PHYS 102 :: Physics Illinois :: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Schedule and Document Links

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Posting schedule

You can generally expect course materials to be made available to you according to the following schedule:

Prelectures, Checkpoints, and Homework open on smart.physics.illinois.edu one week before they are due.

Lecture notes handouts are posted at least 24 hours in advance of lecture to facilitate note-taking during lecture.

Lecture slides are posted up to 24 hours after lecture and include annotations and answers to poll questions.

Lab materials and Discussion slides are posted on Monday during the week of the respective class meeting.

Discussion questions are posted Friday before the week of the respective lab.

Discussion solutions are typically posted Monday following the week of the respective class meeting.


Summary of recurring schedule

Monday:

Wednesday:

Friday:

Labs

Discussion

Tests


Physics 102 Schedule

Week 1
Date Prelecture Checkpoint Lecture Lab Discussion Homework Exam
Monday
8/24/2026
Prelecture 1 Checkpoint 1 Lecture 1: 
Electric Charge  
pdf ppt (notes)
       
Tuesday
8/25/2026
      No Lab Discussion 1:
Handout 1
Solutions 1

 

   
Wednesday
8/26/2026
Prelecture 2 Checkpoint 2 Lecture 2: 
Coulomb’s Law & Free-body Diagrams
pdf ppt (notes)

 
 
Thursday
8/27/2026
         
Friday
8/28/2026
      Week 1 Prelab: 
PHYS 102 Lab Structure
     
Week 2
Date Prelecture Checkpoint Lecture Lab Discussion Homework Exam
Monday
8/31/2026
No prelecture Checkpoint 3 Lecture 3:  
Coulomb’s Law & Free-body Diagrams:  Examples
pdf ppt (notes)
Week 2 Prelab:  Portfilio Building
and Collaborative Writing
     
Tuesday
9/1/2026
      Discussion 2:
Week 2 Skill Check
Handout 2
Solutions 2

 

   
Wednesday
9/2/2026
Prelecture 4 Checkpoint 4 Lecture 4:
Electric Field Definition
pdf ppt(notes)
   
Thursday
9/3/2026
         
Friday
9/4/2026
        Homework 1  
Week 3
Date Prelecture Checkpoint Lecture Lab Discussion Homework Exam
Monday
9/7/2026
Labor Day Holiday, No Class
Tuesday
9/8/2026
     


Week 3 Prelab: 
PHYS 102 Lab Orientation


In-person Lab Orientation

Discussion 3:
Week 3 Skill Check
Handout 3
Solutions 3

 

   
Wednesday
9/10/2026
Prelecture 5 Checkpoint 5 Lecture 5:  
Electric Field & Gauss’ Law 
pdf ppt (notes)
   
Thursday
9/11/2026
         
Friday
9/12/2026
         
Week 4
Date Prelecture Checkpoint Lecture Lab Discussion Homework Exam
Monday
9/14/2026
Prelecture 6 Checkpoint 6 Lecture 6:  
Work from Coulomb Force & Potential Energy
pdf ppt (notes)

Week 4 Prelab: 
Lab 1 ECG Measurements


Lab 1:  ECG Measurements

     
Tuesday
9/15/2026
     

Discussion 4:
Week 4 Skill Check
Handout 4
Solutions 4

   
Wednesday
9/16/2026
Prelecture 7 Checkpoint 7 Lecture 7:  
Electric Potential
pdf ppt (notes)
   
Thursday
9/17/2026
        Test 1
Reservations open Sept. 3
Friday
9/18/2026
        Homework 3
Saturday
9/19/2026
           
Week 5
Date Prelecture Checkpoint Lecture Lab Discussion Homework Exam
Monday
9/21/2026
No prelecture Checkpoint 8

Lecure 8: 
Electric Potential (cont.)
pdf ppt (notes)

       
Tuesday
9/22/2026
      Week 5 Prelab (Optional)
No lab

 

