Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Physics for Scientists and Engineers II (Face-to-Face)

PHYS 2220-01

Course: PHYS 2220-01
Credits: 4
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSCI
CRN: 31710

Course Description

A continuation of PHYS 2210. Topics to be covered will include vibrations and waves, simple harmonic motion, sound, selected topics in electricity, magnetism, light, optics, and atomic and nuclear physics. A minimum grade of “C” (2.0 or above) must be earned in this course before it can be counted in a physical science major or minor or as a prerequisite for any other course. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Co-requisite(s): PHYS 2225 Prerequisite(s): PHYS 2210 and PHYS 2215 and MATH 1220 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C Registration Restriction(s): None

Required Texts

This course covers material found in three textbooks from OpenStax. These textbooks may be accessed online and downloaded as pdf documents for free.
 
University Physics, Volume I, Authors: Moebs, Ling, & Sanny, Publisher: OpenStax, ISBN-13: 978-1-947172-20-3
 
University Physics, Volume II, Authors: Moebs, Ling, & Sanny, Publisher: OpenStax, ISBN-13: 978-1-947172-21-0
University Physics, Volume III, Authors: Moebs, Ling, & Sanny, Publisher: OpenStax, ISBN-13: 978-1-947172-22-7

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will:
  1. Develop an understanding of relationships between physical quantities by using fundamental physical principles and applying critical thinking skills and to solve problems.
  2. Transform a physical situation described in English into a mathematical problem, then analyze it quantitatively using the appropriate mathematical tools, including calculus, algebra and trigonometry.
  3. Make appropriate approximations in solving problems, and develop physical intuition, which includes the ability to determine whether a numerical answer is reasonable. Students will also analyze the limitations of their solutions.
  4. Apply the principles of physics across discipline boundaries.

Course Requirements

Course Mechanics
This is a lecture-based course; the primary method of instruction is lecture in person. The primary media by which information is conveyed are through the spoken word and by writing supplemental information on the whiteboard. These media are chosen such that the lecture session may emulate the scenario a student may find their self in while solving problems in homework or on an exam.
 
The instructor intends to facilitate an open-minded discussion-based learning environment. Students should not feel fearful or intimidated to speak up in class or to visit the instructor during office hours. There are no “dumb questions;” the instructor is generally happy to see enthusiasm for the topic regardless of the nature of the question. Students are encouraged to contribute to the lecture by asking questions, making comments, and discussing. Students are encouraged to raise their hand for the instructor to call on them, or to wait for a natural pause in the lecture to politely interrupt. Students may also discuss amongst their selves during class; this is highly encouraged as long as the discussion is topical.
 
Lecture is intended to introduce the concepts and techniques and to use them to solve some problems together. The mental and physical muscle memory required to perform well on exams is built by the student by working on homework and studying outside of class. This often involves digging into topics with more depth than the time allotted to lecture affords us. In order to get the most out of lecture, students are encouraged to read the textbooks and begin working on homework problems ahead of when the topic is covered in lecture.
 
 Course Assessment
The course grade is determined using this weighting:
 
 | Category | Percentage
| Homework | 40%
| Midterm Exams | 40%
| Final Exam | 20%
 
Homework
Homework is administered approximately once per week through Canvas where it is posted under ‘Assignments.’ Homework is usually assigned on Sunday and due the following Sunday at 11:59 PM. There may be some exceptions to the normal homework cadence for atypical weeks. Students may complete the homework using any handwritten medium of their choosing (pen and paper, tablet, etc.). Work should be done in a separate document from the problems themselves. Each homework must be submitted to the Canvas assignment as a single .pdf document. Homework may only be submitted once; there are no resubmissions.
 
Late homework is not accepted. There is no grace period for the submission of late work. It is better for the grade to submit incomplete work on time than to attempt to submit complete work after the deadline. It is best for students’ understanding of the material to complete the homework regardless of when it is submitted. The due date and time of Sunday at 11:59 PM is a strict cutoff. Submissions made at 12:00 AM or later are not accepted. It is advised to submit homework ahead of the deadline to allow time to resolve any technical issues that could delay submission.
 
If it is favorable to the student, the lowest homework score will not count toward the final grade. The option to drop one homework assignment is intended to account for the unpredictable realities of life that may make it difficult or impossible for a student to complete and/or submit an assignment on time. Because of the existence of the dropped homework policy, there is no tolerance for any late submission.
 
