Accelerated Introductory Physics C2802

Professor Norman Christ

This site provides information about this course, offered in the Spring of 2013.

• Professor Christ:
  • Email: nhc@phys.columbia.edu
  • Office:  911 Pupin
  • Telephone:  212 854 3307
  • Fax:  212 932 3169
  • Office hours: Tuesday 5:30-6:30pm, Thursday 12:15 -1:15pm
• Text books:
  • Required (11/2011):   Electricity and Magnetism, Edward M. Purcell, Berkeley Physics Course, Volume 2, Second Edition, McGraw Hill ISBN 0-07-004908-4 (A new 3rd edition is now availble, DO NOT use this edition.)
  • Required (03/01/2012) An Introduction to Quantum Physics, A. P. French and Edwin F. Taylor, Norton, ISBN 0-393-09106-0
  • Recommended: The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Feynman, Leighton and Sands, Volume 3, 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
  • 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 can be made available for free download (please see me).
• Assignments
• Class time and place: 10:10-12:00, Tuesday and Thursday, 329 Pupin.
• Problem session:
  • Chance to see homework problems solved and to ask other questions
  • MATLAB tutorial
  • Held in room 329 from 10:00-10:50.
• MATLAB files used in class.
• Added Reading.  (Further material that may be useful for the course.)
• Syllabus and schedule (from last year)
• Notes on quantum mechanics: quantum_notes.pdf
• Midterm:
  • To be held Thursday, March 14 in class
  • Including material covered through Chapter 7 of Purcell.
  • A single 8.5 x 11 formula sheet may be used.
  • Try your hand at the practice exam.
  • Review session will be held at 6:00pm in 517 Hamilton Hall.
• Final:
  • To be held Tuesday, May 14, 9:00-12:00, room 329 Pupin
  • A single 8.5x11 formula sheet may be used.
  • Review session, Wednesday May 8th, 12:30-1:00pm in room 329 Pupin.
  • Try your hand at the practice final
  • The final exam will cover the E&M and quantum mechanics presented in lecture or in the assigned problems.  The last topics presented in lecture but not covered on the homework (the simple harmonic oscillator, stationary phase approximation and quantization of the E&M field) will not appear on the exam.
• 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).
• Grades: Grades will be determined from a weighted average of the homework (20%), the midterm exam (30%) and the 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 updated May 8, 2013.