A question arose today in class in the example of the parallel plate
capacitor (the two plates which were held at a potential difference).
The question was what happens if the path vector ds points left
against the E-field (which points right) when computing the potential
difference integral between the plates?  I will address this in
recitation this week with a quick analysis on the board.

Now for some exam information:

First, there is no practice exam. I don't have the material from last
year and don't know if the same material was covered at the same rate,
so you have the following exam study materials: lecture notes through
to the first part of today's lecture, recitation group problems #1,
problem sets #1 through #3 (be sure to download homework solutions
from the web!), and reading from relevant sections of Hecht Chapters
10, 11, and 15. This will cover everything that is on the exam. It is
important that you understand the concepts and problem solving methods
and when you should apply them. Don't just memorize stuff because then
you will get stuck if you see a problem in which you have to reason a
little to figure out how to proceed.

The exam is 50 minutes and will start at 11:35. The exam ends at
12:25. DON'T BE LATE! if you have a class just before this one, leave
5 minutes early if necessary to get to the exam.

Do all work in the exam booklet provided.

You can bring in one 3 x 5 index card with equations and constants on
both sides. The constants used in lecture or on problem sets are fair
game, but there aren't too many of them that I count in my notes, so
that shouldn't dominate your card.

Bring a calculator, because you'll need it for some calculations.

Partial credit will be awarded, so it is critical that you make an
attempt at each problem. Don't just get stuck on one problem. Keep
moving on the exam (but don't just rush - be deliberate and
focused). Time will be important since you only have 50 minutes, so be
mindful of that.

Here is the format of the exam:

One multiple choice problem. This shouldn't take you long.

Four problems of roughly comparable value which ask you to do
calculations. Each one of these problems has two parts (a and b). That
averages to about 12 minutes for each of the four problems, so if you
spend a minute thinking about the problem and then tackle it, you
should be OK. None of the problems are designed to make you spend a
lot of time doing very heavy mathematical calculations.

Be sure to stop by and discuss anything that is confusing you.