some features of Canvas and other electronic resources do not work on cellphones or tablets, so you’ll need a laptop/desktop to be able to access these.
• Be computer literate to be able to easily navigate Canvas as well as other software to scan your homework/quizzes (e.g. Gradescope).
• Be able to access Canvas during the lecture and lab sessions to access resources and materials. A cellphone/tablet may be enough in most situations, but a laptop may sometimes be needed.
• Bring a laptop computer to class to access Canvas and other resources when prompted.
  A scientific calculator may be helpful for some of the homework questions and in-class activities.

Electronic or equipment failure:  It is your responsibility to maintain your computer and related equipment in order to participate in the online portion of the course. Equipment failures will not be an acceptable excuse for late or absent assignments.

Note: Access to some technology equipment is available to students through the Marriott Library.

Addressing Sexual Misconduct

University policy and Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender (which includes sexual orientation and gender identity, and gender expression) is subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, color, religion, age, status as a person with a disability, veteran’s status or genetic information. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you are encouraged to report it to the Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, 383 South University Street, Level One OEO Suite, oeo@utah.edu, or 801- 581-8365, or the Office of the Dean of Students, 270 Union Building, 801-581-7066. For support and confidential consultation, contact the Center for Campus Wellness, 426 SSB, 801-581-7776. To report to the police, contact the Department of Public Safety, 801-585-2677 (COPS).

We will listen and believe you if someone is threatening you, and help you connect with the appropriate help and resources. As University Employees, all members of your instructional team are mandatory reporters of sexual misconduct.

Student Names and Personal Pronouns Statement

Canvas allows students to change the name that is displayed and allows them to add their pronouns to their Canvas name. This is possible on Zoom as well through the “Rename” tool.  We will honor you by referring to you with the name and pronoun that feels best for you. Please advise us of any name or pronoun changes (and update CIS, Canvas and Zoom) so that we can help create a learning environment in which you, your name, and your pronoun will be respected.

Office of the Dean of Students

The Office of the Dean of Students is dedicated to being a resource to students through support, advocacy, involvement, and accountability. It serves as a support for students facing challenges to their success as students, and assists with the interpretation of University policy and regulations. Please consider reaching out to the Office of Dean of Students for any questions, issues and concerns. 200 South Central Campus Dr., Suite 270. Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm.

University Counseling Center

The University Counseling Center (UCC) provides developmental, preventive, and therapeutic services and programs that promote the intellectual, emotional, cultural, and social development of University of Utah students. They advocate a philosophy of acceptance, compassion, and support for those they serve, as well as for each other. They aspire to respect cultural, individual and role differences as they continually work toward creating a safe and affirming climate for individuals of all ages, cultures, ethnicities, genders, gender identities, languages, mental and physical abilities, national origins, races, religions, sexual orientations, sizes and socioeconomic statuses.

Wellness Statement

Personal concerns such as stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, depression, cross-cultural differences, etc., can interfere with a student’s ability to succeed and thrive at the University of Utah. For helpful resources, contact the Center for Student Wellness; 801-581-7776.

Learners of English as an Additional/Second Language

If you are an English language learner, please be aware of several resources on campus that will support you with your language and writing development. These resources include: the Writing Center; the Writing Program; and the English Language Institute. Please let us know if there is any additional support you would like to discuss for this class.

Veterans Center

If you are a student veteran, the University of Utah has a Veterans Support Center located in Room 161 in the Olpin Union Building. Please visit their website for more information about what support they offer, a list of ongoing events and links to outside resources. Please also let us know if you need any additional support in this class for any reason.

Undocumented Student Support

Immigration is a complex phenomenon with broad impact— those who are directly affected by it, as well as those who are indirectly affected by their relationships with family members, friends, and loved ones. If your immigration status presents obstacles to engaging in specific activities or fulfilling specific course criteria, confidential arrangements may be requested from the Dream Center. Arrangements with the Dream Center will not jeopardize your student status, your financial aid, or any other part of your residence. The Dream Center offers a wide range of resources to support undocumented students (with and without DACA) as well as students from mixed-status families. To learn more, please contact the Dream Center at 801.213.3697 or visit .

Too Many Resources! Where to start?

Reach out to the Student Success Advocates for assistance navigating resources and mentoring! Watch this short video on how Student Success Advocates can help you! The mission of Student Success Advocates ( https://ssa.utah.edu/ ) is to support students in making the most of their University of Utah experience. They can assist with mentoring, resources, etc. In addition, any student who faces challenges securing their food or housing and believes this may affect their performance in the course is urged to contact a Student Success Advocate for support.

Suggestions and other arrangements

Your suggestions are always encouraged and appreciated. Please let us know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups. In addition, if any of our class meetings conflict with your religious events, please let us know so that we can make arrangements for you.