Practice, practice, practice! Work out problems to which you have the answer. The problems in the study guide by Elby are excellent practice exam questions. Try to solve the problem with only the formula sheet in front of you. After you are done, check your answer and give a grade out of 10 points. Where did you lose credit?

• simple numerical math mistake? keep practicing simple problems and you will hopefully eliminate these mistakes as you catch yourself with common errors.
• problems with calculus? perhaps the wrong dq or limits of integration? go back to the chapter and find the "Example" that covers the appropriate topic. Carefully write out the solution on your own paper... do you understand each step?
• wrong approach? Find a similar problem (in the examples in the book, in the homework, or in the study guide by Elby) and determine what approach was used in the solution.

Reread the chapter text, you can skip the examples at this point, just read all the words and understand the concepts and practical applications. Try to answer some of the "Questions" at the back of the chapter. The idea here is to reinforce the concepts of the physical principles. The exam will not simply be a test to see if you can plug numbers into formulas and properly multiply and divide... we will be testing to see if you understand the way the world works- at least as far as electrostatics goes. Rereading the summary at the end of the chapter is an economical way to review.

It is important to understand the formula sheet. Look at each formula- do you know what all the variables are? What is r? Maybe it is simply radius... but maybe it is the distance between some point and an element of charge. Not every formula applies in every situation. Which formula for potential is used only in the case of a uniform electric field? Finally, sometimes you need to rederive a simple relation because we only give you one; for example... practice converting from U = Q²/2C (given) to U = 1/2 CV² (not given). Are there any others like this?

Now, take the practice exam. Set aside 1.5 hours and quiet test conditions. Don't peek at the solutions!! Again, grade yourself and diagnose as above where your problems occured. Did you follow the Test Taking Tips? If you got a good grade- congratulations, treat yourself to an ice cream. If not, you should seek extra help. As you can see from the distribution, a number of students did answer the questions quite well. Keep in mind that there is an abundance of different material in these chapters, and this year's test will not simply be a minor variation on the practice exam. Concentrate on the material that was emphasized in lecture and homeworks.

The study guide by Elby also has more practice questions in the back (chapter 48 is relevant) and even practice exams (chapter 50-53). Keep your book closed, shoo your noisy friends away, and just use the formula sheet to get the most out of practice questions! You might also read chapter 47, which is his own "test taking tips" and other advice about studying.

For further help, see Profs. Kearns or Rohlf or your section instructors. You might also try the University Resource Center- we checked and they do have tutors standing by who can help with PY212. Visit them at 1 University Rd, suite 150 (353-7077) and they will give you the name and number of a tutor. This is a free service.