Discussion 5:
Week 5 Skill Check
Handout 5
Solutions 5

 

   
Wednesday
9/23/2026
Prelecture 9 Checkpoint 9

Lecture 9:  
Capacitance & Capacitors
pdf ppt (notes)

   
Thursday
9/24/2026
         
Friday
9/25/2026
        Homework 4  
Week 6
Date Prelecture Checkpoint Lecture Lab Discussion Homework Exam
Monday
9/28/2026
Prelecture 10 Checkpoint 10 Lecture 10:  
Resistors & Batteries
pdf ppt (notes)
       
Tuesday
9/29/2026
     

Week 6 Prelab: 
Lab 2 LED Light Output


Week 6:  Lab 2
LED Light Output

Discussion 6:
Week 6 Skill Check
Handout 6
Solutions 6

 

   
Wednesday
9/30/2026
Prelecture 11 Checkpoint 11 Lecture 11:  
Series & Parallel Rules
pdf ppt (notes)
   
Thursday
10/1/2026
        Test 2
Reservations open Sept. 17
Friday
10/2/2026
        Homework 5
Saturday
10/3/2026
           
Week 7
Date Prelecture Checkpoint Lecture Lab Discussion Homework Exam
Monday
10/5/2026
No prelecture Checkpoint 12 Lecture 12:  
Kirchhoff’s Rules
pdf ppt (notes)
       
Tuesday
10/6/2026
     


Week 7 Prelab:  Lab 3 Series
and Parallel Circuits

 

Week 7:  Lab 3 Simple
Resistor Circuits

Discussion 7:
Week 7 Skill Check
Handout 7
Solutions 7

 

   
Wednesday
10/7/2026
Prelecture 13 Checkpoint 13 Lecture 13:  
RC Circuits
pdf ppt (notes)
   
Thursday
10/8/2026
         
Friday
10/9/2026
        Homework 6  
Week 8
Date Prelecture Checkpoint Lecture Lab Discussion Homework Exam
Monday
10/12/2026
Prelecture 14 Checkpoint 14 Lecture 14:  
Lorentz Force
pdf ppt (notes)

Week 8 Prelab:  Lab 4
RC Circuits

 

Week 8:  Lab 4
RC Circuits

     
Tuesday
10/13/2026
      Discussion 8:
Week 8 Skill Check
Handout 8
Solutions 8

 

   
Wednesday
10/14/2026
Prelecture 15 Checkpoint 15

Lecture 15:  
Lorentz Force (cont.)
pdf ppt (notes)

   
Thursday
10/15/2026
        Test 3
Reservations open Oct. 1
Friday
10/16/2026
        Homework 7
Saturday
10/17/2026
           
Week 9
Date Prelecture Checkpoint Lecture Lab Discussion Homework Exam
Monday
10/19/2026
Prelecture 16 Checkpoint 16 Lecture 16:  
Magnetic Fields
pdf ppt (notes)
      Final exam reservations open
Tuesday
10/20/2026
      Week 9 PreLab (optional)
No lab
Discussion 9:
Week 9 Skill Check
Handout 9
Solutions 9
   
Wednesday
10/21/2026
Prelecture 17 Checkpoint 17 Lecture 17:  
Magnetic Fields (cont.)
pdf ppt (notes)
   
Thursday
10/22/2026
         
Friday
10/23/2026
        Homework 8  
Week 10
Date Prelecture Checkpoint Lecture Lab Discussion Homework Exam
Monday
10/26/2026
Prelecture 18 Checkpoint 18 Lecture 18:  
EM Induction
pdf ppt (notes)
       
Tuesday
10/27/2026
     

Week 10 Prelab:  Lab 5
Magnetic Fields

 

Week 10 Lab:  Lab 5
Magnetic Fields Lab

Discussion 10:
Week 10 Skill Check
Handout 10
Solutions 10
   
Wednesday
10/28/2026
Prelecture 19 Checkpoint 19 Lecture 19:  
EM Induction (cont.)
pdf ppt (notes)
   
