University Physics 2 (PHY2423) – Course Objectives
Created by Dr. Scott Schneider – Revised 01/24/05
• Study the properties of light and the electromagetic spectrum.
• Solve problems involving refraction and total internal reflection of light.
• Calculate the final intensity and polarization direction from a series of polarizers.
• Study the properties of polarization by reflection, absorption, scattering.
• Calculate the locations of final images from real or virtual objects in systems containing
converging or diverging lenses or mirrors.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to ray-trace light through converging and diverging lenses.
• Solve problems involving multiple lenses (eyeglasses/telescopes/microscopes).
• Solve problems involving masses on springs (introduction to wave motion).
• Investigate traveling waves and interference/superposition of waves
(constructive/destructive interference).
• Solve problems involving the Doppler effect.
• Calculate the locations of bright and dark (constructive and destructive interference)
locations in single or multiple slit systems.
• Investigate phasor diagrams for multiple slits.
• Find the net electric field (or electric force) from a collection of discrete electric charges.
• Integrate to find the net electric field from continuous charge distributions.
• Solve problems involving electric potentials (discrete and continuous).
• Calculate the total resistance of a circuit containing a mixture of series and parallel
resistances.
• Use Kirchhoff's Laws to find the currents in multi-loop circuits.
• Calculate the total capacitance of a circuit containing a mixture of series and parallel
capacitances.
• Study the effects of adding dielectrics to capacitors.
• Calculate voltages and currents in resistor-capacitor charging/discharging circuits.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the various right-hand rules associated with magnetic fields and
moving charges.
• Calculate the torque on current-carrying loops in magnetic fields
• Study the Hall effect to determine the sign of the charge carriers.
• Study the magnetic fields created by straight wires and coils.
• Investigate the effect of a changing magnetic flux on coils (induced currents - laws of
Faraday and Lenz).
• Calculate voltages and currents in RLC alternating current circuits.
• Demonstrate ability to identify phasor relationships between circuit elements in RLC
circuits.
• Study the properties of transformers and motors.