Course Information
Course Description
This calculus-based physics course covers electricity, magnetism, circuits, and optics through Python-enhanced simulations. Given any electromagnetic system (charges, fields, circuits, waves, light), students learn to identify the configuration, choose the right law (Coulomb, Gauss, Kirchhoff, Ampere, Faraday), write the equation, predict the measurable quantity, and verify with simulation.
The course follows a consistent methodology: Configuration → Law → Equation → Prediction → Verify. Each week uses one notebook containing the lecture and problem activities, delivered via Google Colab.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Calculate electric fields and forces using Coulomb's law and the superposition principle.
- Apply Gauss's law to predict electric fields for symmetric charge distributions.
- Analyze DC circuits using Kirchhoff's rules and predict voltages, currents, and time behavior in RC circuits.
- Predict magnetic forces on moving charges and current-carrying conductors using the Lorentz force law.
- Apply Ampere's law to predict magnetic fields from symmetric current configurations.
- Use Faraday's and Lenz's laws to predict induced EMF and current direction in changing magnetic flux scenarios.
- Analyze RLC circuits for resonance conditions, natural frequency, and damping behavior.
- Apply geometric optics (Snell's law, lens equation) and wave optics (interference, diffraction) to predict light behavior.
Weekly Schedule
| Week | Topic | Key Content | Weekly notebook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 · Electric Fields & Energy (Weeks 1-3) | |||
| 01 | The Invisible Force: Charge, Coulomb & Electric Field |
Superposition, point charge fields, 2D field vectors | Week 1 notebook |
| 02 | Energy Landscape: Electric Potential |
Potential-field relationship, work/energy, potential surfaces | Week 2 notebook |
| 03 | The Symmetry Shortcut: Gauss's Law |
Symmetry, closed surface flux, symmetric field distributions | Week 3 notebook |
| Phase 2 · Storing & Moving Charge (Weeks 4-6) | |||
| 04 | Storing Energy: Capacitors & Dielectrics |
Capacitance calculation, energy storage, series/parallel | Week 4 notebook |
| 05 | Predicting Circuits: Ohm & Kirchhoff |
Junction/loop analysis, circuit solving, voltage divider | Week 5 notebook |
| 06 | Time Behavior: RC Circuits |
Charge/discharge, time constant τ=RC, low-pass filter concept | Week 6 notebook |
| Phase 3 · Magnetism & Induction (Weeks 7-9) | |||
| 07 | The Other Force: Magnetic Fields & Lorentz |
Moving charges in B fields, circular orbits, velocity selector | Week 7 notebook |
| 08 | Creating B Fields: Ampere's Law |
Long wire, solenoid, toroid, right-hand rule | Week 8 notebook |
| 09 | Change Creates Current: Faraday & Lenz |
Induced EMF, direction, generator model | Week 9 notebook |
| Phase 4 · AC & Resonance (Week 10) | |||
| 10 | Resonance: RL & RLC Circuits |
RL step response, RLC natural frequency, damping, Q factor | Week 10 notebook |
| Phase 5 · Unification — Maxwell (Week 11) | |||
| 11 | The Grand Unification: Maxwell & EM Waves |
Fields creating each other, EM wave concept | Week 11 notebook |
| Phase 6 · Light — Fields You Can See (Weeks 12-13) | |||
| 12 | Tracing Light: Geometric Optics |
Reflection/refraction, Snell's law, lenses, image formation | Week 12 notebook |
| 13 | Light as a Wave: Interference & Diffraction |
Double slit, grating, diffraction patterns | Week 13 notebook |
| Phase 7 · Proving Mastery (Week 14) | |||
| 14 | Capstone: Configuration → Law → Predict → Verify |
Full project: EM system analysis + verification | Week 14 notebook |
Course Delivery & Learning Contract
What Students Can Expect Every Week
- Protected class time: the 3-hour session starts and finishes according to the official timetable, with a visible agenda and planned breaks.
- Clear explanation: each major idea follows explain → worked example → prediction → test → interpretation.
- Questions and voice: questions are welcome throughout; checkpoints reserve explicit time for think-pair-explain, misconceptions, and open questions.
- Professional purpose: the course is designed for Mechatronics and Computer Engineering students and repeatedly connects concepts to circuits, fields, sensing, communications, optics, and computing hardware.
- Exam alignment: notebooks label the reasoning moves rehearsed on assessments. Exams use the same verbs and standards with new values or contexts.
- Materials: weekly notes, runnable examples, core practice, feedback checkpoints, optional extensions, and references are provided from the start of the term.
Assessment & Grading
| Component | Weight | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Midterm Exam | 25% | Written/practical exam covering Weeks 1-7 concepts |
| Final Exam | 50% | Comprehensive exam covering all 14 weeks |
| In-Class Project Demonstration & Technical Explanation | 25% | Live demonstration or presentation during scheduled class time, scored with the published rubric; weekly notebooks are private practice |
In-Class Demonstration Rubric
- Completeness: Core functionality demonstrated during the scheduled class
- Correctness: Solutions produce expected physical predictions for given configurations
- Methodology: Evidence of Configuration → Law → Equation → Prediction → Verify approach
- Verification: Simulation results compared with analytical predictions
Course Policies
Attendance
Regular attendance is expected. Students who miss more than 30% of classes may be denied the right to take the final exam, per university regulations. Weekly notebooks are private practice and are not used as an attendance record.
Academic Honesty
All assessed exams and live demonstrations must represent your own understanding. You may discuss general approaches with classmates, but you must be able to explain and adapt the solutions you demonstrate. The following are considered violations:
- Copying solutions from another student or external source without attribution
- Sharing your exercise solutions with other students
- Presenting AI-generated work that you cannot explain, test, or modify
AI Tool Usage
AI assistants (ChatGPT, Copilot, etc.) may be used as learning aids to understand concepts. However, you must be able to explain and modify any work you demonstrate. Exercises are designed to build your physics intuition progressively — bypassing them with AI defeats the purpose and will leave you unprepared for exams.
Communication
For course-related questions, email arif.solmaz@istun.edu.tr with your course code (PHY102) in the subject line. Office hours: Wednesday, 09:00–11:00 AM.
References & Resources
- Primary: Course notebooks (provided weekly via Google Colab)
- University Physics with Modern Physics — Young & Freedman
- Fundamentals of Physics — Halliday, Resnick & Walker
- The Feynman Lectures on Physics — Richard Feynman (free online)
- Physics Simulations: PhET Interactive Simulations — phet.colorado.edu