Lectures: MWF 9:30-10:20 in A110.  Lectures may include material not in the text!

Office hours: I will be available in my office (B432) on Monday and Wednesday from 1.30 to 3.00 pm to discuss anything. Please also feel free to drop in any time you find me there, and depending how busy I am I'll try to help or arrange another time with you.  The TA will also have office hours from 3-5 on Thursday in B439.

Texts: the primary text is Thermal Physics, by Daniel V. Schroeder (Addison Wesley, 1999, new hardback $54.48 on Amazon).  It is not possible to learn any subject from a single text book!

Homework: Assigned weekly on the web. to be handed in on Friday (still to be decided) in class.  See the schedule for specifics.  The solutions will be made available immediately after that class (you'll be told how to access them on the web site).  Late submissions should be brought to me in person.  Homework left in my mailbox won't be graded!!  If you are likely to miss the deadline, tell me your reason before the deadline so a special arrangement can be made.

Exams: The dates are given on the schedule page.  Note that it's not your absolute score, but how well you do relative to the others in the class which matters (see next item.)  Exams are closed book and closed notes, and no calculators (here's why)!  No notes page is allowed!  You are expected to remember the relevant equations from the equation sheet, and you will get some guaranteed points for doing so.

Quizzes: I will hand out the occasional 10 minute quiz at the start of Monday or Wednesday classes. I'll collect your answers and each time give you a point for writing your name, though I hope you'll manage more. Each quiz point will be added to your final homework total.

Final grade calculation:  Your score on each component of the course (exam or homework) is scaled using the mean and standard deviation over the class so that it measures your performance relative to the rest of the class. The median final grade of the class will be around 3.0.  HW(25%)+MT1(25%)+MT2(25%)+final(50%) adds up to 125%.  Then in calculating your final score, either one midterm score, half of the final exam score, or the homework score - whichever is worst - will be dropped.  So for instance if you mess up one midterm you can get away with it.

Web pages: Keep an eye on the web pages (courses.washington.edu/phys224/).  Announcements, homework, new resources, and surveys will be posted there frequently, and the class schedule will be continually updated.

Bonus questions: There will be extra advanced questions in addition the homework for advanced study purposes.  I may give bonus points for good solutions.

Discussion board: there is a discussion board for any issues that can be discussed publicly.  Examples of how you might use it are for: (1) a technical question which has been frustrating you; (2) a correction or clarification; (3) a useful piece of information or pointing to a web site; (4) arranging a study class.  At best, other students will respond.  The professor and TA will also monitor it, and provide answers when appropriate.

Resources page: make good use of the web, for instance using the links given on the resources page.  Please let me know by email if you find other useful links!