Daniel D. Sega, PhD.

Daniel D. Sega, PhD.

Warped disks and planetary rings / Philosophy of physics / Latin American philosophy

PHY2049C (Spring 2026)

Undergraduate course, Florida State University, 2026

Physics Studio B

  • Instructor: Prof. Daniel D. Sega (email)
  • Instructor’s Office: 2nd Floor, Faculty Wing
  • Course Times: Spring 2026, Tues./Thur./Fri 9:30-12:00m
  • Location: Room 309
  • Office Hours: Faculty Wing or Room 309: Thur./Tue./Fri./Thu./Fri. 12:20pm-12:50pm
  • Syllabus: See the most up-to-date version.

Summary

In this course, engineering and science majors will learn about the electromagnetic phenomena and the motion under electromagnetic fields. They will learn the basics of electronics (circuits) and of how day-to-day electromechanic technology works. They will also learn about the nature of a classical fields and the mathematics behind working with fields.

There’s a lot more information about this course – including details about the textbook, who should/shouldn’t take this class, and how your grade is calculated – in the syllabus.

Course Material

The primary “required readings” are in the OpenStax book University Physics 2. To set-up an extra credit tutorial studemnts must fill this excel sheet

Here are some additional resources:

  • An excellent, more abridged e-book for this course is available through the FSU Library Fundamental of Physics II. Give it a try if the OpenStax book treatment of a topic does not click with you. Ramamurti Shankar writes in a very particular voice that can help some students.
  • This book is based on R. Shankar’s Open Course (Yale University), which is available online. These lectures were, and still are, a helpful resource for me.
  • The phone app phyphox will be required in some of the labs, download here.

Schedule

Below is a detailed schedule that will list the material covered in each class session, links to electronic copies of any handouts and problem sets, and various course deadlines.

  • Thu., January 8: Electrostatics (Chp. 5)

    Handout: syllabus Homework 1 (Chp. 5-Electrostatics) assigned, due Thur., January 22.
  • Fri., January 9: No Classes
  • Tues., January 13: The Electric Field (Chp. 5)
  • Thur., January 15: Problem-solving session | Electrostatics & The Electric Field (Chp. 5)
  • Fri., January 16: Gauss’s Law (45-min lecture) (Chp. 6) | Problem-solving session | Electrostatics & The Electric Field (Chp. 5)

  • Tues., January 20: Quiz Chp. 5 (Practice1, Practice2–> Solved)

    Extra credit reading 1: The Principle of Sufficient Reason: Origin of Symmetry Arguments due Fri., Fri. January 23

  • Thur., January 22: Gauss’s Law (Chp. 6) (1-hour lecture) | Problem-solving session

    Homework 1 due. Homework 2 (Chp. 6 ) assigned, due Thur., February 5.
  • Fri., January 23: Problem-solving session | Gauss’s Law (Chp. 6)

  • Tues., January 27: Gauss’s Law (Chp. 6)

    Lab 1: Electrostatic Generator
  • Thur., January 29: Quiz Chp. 6 (Practice)
  • Fri., January 30: The Electric Potential (Chp. 7)

  • Tues., February 3: The Electric Potential (Chp. 7).

    Lab 2: Introduction to the Multimeter

  • Thur., February 5: Problem-solving session | The Electric Potential (Chp. 7).

    Homework 2 due.

  • Fri., February 6: Quiz Chp. 7 (Practice)
  • Tues., February 10: Capacitance (Chp. 8)

  • Thur., February 12: Problem-solving session | Capacitance (Chp. 8)

    Homework 3 (Chp. 7) assigned, due Tues., March 3
  • Fri., February 13: Currents, Resistance, and Circuits (Chp. 9 and Chp. 10)
  • Tues., February 17: No Classes
  • Thur., February 19: No Classes
  • Fri., February 20: No Classes
  • Tues., February 24: Problem-solving session | Currents and Resistance (Chp. 9)
  • Thur., February 26: Quiz Chp. 8 & 9 (Practice)

  • Fri., February 27: Circuits I (Chp. 10)

    Lab 3: Introduction to Oscilloscopes

  • Tues., March 3: Problem-solving session | Circuits I (Chp. 10)

    Homework 3 due Homework 4 (Ch 9) assigned, due Tues., March 17.

  • Thur., March 5: Quiz Chp. 10 (Practice –> Solved)

    Extra credit reading 2: What’s more real, Field or Potential? due Fri. March 13.
  • Fri., March 6: Magnetism I (Ch. 11)

  • Tues., March 10: Magnetism I (Ch. 11)

    Lab 4: Circuits I

  • Thur., March 12: Magnetism II (Ch. 11)

    Homework 4 due.
  • Fri., March 13: Problem-Solving Session | Magnetism I & II (Ch. 11 & Ch. 12)

  • Tues., March 17: Faraday and Lenz (Ch. 13 & 14)

    Homework 4 due. Homework 5 (Chp. 10, 11) assigned, due Tues., April 7.
  • Thur., March 19: Magnetism II (Ch. 11)
  • Fri., March 20: Problem-Solving Session | Magnetism I & II (Ch. 11 & Ch. 12)
  • Tues., March 24: Faraday and Lenz (Ch. 13 & 14)
  • Thur., March 26: Quiz Chp. 11 & 12 (Practice –> Solved)
  • Fri., March 27: Problem-Solving Session | Faraday and Lenz (Ch. 13

  • Tues., March 31: Faraday and Lenz (Ch. 13)

    Lab 5: CRTs
  • Thur., April 2: Quiz Chp. 13 (Practice –> Solved)
  • Fri., April 3: No Classes

  • Tues., April 7: Inductance (Ch. 14)

    Homework 5 due. Homework 6 (Chp. 12, 13, 14) assigned, due Tues., April 24.

  • Thur., April 9: Circuits II (Ch. 15)

    Lab 6, day 1: Solenoids and Inductors

  • Fri., April 10: Circuits II (Ch. 15)

    Lab 6, day 2: Solenoids and Inductors
  • Tues., April 14: Problem-Solving Session | Inductance & Circuits II (Ch. 14) & (Ch. 15)
  • Thur., April 16: Problem-Solving Session | Inductance & Circuits II (Ch. 14) & (Ch. 15)
  • Fri., April 17: Quiz Chp. 14 & 15 (Practice –> Solved)
  • Tues., April 21: Maxwell Equations (Ch. 16)

  • Thur., April 23: Circuits II (Ch. 15)

    Lab 7, day 1: Circuits III

  • Fri., April 24: Circuits II (Ch. 15)

    Homework 6 due. Lab 7, day 2: Circuits III

[Final Exam: Tuesday April 28. (Practice)]