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DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND

ENGINEERING PHYSICS

PHYSICS 4053

INTRODUCTION TO MATERIALS SCIENCE

COURSE SYLLABUS, FALL 2009

Important Note: the following information may be revised during the semester.

Updated: 08/19/09

GENERAL INFORMATION

Instructor: Dr. Alexei Grigoriev

Phone: 918-631-3030

Fax: 918-631-2995

E-mail: alexei-grigoriev@utulsa.edu

Office: Keplinger Hall (KEH), L159

Office hours: Tuesday 1-2 pm, Wednesday 2-3 pm (please ask about additional office hours)

Lecture Monday/Wednesday/Friday, 1:00 – 1:50 pm, KEH M4

First day August 24

Last day December 7

Final exam December 14, 1:00 – 3:25 pm

CATALOG DESCRIPTION

Relationships between structure and physical properties of materials.

Prerequisite: Physics 3053

MATERIALS

• Textbook: Materials Science and Engineering: an Introduction, by W. D. Callister

seventh edition (2007). ISBN 13: 978-0-471-73696-7

• Scientific Calculator

COVERAGE

Atomic and crystalline structure of materials, imperfections in materials, mechanical properties,

phase transformations, electrical properties and electronic structure of materials, thermal

properties, magnetic properties, optical properties, introduction to nanotechnology. We will not

cover or will cover very briefly some mechanical engineering and metallurgy topics such as

failure, applications and processing of materials, and corrosion. Elements of nanotechnology are

not included in the textbook; it is therefore very important that you attend all lectures.

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GRADING Your success in this course will be graded based on the following weight scale:

Homework average — 20%; Exam 1 — 22.5%; Exam 2 — 22.5%; Final exam — 35%

The final course grade will be assigned on the following scale:

90 ≤ % ≤ 100 — A (Superior) ; 80 ≤ % < 90 — B (Good); 70 ≤ % < 80 — C (Average);

60 ≤ % < 70 — D (Poor); 0 ≤ % < 60 — F (Failure)

If you withdraw from this course prior to the start of the fourth week of the semester, the course will not

be shown on your academic record. If you withdraw from this course after the start of the fourth week and up

to and including the twelfth week of the semester, you will receive a grade of W (withdrew).

If you are doing passing work but are unable to complete your course work due to a legitimate and

documented extenuating circumstance (serious illness or personal problems), you can receive a grade of “I”

(incomplete). Incompletes will not be granted without an exceptionally good reason. When an incomplete is

granted, a Record of Incomplete form must be completed and filed in the office of the dean. This form, which

is to be signed by me and student, should specify what must be done to remove the incomplete and give a

deadline for the completion of the unfinished work. If the unfinished work is not completed before the

deadline, your course grade will change from the I to an F.

STANDARDS Materials submitted for grading should adhere to the following standards:

• Use letter size paper, 8-1/2” x 11”.

• Use pencil for your homework (no pen!).

• Graphs must be easy to read, with axes appropriately labeled.

• Do not mix up the order of problems (very important!). Skip a space between problems. Show all

your work for full credit.

• Staple multiple pages together, fold lengthwise, and put your name on the outside.

• Turn in assignments on time, no exceptions unless there is a proven emergency.

A failure to follow any of these standards may (and will) result in a reduction of points for your assignments

and exams.

HOMEWORK Homework assignments consist of problems and discussion questions for each chapter we cover in the

text. Once a week (on Fridays) you will be assigned homework. The homework will be collected in class on

the following Friday at 1:00 p.m. I will make every effort to return your graded homeworks as soon as

possible. Each problem on an assignment will be graded with a 0, 1, or 2 corresponding to no work, partially

correct work, or correct work, respectively. Discussion questions require your answer and your reasoning or

justification for that answer in order to receive credit for the problem. The total score for a problem or a

discussion question will be multiplied by a difficulty factor. Your score will be converted to a percentage.

Your total homework grade will be worth 20% of your final course grade. One homework assignment with the

lowest grade will be excluded from the calculation of your cumulative grade.

REGULAR EXAMS There will be two regular exams (each worth 22.5% of the final grade). Exams will mainly include free

response questions. I will try to avoid multiple choice and true/false questions. The final format of the exams

will be announced at least one week before the exams. Exams are “closed book, closed-notes”.

If you miss a regular exam for any reason, other than documented university-related activities or

medical/family emergency, your score for the missed exam will be a zero. Any questions or disputes regarding

the homework and exams must be addressed prior to the final exam during the final week of classes. I will

correct mistakes in entering points on any previous exams and homework assignments if brought to my

attention before the final exam. No changes will be made on any previously graded materials after the final

exam.

FINAL EXAM On December 14, 1:00 – 3:25 p.m., there will be a final exam that will be worth 35% of your final course

grade. There is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY to reschedule or makeup the final exam for any individual student.

The final exam will be comprehensive and will cover all materials in this course. If you do not take the final

exam on December 14, 1:00 – 13:25 p.m., you will receive a zero (0).

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SOME TIPS • I encourage you to read the book. Both the book and lectures are essential to your success in this

class.

• Instead of memorizing equations, understand physics laws and concepts behind these equations.

• Save all of your work in a notebook.

• Plan ahead to work on your assignments, do not wait until the deadline.

• You should consider the assigned homework to be the minimum necessary to learning the material.

Working more problems on your own will improve your understanding of the material.

• In class, please respect your colleagues, do not sleep, do not eat, turn off your cell phones.

• I encourage you to work together on homework assignments. This collaborative work must not imply

copying your homeworks.

ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT There is no tolerance for cheating. Two or more identical homework assignments returned for grading are

considered an act of cheating. During exams, gathering information from a source other than the exam given

to your, or your brain, is considered cheating. The minimum penalty for cheating is a zero (0) grade on the

assignment in question that cannot then be dropped in the calculation of the final grade. You are expected to

have read the section of The University of Tulsa Undergraduate Bulletin dealing with academic honesty. In all

cases of academic dishonesty, I will follow the procedures contained in the document titled “Policies and

Procedures Relating to Student Academic Misconduct in the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences.”

This document is available to you in the Office of the Dean, Room KEP M205. Cell/smart phones,

laptops/netbooks and similar wireless communication capable gadgets must not be used during tests. The use

of such or similar gadgets during tests or exams (unless specifically encouraged) will be considered as an

attempt to engage in an act of cheating.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS If you have a learning or physical disability, which might affect your performance in this class, please

contact the student support service at 631-2315 as soon as possible so we can provide you with appropriate

assistance.

SCHEDULE (subject to change)

Week Topic

1 Introduction, classifications of materials, atomic structure and bonding

2 Crystalline structure of materials, experimental determination of crystal structures

3 Imperfections in solids: vacancies, dislocations, grain boundaries

4 Diffusion in materials. Mechanical properties.

5 Mechanical properties of materials: dislocations and plastic deformations.

6 Exam review and EXAM #1.

7 Phase transformations. Basic concepts, phase diagrams, examples.

8 Structure and properties of ceramics.

9 Polymer materials. Composite materials.

10 Electrical properties of materials.

11 Exam review and EXAM #2.

12 Thermal properties. Magnetic properties of materials.

13 Optical properties of materials.

14 Nanoscale materials.