Paul Trunfio's BU Teaching Page

PY106 Spring 2024 Syllabus (Spring 2025 will have similar flow)
PhET Simulations
BU Physics Simulations
Essential Physics II Textbook (Online)
College Physics Textbook (OpenStax)
Self-Guided Conceptual Videos & Additional Resources

Want to get a head start? 1-2 weeks before first class...

Obtain a scientific calculator (NOT a mobile phone app) which has sine, cosine, exponential and their inverse functions. Any will do, but preferrably one with a multi-line display so you can double check and redo your calculations step by step. For example: TI-30XIIS, TI-30XS Multiview, TI-36X Pro, Casio fx-115ES, Casio fx-991CW.

Math/Physics Prep Packet

Review Gravitation (see Lecture Notes, Gravitation Video (7 minutes), Gravitation Worksheet and see Gravitation Worksheet Solutions)

From PY105, review vectors and trigonometry (see Math/Physics Prep Packet), Newton's Laws, Conservation of Energy, Simple Harmonic Motion. That's Ch. 4, 7, and 16 from College Physics (OpenStax). If you want the "BU feel" you can check out Ch. 3, 7, and 12 from Essential Physics I (Duffy) or go over the e-Book from PY105's Top Hat.

Once you feel comfortable with PY105 content, if you want to get a head start on this course, read Ch. 18 and 19 from College Physics (OpenStax). Again, if you want the "BU-feel" of how we explain these concepts, you can check out Ch. 16 and 17 from Essential Physics II (Duffy). But College Physics is probably a better read to prepare as it's more "glitzy" with pictures, etc.

You can complement your reading with the associated simulations (many of which are referenced in the text):

A survey of physics via animation, a must watch: Animation vs. Physics (16 min by Alan Becker, 2023)

Context for college physics, a must watch: Fun to Imagine with Richard Feynman (7:30 clip on "Why?")

Scale: Powers of Ten with Morgan Freeman (10 minute clip)

Announcements and Frequently Asked Questions

01.17.2025 - Spring 2025 Wait List Functionality, Update 4 - Sections S1, S2 and S3 are at over-capacity enrollment, so those sections will be closed. Anyone on the wait lists and not currently enrolled in the course, should make alternative plans which mean S4, S5 or S6. Also, PY106 Blackboard site is up, and we can post announcements there. Finally, Piazza and Top Hat will be set up this weekend. This announcement will be mirrored to Blackboard.

01.08.2025 - Spring 2025 Wait List Functionality, Update 3 - When we increased seats yesterday we noticed that some students unexpectedly were not taken off the wait lists. Here is what I have learned in the past 24 hours from CAS, which I am communicating to all of you:

This Class Status/Class Wait List Quick Card details the following:

The most common reasons a student is not moved off the Wait List:

That student is somehow ineligible to register or has some sort of compliance hold, or
That student would be enrolled in over 20 units (formerly credits) if they came off the Wait List, or
There is a time conflict with another class (which may include the PY106 exam block, see below).

Assuming these do not apply for you, this is also a possibility:

If you are already enrolled in a PY106 section (so you are looking to swap into another section) AND when you signed up for the wait list for ANOTHER section you did NOT designate a section to swap out of (i.e., the one you are already in), the system will see a time conflict (with the exam block) and not move you off the wait list.

In this case, here is what you need to do:

Verify that your spot on the Wait List for the section you want to swap into is low enough to guarantee a seat for you given the current open seats (just look at the number of open seats and compare to your spot on the wait list, if the number of open seats is greater than or equal to your spot on the wait list, you should automtically be moved in).
You would then need to SELF DROP the section you are currently enrolled in.
The system would then automatically take you off the wait list and enroll you in the new section (within 30 minutes).
If this does not occur, then contact me.

If you have questions, just let me know.

01.07.2025 - Spring 2025 PY106 Wait Lists, Update 2 - Seats in all sections were increased this morning (Tuesday). Students who are near the top of S1 through S4 wait lists should be automatically moved in. After the moves, if you are still on a wait list and not in a course, there should be available seats in S5 (MWF 2:30 pm) and S6 (MW 6:30 pm) sections.

01.02.2025 - Spring 2025 PY106 Registration Status/Wait Lists, Update 1 - There will be some movement in the wait lists/registrations over the next several days. We are opening up a few spots in each currently full section. This will all be handled based on position in the wait list through myBU. We are not able to accommodate individual requests.

To elaborate on this a bit: I made the request to the Registar to open the seats. I anticipate this will be done on Monday. There will be 2-3 additional seats opened in S1 through S4, about 6 additional seats in S5 (4:30 pm), and S6 has open seats (6:30 pm).

I also did a count of current enrollment, who is enrolled in a section but on a wait list for another section, and who is NOT enrolled in the course. After opening these seats, by my count we will have 31 students who need to get into the course who are not enrolled in any section currently, and we will have 41 available seats. So, that's good news.

The not so good news, is that we don't have flexibility (beyond where you are in the wait list position) to move students from one section to another.

10.11.2024 - How can I manage the pace of the course and do you have suggestions for how to be successful and minimize stress? This is a very good question, as the course is fast-paced, surveys a lot of physics, and is also more abstract than PY105. If you recently took PY105 (in Fall semester studio), then this is a really good prepartion for the spring semester, as it will be the same collaborative style. If you took PY105 at some other time, or as lecture-format, then coming in prepared (see above) is really advisable. As you read through the syllabus, from last year, no matter how you look at it, the fact is this course is fast-paced and we are expecting a lot from you. The way to not get overwhelmed by the pace, is to work towards a routine for yourself and follow it! We will certainly help you achieve this, partly because we will be doing our best to build a "we're all in this" community atmosphere, so you won't feel alone. We will provide real-world applications (particularly in health and medicine) so that you can see physics in action. Finally, we will build into the schedule a full slate of office hours and review sessions, and small group extra help sessions. Our goal in teaching, and hopefully your goal in learning, is that the course and all the structures we are building in support you so that nobody is left behind.

10.11.2024 - If you have any questions, please e-mail to: trunfio@bu.edu and please put PY106 in the subject heading. I will provide updates here with any FAQ's.

Boston University PY106 - Physics II

Want to get a head start? 1-2 weeks before first class...

Announcements and Frequently Asked Questions