Accelerated Introductory Physics C2801

Professor Norman Christ

This site provides information about this course, offered in the Fall of 2012.

• Professor Christ:
  • Email: nhc@phys.columbia.edu
  • Office:  911 Pupin
  • Telephone:  212 854 3307
  • Fax:  212 932 3169
  • Office hours: Tuesday 4:15-5:15pm, Thursday 12:15 -1:15pm (with exceptions announced in "Recent Changes")
• Text books:
  • Required:    An Introduction to Mechanics, Kleppner and Kolenkow, McGraw Hill, ISBN 0-07-035048-5
  • Required (11/2012):   Electricity and Magnetism, Edition 2, Edward M. Purcell,  Cambridge University Press, ISBN-10: 1107013607, ISBN-13: 978-1107013605
  • Recommended: The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Feynman, Leighton and Sands, Volume 1, Addison Wesley
  • Recommended: Getting Started with MATLAB, Pratap, ISBN 978-0-19-973124-4, Oxford University Press.
  • Recommended: Linear Algebra, fourth edition, Lipschutz and Lipson, ISBN 978-0-07-154352-1, Schaum's Outlines, McGraw Hill.
• Computer aided solutions
  • MATLAB files used in class or for problems are located here.
  • The computational software MATLAB will be used expand the range of physical problems which can be studied.
  • Problems which can be solved using MATLAB will be presented   in class and assigned for homework.
  • MATLAB software can be used on the computers in Columbia's computer labs or digital science center and a student version should be available for free download.

• Assignments
• Class time and place: 10:35-12:25, Tuesday and Thursday, 329 Pupin.
• Problem session:
  • Chance to see homework problems solved and to ask other questions
  • MATLAB tutorial
  • 10:00-10:50 am, Friday, room 329 Pupin.
• Added Reading.  (Further material that may be useful for the course.)
• Syllabus and schedule: TBD (those from both semesters of last year are available: c2801 and c2802)
• Homework: Reading and home assignments will be posted on this site on Tuesdays.  Homework will consist of 8-10 problems that should be turned in at the end class on the following Thursday (nine days later).
• Midterm Exam:
  • Held in class on Tuesday, October 23
  • The exam is closed book but an8.5in x 11in formula sheet is allowed
  • Material up to and including collisions will be potentially covered on the exam
  • A practice midterm exam has been posted.
  • We will have a review session on Friday, October 19th at 3:30pm in room 329 Pupin
• Final Exam:
  • Held from 9:00-12:00 in room 329 Pupin on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
  • Covers all material in the course up to but not including electrostatics.
  • The exam is closed book but an8.5in x 11in formula sheet is allowed
  • A practice final exam has been posted (with explanation for 5 d) supplementing that given in the review session).
  • We will have a review session on Thursday, December 13, 2012 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in room 329.
• Grades: Grades will be determined from a weighted average of the homework (20%), midterm exam (30%) and final exam (50%).
• Help Room.  Help with homework and general questions is available in the Physics Help Room, 412 Pupin, hours to be determined.

This site last modified January 21, 2013.