update 8/25/2016: Grader's name corrected, TA office hours added, minor change to "grading policy" (on how to presenting solutions).

draft, 8/22/2016

Draft, 8/10/2016

Course Organization:

The student is expected to achieve a quantitative understanding of the foundations of modern physics, and a working knowledge of the subject in solving practical problems.

The course comprises lecture sessions, discussion sessions, weekly homework assignments, two in-class midterm exams, and one final exam. Each lecture session will start with 1-2 reading assignment quizzes, followed by introduction and explanation of new concepts, working examples, and problems for discussions. The separate discussion session will provide more training opportunity for the ability of realizing and solving problems.

Iclickers are required to complete in-class reading quizzes as well as in-lecture discussions. Iclicker quizzes will start on Friday, August 26 and will be counted towards the final grade starting Monday, August 29.

Homework assignments will be handed out typically one week before the due date. No late homework will be accepted unless a prior arrangement is made with the instructor. Students are encouraged to discuss problem with others while completing homework assignments. However, it is unlikely the student will gain a passing proficiency on the course material without working out most or all of the homework problems. Thus, each student is required to work out the final solution on their own. Copying homework solutions without thinking is prohibited.

Important:
In previous years, different textbooks were used and different sub-fields of physics were emphasized. For example, one instructor may have emphasized subatomic physics and skipped solid state physics all together, while another instructor may have spent significant time on quantum mechanics while skipping the subatomic. And nearly nobody covered cosmology which is typically the final chapter of all modern physics textbooks. Similarly, this time we will not be able to cover all chapters of the textbook (see full syllabus for textbook information), but the students will be given a chance to express their interest in specific chapters of the textbook for instructor's consideration.