Physics 110b, General Information

A set of homework problems will be given out each week on Tuesday, due the following Thursday, for a total of nine assignments. You are welcome to collaborate on the homework, but your final solutions should be written up by yourself (I don’t want to see multiple exact copies of the same solution). You are also encouraged to seek help on the homework, whenever necessary, from the TA and myself. While my office hours are the most convenient time for me to meet with you, if you have an urgent question that cannot wait, please feel free to drop in at any time during the workday, call me by phone, or send email. If I am not in my office, then I can often be found around my labs in the SCIPP area in Nat. Sci. II (Rooms 361 and 369).

Grades and evaluations will be determined from the homework, the midterm exam, and the final exam, with the following approximate weights:

• Homework: 30%
• Midterm exam: 30%
• Final exam: 40%

I give a relatively heavy weight to the homework, in spite of the fact that students may collaborate and otherwise obtain assistance, because it is crucial that you work the problems in order to become proficient with the material. You will be expected to make a serious attempt at all of the assigned problems. For practical reasons, the exam problems cannot be nearly as lengthy as the most difficult homework problems. Nevertheless, please do not skip over a homework problem just because, for example, there is a 3-dimensional integral involved!

In addition to the textbook, a few other books have been placed on reserve for your reference:

• E. M. Purcell, Electricity and Magnetism, Berkeley Physics Course, Volume 2. This text is mathematically at a somewhat lower level than Griffiths, but you will notice that Griffiths often references the author. Purcell’s book is well known for its excellent explanations of the physics and mathematics. One thing to watch out for, however, is that Purcell uses Gaussian units (the same as in the widely used graduate textbook by Jackson) while Griffiths uses the MKS units that you are probably familiar with from Physics 5C or equivalent.
• M. L. Boas, Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences, 2nd Edition. Presumably you already have a copy of this from Physics 114. You will notice that Griffiths makes frequent references to this textbook, and you are encouraged to do the same.
• The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Volume 2. This treatment is at a considerably lower level mathematically than Griffiths, but it is always highly recommended for a fresh point of view on the physics and some insights that can lead to a deeper understanding of the concepts.