Course Objectives
This course will introduce students to the general principles of quantum mechanics. Lectures will be used for discussion and presentations, by myself and students, of the ideals presented in the text. I will use Maple software at times to illustrate the behavior of dynamic systems.
Reading
You will be given regular reading assignments. I will announce the reading assignments in class. I expect that we will cover chapters 1-9 in order. You are responsible for the reading. We will spend some class time discussing the reading material. We will not have time to discuss everything in the reading. I recommend that you make an outline of the material in each chapter. This will force you to organize the information in your own words. It is a good way to improve your retention of the material in each chapter.
Homework
Homework assignments will be announced for each chapter in class. You will be responsible for completing these assignments. The best way to improve in any activity is to practice. Homework problems are practice in the Physics world. The homework assignments will be fairly expansive. You will have ample time for each assignment if you begin them as sson as they are assigned. We will use the homework assignments to drive some classroom discussion. The homework assignment will also provide exam ideas. Do not wait until the last minute to begin an assignment.
There is no laboratory component to this course. However, you should treat the homework assignments as a laboratory assignment. Simply writing down mathematical expressions is not enough. You need to explain in writing what you have done and why you have done it. This will help to develop understanding. It takes longer, but it also tends to stick longer too.
I encourage you to use Maple on the home work when you can. See me for information on obtaining a student copy of this software. I caution you to make sure that you understand what the program is doing. Do not use Maple as a black box that you ask a question and out pops an answer. This will not help you to learn. I also encourage you to work together on the home work. You will find that you can learn a lot from your fellow students. Again this comes with a caution; if you use your classmates to get your homework done and do not contribute, you will gain very little from the exercise.
I want you to keep a "Homework" journal. All of your solutions to the assigned problems need to be kept (in order) in a three ring binder. I will pick your homework journals up to check it for completeness at the end of the semester. Most of the homework problems will be presented in class. During the in-class presentations I will "grade" your responses.
Your homework grade will be determined partly by your journal, partly by your performance on problems presented in class.
Exams
There will be 3 exams during the semester. The dates for the exams will be announced in class. Each of these exams will have an in-class and take-home component. Your exam score (40% of your grade) will be the average of the three exams. The final exam will be a comprehensive in-class/take-home exam. The final exam will count for 25% of the final grade.
Participation
There will be classroom participation points given for in-class activities. These will make-up 5% of your grade. If you are not in class you will not get the points. There is no make-up for classroom participation.
| Grade Scale |
90 |
- |
100 |
A |
|
|
|
|
Grade Makeup |
|
Participation |
5% |
|
|
80 |
- |
89 |
B |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Homework |
30% |
|
|
65 |
- |
79 |
C |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exams |
40% |
|
|
50 |
- |
64 |
D |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Final Exam |
25% |
|
|
49 |
- |
0 |
F |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Attendance Policy
I will expect you to be in class every day. There may be times when you are unable to attend. If you know this ahead of time, let me know. I will not take attendance in lecture (except during the first week). I will keep records for class participation, and if you are not in class you will not receive credit.
Other Policies
The policies and procedures detailed in the UCA 2006-2007 Student handbook (www.uca.edu/divisions/student/handbook/ucastudenthandbook.pdf) are also part of this syllabus. Particularly, but not limited to, those pertaining to Academic Policies (beginning on page 38 of the handbook) and the Sexual Harassment Policy (beginning on page 117 of the handbook).
The University of Central Arkansas adheres to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need an accommodation under the Act due to a disability, contact the UCA Office of Disability Services at 450-3135 (www.uca.edu/divisions/student/disability/).
This should be used as a guide, the specifics may change as the semester matures.