Students are encouraged to use all resources available to them while completing the homework and studying. Students are encouraged to work together on homework as partners and/or in groups. Students are encouraged to use the textbooks, the internet, and library resources. Students are encouraged to use additional resources including but not limited to solution manuals, artificial intelligence, and coursework from prior semesters. Regardless of the resource(s) used, students are responsible for using the resource(s) properly. Resources are best used as guides or nudges in the right direction when a student is stuck. Using resources properly entails working through the material in detail with the goal of understanding as many steps as possible such that the student may demonstrate their understanding on the exams. It is possible to copy directly from a resource(s) and earn credit for an assignment(s). Copying directly from resources puts academic integrity at risk and makes it difficult to perform on exams where external resources are not permitted.
 
Homework is evaluated based on completeness, not correctness. For a response to be considered complete, the student must make a genuine attempt at showing their work to solve the problem. Single-value responses that do not show work are incomplete and do not receive credit. It is the student’s responsibility to verify their understanding of the homework by checking their work against the solutions posted to Canvas. It is advised to form a habit of working through homework problems formally and showing all steps, as formal responses are required on exams. For your reference, please review the expectations for what work in Physics looks like in the Standards for Work in Physics Guide.
 
Homework is an exercise in independent learning. The vast majority of the learning in this course takes place outside of the classroom. The instructor can introduce concepts in lecture and solve example problems, but the meat of a student’s understanding of the material is built by the student outside of lecture. The goal of the lecture is to expose the student to all material necessary to complete each homework assignment before the assignment is due. It is impossible to cover every topic in full detail in lecture, so students will explore some topics more deeply in homework. We may not make it to some topics in lecture in time, which may require students to investigate the concept(s) independently.
 
Exams
There are four midterm exams and one final exam. Midterm exams are held in person in the normal classroom at the normal meeting time. Exams are not held in the Testing Center. The final exam is cumulative and is administered in the usual classroom on Tuesday, December 9 at 7:00 AM, as indicated on the University final exam schedule. Attendance during the scheduled exam time is mandatory; the only way to receive credit on an exam is to take the exam in person at the scheduled time. In order to pass the class, the final exam must be submitted. All exams are closed-book, closed-notes, and closed everything; all external resources are prohibited except for a calculator. Accommodations may be made for test-taking through the Disability Resource Center (DRC) prior to the exam. Accommodations cannot be made after an exam has begun.
 
Exams may consist of true/false, multiple choice, short answer, and/or open response questions. Exam solutions are evaluated based on correctness and the extent to which the Standards for Work in Physics Guide is followed. Physics exams are cumulative in nature. Each midterm exam focuses primarily on the section of material covered most recently. Topics in Physics usually stand on a foundation of prior material, so maintaining an understanding of prior material is necessary. 
 
If it is favorable to the student, the lowest midterm exam score will not count toward the final grade. The option to drop one midterm exam score is intended to account for the unpredictable realities of life that may make it difficult or impossible for a student to complete and/or submit an exam. Because of the existence of the dropped exam policy, there is no tolerance for missing an exam. Missing an exam due to unavoidable unexpected events such as a death in the family will result in that exam being dropped from the final grade.

Course Outline

Module 1: Fluid Statics
Module 2: Fluid Dynamics
Module 3: Oscillations
Module 4: Waves
Module 5: Sound
Module 6: Electric Charge and Fields
Module 7: Gauss's Law
Module 8: Electric Potential
Module 9: Electric Current and Circuits
Module 10: Magnetism
Module 11: Optics

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late work is not accepted and will not be graded. Homework submission deadlines are strict; 11:59 PM is on time and 12:00 AM is late. It is better to submit incomplete work on time than to attempt to submit complete work late.

Attendance Policy

Attendance in lecture is not recorded and does not count directly toward the grade. It is strongly advised to attend all class meetings in order to keep up with the material. Attendance is required for assessments, which can only be completed in person at the scheduled time. Some items may be dropped from the final grade to account for absence due to unavoidable circumstances. Students are encouraged to read and work ahead such that they are familiar with the material before it is covered in lecture. It is the student's responsibility to catch up on any material that is missed during an absence. It is best not to fall behind as the material builds on itself and late work is not accepted.

Course Fees

Course fees are $13.50 per credit hour.
View SUU's Program and Course Fees.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.