Course Catalog - Physics
Physics 100 - Topics in Physics
Annually
Recent offerings: How Things Work; Gravity and Science in Orbit; Light, Color, and Vision. Non-science majors only. One unit.
Physics 101 - Introduction to Astronomy
Annually
Motions of celestial bodies; the sun, Earth and moon; other terrestrial planets; Jovian planets; asteroids and comets; nebular model for the origin of the solar system; stars and stellar systems; Milky Way galaxy; the universe and the big-bang model. Non-science majors only. One unit.
Physics 111 - General Physics 1
Fall
Kinematics in one and two dimensions; vectors; Newton’s laws; work and energy; linear momentum and collisions; rotational motion; static equilibrium; oscillatory motion; gravitation; fluid mechanics; waves. Calculus-based. Includes a two-hour laboratory session per week. One and one-quarter units.
Physics 112 - General Physics 2
Spring
Electric fields; electric potential; capacitance; DC circuits; magnetic fields; Faraday’s law and inductance; AC circuits; geometric optics; wave optics; modern physics. Calculus-based. Includes a two-hour laboratory session per week. One and one-quarter units.
Physics 115 - General Physics in Daily Life 1
Fall
Kinematics in one and two dimensions; vectors; Newton’s laws; work and energy; linear momentum and collisions; rotational motion; static equilibrium; oscillatory motion; gravitation; fluid mechanics; waves. Calculus-based. One and one-quarter units.
Physics 116 - General Physics in Daily Life 2
Spring
Electric fields; electric potential; capacitance; DC circuits; magnetic fields; Faraday’s law and inductance; AC circuits; geometric optics; wave optics; modern physics. Calculus-based. One and one-quarter units.
Physics 221 - Methods of Physics
Fall
Mathematical techniques needed for the study of physics at the intermediate and advanced level. Ordinary differential equations; vector calculus; partial differential equations; matrices; Fourier series; and complex variables. One unit.
Physics 223 - Modern Physics
Fall
Special relativity; the particle aspects of electromagnetic radiation; the wave aspects of material particles; atomic structure; nuclear structure and reactions; elementary particles. One unit.
Physics 225 - Modern Physics Laboratory*
Fall
Millikan oil-drop experiment; gamma-ray spectroscopy and absorption; the Franck-Hertz experiment; measurements of e/m for the electron, Planck’s constant, the hydrogen Balmer lines, the speed of light, and the Cavendish experiment. Taken concurrently with Physics 223. Overload. One unit.
Physics 231 - Optics
Alternate years
Fermat’s Principle; laws of reflection and refraction; image-forming properties of mirrors and lenses; analysis of optical systems; interference; diffraction; thin films; polarization; scattering of light; optical spectra; lasers and holography. One unit.
Physics 233 - Optics Laboratory*
Alternate years
Image formation by lens systems; spherical and chromatic aberrations; determination of refractive index, optical activity; diffraction and interference of light waves; spectrometer and polarimeter; lasers, holography and optical fibers. Taken concurrently with Physics 231. Overload. One unit.
Physics 234 - Electronics
Alternate years in spring
Kirchhoff ’s laws applied to DC and AC network analysis; the physics of semiconductors; properties of diodes and transistors; circuit applications including rectifiers, regulators, amplifiers, and oscillators; principles of feedback systems; operational amplifier circuits. One unit.
Physics 236 - Electronics Laboratory*
Alternate years in spring
AC and DC circuits; low- and high-pass filters; diode characteristics; rectifiers; transistor characteristics; multiple stage amplifiers with feedback; oscillators; operational amplifiers; TTL integrated circuits. Taken concurrently with Physics 234. Overload. One unit.
Physics 342 - Classical Mechanics
Spring
Motion of a particle in one dimension, including the damped, forced harmonic oscillator; vector analysis; motion of a particle in two or three dimensions, including motion under a central force; motion of a system of particles, including the two-body problem and coupled harmonic oscillators; rotation about an axis; introduction to Lagrangian dynamics. One unit.
Physics 344 - Thermal Physics
Fall
The laws of thermodynamics applied to various systems in equilibrium, including gases, magnetic materials, and solids; the concepts of temperature, heat, work, entropy, and the thermodynamic potential; reversible and irreversible processes. One unit.
Physics 351 - Electromagnetic Theory
Spring
The electrostatic field and potential; divergence and curl of E-field; work and energy in electrostatics; special techniques for calculating potentials; E-fields in matter; the Lorentz force and Biot-Savart law; divergence and curl of B-field; magnetic vector potential; magneto static fields in matter; EMF and Faraday’s law; Maxwell’s equations. One unit.
Physics 353 - Quantum Mechanics
Fall
The formalism of quantum mechanics; solutions of the one-dimensional Schrödinger equation including the infinite square well, the harmonic oscillator, and the finite well/barrier; solutions of the three-dimensional Schrödinger equation; the hydrogen atom; angular momentum and spin. Prerequisite: Physics 223. One unit.
Physics 355 - Introduction to Astrophysics
Alternate years
Celestial mechanics; spectra; solar physics; equations of stellar structure; thermonuclear reactions; stars and stellar systems; polytropes; stellar evolution; white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes; Milky Way galaxy; Hubble’s law; active galactic nuclei; big-bang model. Prerequisite: Physics 223. One unit.
Physics 356 - Experimental Solid State Physics
Alternate years
Crystal structure; free-electron energy bands; semiconductors and metals; superconductivity; magnetic materials. Experiments include X-ray diffraction, optical spectroscopy, Mössbauer spectrometry, and resonance methods. Prerequisite: Physics 353. One unit.
Physics 461, 462 - Independent Study
Fall, spring
One unit each semester.
Physics 471, 472 - Undergraduate Research
Fall, spring
Supervised research in theory or experiment. One unit each semester.
*Each of these laboratory courses is taken as a fifth course and, as such, is figured in the GPA, but does not count toward the 32 courses required for graduation.
** The courses and descriptions listed above are taken directly from the official College Catalog.