The third and final PY212 exam covers all of the PY212 material, but especially chapters 31-39 (excluding chapter 37) of Fishbane. The majority of points will correspond to the last third of the course: Faraday's Law, inductance and RL circuits, electromagnetic radiation, interference, and diffraction. There will be five questions. The first question will consist of a few short-answer/multiple-choice questions covering all parts of the material. The second question will be be on some topic from the first 2/3 of the course. The other three questions will emphasize the last 1/3 of the course, but a sub-question may pull in old material. Partial credit will be given. A formula sheet covering the entire course will be provided (see the previous web page). Difficult integrals will be provided if necessary; in general, we are not trying to test your knowledge of math. Numerical constants will be provided as necessary.

As before, it is your responsibility to know: simple derivatives and integrals, geometric formulas, and prefixes for units (such as micro=µ=10^-6).

Suggestions for study:

Review old exam! See solutions posted on previous page. 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? Read the "Problem-Solving Hints" at the back of each chapter.
• careless errors? Past students have misread "exactly one second after switch 3 is closed" and use 3 seconds in the calculation. Read the question carefully and determine what is being asked! 
• do you understand the terminology? Look at the old exams and the practice exam and see if you know what all the words and phrases mean. If we ask for a field do not give us a force or a flux!

You don't have time to reread the chapter text, but you can spend some time reviewing the example problems. Look at the important figures carefully and see if you can sketch them in your notes. You should also review your homework and compare your work against the solutions on the web. And go over the conceptual exercises (quizzes), which also have detailed solutions posted on the web. You need to reinforce the concepts behind 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 electromagnetism goes.

Nonetheless, 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 current. 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 S = ExB/µ0 to other forms using E/B=c and c=1/sqrt(epsilon0*µ0). Understand which are for instantaneous values and which are for average values.

Now, take the practice exam. Set aside 2 hours and quiet test conditions. 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 a walk in the sunshine. If not, you should seek extra help. 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.

For further help, see your professor or your section instructor. You might also try the University Resource Center- they 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.