Physics (PHYS)

Introduces fundamental principles of physics, their experimental basis, and applications for students needing an introductory course in physics. Three-hour lecture/demo; one-hour discussion.

Prerequisites: Completion of computational skills requirement or equivalent; Not open to students with credit in PHYS 105 or 201.

Offered: Fall, Spring.

Meets: Natural Science: PHYS

Introduces forces, kinetics, equilibria, fluids, waves, heat and sound. Presents concepts and methodologies for understanding physical phenomena. Designed for students in health and biological sciences. Not recommended for students majoring in physical science or engineering. Not open to students with credit in PHYS 201. Three-hour lecture and one-hour discussion.

Prerequisites: MATH 114 or equivalent; PHYS 107 or concurrent enrollment.

Offered: Fall.

Meets: Natural Science: PHYS

Introduces electricity, magnetism, electromagnetic waves, optics, and modern physics. Presents concepts and methodologies for understanding physical phenomena. Designed for students in health and biological sciences. Not open to students with credit in PHYS 202. Three-hour lecture and one-hour discussion.

Prerequisites: PHYS 105; PHYS 108 or concurrent enrollment.

Offered: Spring.

Introduces selected topics in introductory mechanics, fluids, waves, heat, and sound in a laboratory. Addresses skills of measurement, data collection, uncertainty analysis, results presentation, and collaboration. Three-hour lab.

Prerequisites: PHYS 105 or concurrent enrollment.

Offered: Fall.

Conducts laboratories for selected topics in electricity, magnetism, optics, and modern physics. Addresses measurement, data collection, uncertainty analysis, results presentation, and collaboration skills. Three-hour lab.

Prerequisites: PHYS 105; PHYS 107; PHYS 106 or concurrent enrollment.

Offered: Spring.

Explores our universe for non-science majors with limited mathematics. Introduces the celestial sphere, constellations, solar system, galaxies, and the HR diagram. Investigates topics such as solar system objects, cosmic distance scale, life beyond Earth, exoplanets, stellar evolution, galactic structure, and cosmology. Three-hour lecture.

Prerequisites: None.

Offered: Spring.

Meets: Natural Science: PHYS

Examines the astronomical views of Native Americans and looks at how mythos, science and discrimination intersect. Evaluates current cultural conflicts between science and native groups. Draws additional examples of the cultural development of astronomy and science from the Americas, Africa, Oceania, and Asia. Community-based learning designation. Cross-listed with: ETHN 120.

Prerequisites: None.

Offered: Fall.

Meets: Natural Science: PHYS, Ethnic Diversity, Community Based Learning

An introduction to the basic physical principles underlying music and musical instruments. Not for credit towards Physics major.

Prerequisites: None.

Offered: Occasionally.

Meets: Natural Science: PHYS

Introduces mechanics, heat, and sound. Designed for students in physical science, computer science, and engineering. Three-hour lecture and one-hour discussion.

Prerequisites: MATH 221 with C or higher or concurrent registration; PHYS 203 or concurrent registration.

Offered: Fall.

Meets: Natural Science: PHYS

Introduces electricity, magnetism, and optics. Designed for students in physical science, computer science, and engineering. Three-hour lecture and one-hour discussion.

Prerequisites: PHYS 201; MATH 222 or concurrent registration; PHYS 204 or concurrent registration.

Offered: Spring.

Conducts hands-on experiments in mechanics, sound, and heat with basic data and error analysis. Three-hour lab.

Prerequisites: PHYS 201 or concurrent enrollment.

Offered: Fall.

Conducts hands-on experiments in electricity, magnetism, and light with basic data and error analysis. Three-hour lab.

Prerequisites: PHYS 201; PHYS 203; PHYS 202 or concurrent enrollment.

Offered: Spring.

Special relativity. Elements of quantum mechanics. Introduction to atomic, molecular, solid state, nuclear, and particle physics. Three-hour lecture.

Prerequisites: PHYS 202.

Offered: Fall (odd years).

Studies programming in a high-level language, such as Python, with applications to science and engineering.

Prerequisites: PHYS 201; MATH 221 or consent of instructor.

Offered: Spring.

Special topics in physics will be examined.

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.

Offered: Occasionally.

Introduces students to branches and interdisciplinary fields of physics; experimental, theoretical, and computational. Emphasizes the breadth of applicability of physics as well as current areas of interest, through note-taking, discussions, and other resources. Leads to individual student oral presentation on physics topic of choice.