Thursday
10/29/2026
        Test 4
Reservations open Oct. 15
Friday
10/30/2026
        Homework 9
Saturday
10/31/2026
           
Week 11
Date Prelecture Checkpoint Lecture Lab Discussion Homework Exam
Monday
11/2/2026
Prelecture 20 Checkpoint 20 Lecture 20:  
Maxwell’s Equations
pdf ppt (notes)

Week 11 Prelab:  Lab 6
Magnetic Induction


Week 11:  Lab 6
Electromagnetic Induction

     
Tuesday
11/3/2026
      Discussion 11:
Week 11 Skill Check
Handout 11
Solutions 11
   
Wednesday
11/4/2026
Prelecture 21 Checkpoint 21 Lecture 21:  
Reflection & Refraction
pdf ppt (notes)
   
Thursday
11/5/2026
         
Friday
11/6/2026
        Homework 10  
Week 12
Date Prelecture Checkpoint Lecture Lab Discussion Homework Exam
Monday
11/9/2026
Prelecture 22 Checkpoint 22

Lecture 22:
pdf ppt (notes)

       
Tuesday
11/10/2026
     


Week 12 Prelab:  Lab 7
Law of Malus


Week 12:  Lab 7
The Law of Malus

Discussion 12:
Week 12 Skill Check
Handout 12
Solutions 12
   
Wednesday
11/11/2026
Prelecture 23 Checkpoint 23 Lecture 23:  
Polarization
pdf ppt (notes)
   
Thursday
11/12/2026
        Test 5
Reservations open Oct. 29
Friday
11/13/2026
        Homework 11
Saturday
11/14/2026
           
Week 13
Date Prelecture Checkpoint Lecture Lab Discussion Homework Exam
Monday
11/16/2026
Prelecture 24 Checkpoint 24 Lecture 24:  
Interference & Diffraction
pdf ppt (notes)
       
Tuesday
11/17/2026
     

Week 13 Prelab:  Lab 8
Interference and Diffraction


Week 13 Lab 8
Interference and Diffraction

Discussion 13:
Week 13 Skill Check
Handout 13
Solutions 13
   
Wednesday
11/18/2026
Prelecture 25 Checkpoint 25 Lecture 25:  
Plane & Concave Mirrors
pdf ppt (notes)
   
Thursday
11/19/2026
         
Friday
11/20/2026
        Homework 12  
Week 14
Date Prelecture Checkpoint Lecture Lab Discussion Homework Exam
Monday
11/23/2026
Fall Break
Tuesday
11/24/2026
Wednesday
11/25/2026
Thursday
11/26/2026
Friday
11/27/2026
Week 15
Date Prelecture Checkpoint Lecture Lab Discussion Homework Exam
Monday
11/30/2026
Prelecture 26 Checkpoint 26 Lecture 26:  
Convex Mirrors & Lenses
pdf ppt (notes)
       
Tuesday
12/1/2026
      Lab Practical:
Lab Practical Prelab
In-class component
Discussion 14:
Week 15 Skill Check
Handout 14
Solutions 14
   
Wednesday
12/2/2026
Prelecture 27 Checkpoint 27 Lecture 27:  
Optical Instruments
pdf ppt (notes)
   
Thursday
12/3/2026
        Test 6
Reservations open Nov. 12
Friday
12/4/2026
        Homework 13
Saturday
12/5/2026
         
Week 16
Monday
12/7/2026
Prelecture 28 Checkpoint 28 Lecture 28:  
Particle-wave Duality
pdf ppt (notes)
No Lab      
Tuesday
12/8/2026
      No Discussion    
Wednesday
12/9/2026
    Lecture 29:
Review (attendance optional)
pdf ppt (notes)
Homework 14  
Thursday
12/10/2026
Reading Day
Physics 102 Final Exam
December 10 - December 17
CBTF