Prerequisites: PHYS 202 or concurrent enrollment; or consent of instructor.

Offered: Fall.

Second research seminar course. Introduces students to branches and interdisciplinary fields of physics; experimental, theoretical, and computational. Emphasizes the breadth of applicability of physics as well as current areas of interest, through note-taking, discussions, and other resources. Leads to individual student written presentation on physics topic of choice.

Prerequisites: PHYS 202 or concurrent enrollment; or consent of instructor.

Offered: Spring.

Vector analysis, conservation laws, planetary motion, rigid body dynamics, free and forced oscillations, normal coordinates, moving coordinate systems, generalized coordinates, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations. Continuum mechanics. Four-hour lecture.

Prerequisites: PHYS 201 and PHYS 202 with a grade of C or better; MATH 317, or concurrent registration or consent of instructor.

Offered: Fall (even years).

Examines electrostatics, magnetostatics, and Maxwell's equations with basic applications. Four-hour lecture.

Prerequisites: PHYS 201 and PHYS 202 with grades of C or better; MATH 317 or concurrent registration; or consent of instructor.

Offered: Spring (even years).

Introduces computational physics with applications to classical mechanics, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics. Monte Carlo methods. Introduction to molecular dynamics. Three-hour lecture.

Prerequisites: PHYS 201 and PHYS 202 with a grade of C or better; PHYS 205; MATH 223, PHYS 241, or consent of instructor.

Offered: Spring (odd years).

Covers advanced experiments in optics, atomic, molecular, solid state, and nuclear physics. Analog electronics through transistors and op-amps. Basic digital electronics. Six-hour lab.

Prerequisites: PHYS 201 and 202 with a grade of C or better; PHYS 205.

Offered: Spring (odd years).

Applies mathematical methods to physical sciences with emphasis on physics. Covers a wide range of mathematical methods, including vector and tensor analysis and coordinate transformations, complex variables, Fourier series and integral transforms, Sturm-Liouville systems and orthogonal functions, partial differential equations, calculus of variations, and probability and statistics.

Prerequisites: MATH 223 and 317.

Offered: Fall (even years).

Examines laws of thermodynamics, and equations of state and state variables to describe thermodynamic systems at or near equilibrium. Covers Legendre transformations and thermodynamic potentials, Maxwell relations, and phase transformations. Investigates applications of thermodynamics such as heat engines, refrigerators, and liquefaction of gases under extreme conditions.

Prerequisites: PHYS 201, PHYS 202 with grades of C or better; MATH 223, MATH 317.

Offered: Spring.

Investigates kinetic theory, classical and quantum statistical mechanics, including the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, partition functions, statistical ensembles, black body radiation, the Debye theory of solids, Fermi and Bose gases, and the Ising model.

Prerequisites: PHYS 403 or consent of instructor.

Offered: Fall (odd years).

Explores quantum mechanics, free particle in wave mechanics, particles in one-dimensional potentials, axiomatic foundations of quantum mechanics, the evolution of states in time, particles in three dimensions, angular momentum, central potentials. Introduces the concept of spin and the exclusion principle, and the Dirac equation with its associated henomenology. Four-hour lecture.

Prerequisites: PHYS 201 and PHYS 202 with grades of C or better; PHYS 205; MATH 301 and MATH 317 or MATH 401; or consent of instructor.

Offered: Spring (odd years).

Examines special topics in physics.

Prerequisites: PHYS 201 and PHYS 202 with grades of C or better and consent of instructor.

Offered: Occasionally.

Work in a physics-related position under joint supervision of a physics faculty and a member of the sponsoring public or private organization. Consent of instructor and department chair.

Prerequisites: PHYS 201 and PHYS 202 with C or better in each; GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.

Provides opportunity for research, writing, and oral presentation on an experimental, theoretical, or computational research topic of current interest in any branch of physics.

Prerequisites: PHYS 201 and PHYS 202 with C or better in both; junior or senior standing.

Offered: Spring.

Investigates advanced topics in physics.

Prerequisites: PHYS 201 and PHYS 202 with C or better; and consent of instructor.

Offered: Occasionally.

Investigates advanced topics in physics.

Prerequisites: PHYS 201 and PHYS 202 with C or better; consent of instructor and department chair.

Offered: Occasionally.