Courses Offered
Physics – Spring 2013
PHYS 1000. Physics of Natural World (3). Summer. Survey course for non-science majors. Elementary description of major physics concepts and principles with contemporary applications. Not acceptable toward physics major or minor. Applicable to the BG Perspective (general education) natural sciences requirement. Approved for Distance Education.
PHYS 1010. Basic Physics (3). Spring. Laboratory course for non-science majors. Emphasis on scientific data analysis and the meaning of scientific knowledge. Not acceptable toward physics major or minor. Two lectures and one two-hour laboratory. Applicable to the BG Perspective (general education) natural sciences requirement. Extra fee.
PHYS 1800. Selected Topics in Physics (1-3). On demand. Selected topics not included in existing courses at the introductory level. Scheduling of course may be initiated by staff or students. May be repeated as different subjects are offered. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
PHYS 1940Q. Inquiry in Physics (3). Fall, Spring. Scientific inquiry into physical reality as portrayed in fiction and film throughout the years. Students will critically assess the physical features of literacy and cinematic work, such as motion, energy, or measurement, and develop relationships between quantities that lead to physical laws. Credit not allowed for both PHYS 1940Q and PHYS 1000. Prerequisite: Open only to Freshman and Sophomore students.
PHYS 2010. College Physics I (5). Fall, Spring, Summer. First term of an introductory physics sequence using algebra and trigonometry, but not calculus. Topics include motion, forces, energy, fluids, heat and simple harmonic motion. Four lecture-recitations and one two-hour laboratory. Prerequisite: satisfactory score on the math placement exam or a grade of C or higher in MATH 1120 or in MATH 1200 or above. Applicable to the BG Perspective (general education) natural sciences requirement. Extra fee.
PHYS 2020. College Physics II (5). Fall, Spring, Summer. PHYS 2010 continued. Wave motion, sound, electricity, magnetism, electrical measurements, optics; atomic, nuclear and solid-state physics. Four lecture-recitations and one two-hour laboratory. Prerequisite: PHYS 2010. Applicable to the BG Perspective (general education) natural sciences requirement. Extra fee.
PHYS 2110. University Physics I (5). Fall. Introductory calculus-based physics sequence for science and engineering majors. Kinematics in one, two and three dimensions; Newtonian mechanics; gravitation; heat and thermodynamics. Four lecture-recitations and one two-hour laboratory. Corequisite: MATH 1310. Applicable to the BG Perspective (general education) natural sciences requirement. Extra fee.
PHYS 2120. University Physics II (5). Spring. PHYS 2110 continued. Wave motion, sound, optics, electricity and magnetism. Four lecture-recitations and one two-hour laboratory. Prerequisite: PHYS 2110. Corequisite: MATH 2320. Applicable to the BG Perspective (general education) natural sciences requirement. Extra fee.
PHYS 2700. Independent Study (1-3). On demand. Introduction to research in physics and astronomy; projects chosen in consultation with adviser. May include library and laboratory work. For lower-division students only. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. May be repeated.
PHYS 3010. Modern Physics (3). Fall. Topics from relativity; quantum physics; nuclear, atomic and molecular physics; thermal physics, including energy and the second law. Three lecture-recitations. Prerequisites: PHYS 2120; or PHYS 2020 and MATH 2320. Corequisite: PHYS 3110.
PHYS 3020. Thermal Physics and Optics (3). Spring. Introduction to thermal physics, including engines and refrigerators, chemical thermodynamics, and classical and quantum statistics. Introduction to optics, including waves, electromagnetic theory, propagation of light, geometrical optics, polarization, interference, diffraction, and Fourier optics. Three lecture-recitations. Prerequisite: PHYS 3010. Corequisite: PHYS 3120.
PHYS 3090. Atomic and Nuclear Physics (3). Fall alternate years. Phenomenological basis of our understanding of atomic phenomena, fundamental ideas of atomic structure, structure of nuclei and basic decay processes, elementary particles. Three lecture-recitations. Prerequisite: PHYS 3010.
PHYS 3110. Modern Physics Laboratory (1). Fall. Laboratory work designed to accompany material presented in PHYS 3010. One three-hour laboratory. Prerequisite: PHYS 2120; or PHYS 2020 and MATH 2320. Corequisite: PHYS 3010. Extra fee.
PHYS 3120. Thermal Physics and Optics Laboratory (1). Spring. Laboratory work designed to accompany material presented in PHYS 3020. One three-hour laboratory. Corequisite: PHYS 3020. Extra fee.
PHYS 3210. Recent Progress in Astronomy (2). Spring alternate years. Current topics in astronomy, which may include solar system exploration, extrasolar planets, pulsars, gravitational collapse and black holes, galaxies, large-scale structure in the universe, active galaxies and quasars, and cosmology. Prerequisites: PHYS 2020 or PHYS 2120; ASTR 2010. Not open to students with credit for ASTR 3210.
PHYS 3500. Musical Acoustics (3). Spring alternate years. Nature of vibration; sound waves, sources of musical sounds-strings, air columns, percussion, voice and noise; acoustics of rooms; recording, reproduction and synthesis of sound. Not open to students majoring in physical sciences.
PHYS 3600. Environmental Physics (3). Spring alternate years. Applications of physics concepts to problems in the natural world. Topics such as greenhouse effect, acid rain, ozone depletion, electromagnetic fields, solar power, nuclear energy and radiation are examined from both environmental and scientific perspectives. Prerequisites: junior standing and ENVS 1010 or consent of instructor. Not acceptable toward physics major or minor in Arts and Sciences.
PHYS 3950. Workshop on Current Topics (1-3). On demand. May be repeated to six hours. Special topics in physics or astronomy of current or unique interest to students. Does not apply to first 22 hours of minor or first 32 hours of major.
PHYS 4000. Selected Topics in Physics (1-3). On demand. Selected topics not included in existing courses. Scheduling of course may be initiated by department staff or by students. May be repeated as different subjects are offered. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
PHYS 4010. Methods of Mathematical and Computational Physics I (3). Fall. Survey of basic methods of mathematical techniques applied to physics, including linear algebra, ordinary differential equations and vector calculus with emphasis on how these concepts are used in physics. Parallel development is given to numerical methods used to solve physical problems. Use of an appropriate scientific programming language is included. Three lecture-recitations. Prerequisites: PHYS 2120; or PHYS 2020 and MATH 2320.
PHYS 4020. Methods of Mathematical and Computational Physics II (3). Spring alternate years. Survey of mathematical and computational techniques for solving partial differential equations, including the wave equation, Poisson’s equation and the heat equation. Introduction to the Fourier analysis with applications and the Fast Fourier Transform algorithms and their implementation. A rudimentary treatment of special functions, as they arise in solving physical problems, will be given. Prerequisite: PHYS 4010 or permission of instructor.
PHYS 4030. Stellar Structure and Evolution (3). Spring alternate years. Basic data, stellar interiors, theoretical models; advanced evolutionary states: red giants, white dwarfs, neutron stars, supernovas, black holes. Prerequisites: PHYS 3010 and consent of instructor. Not open to students with credit for ASTR 4030.
PHYS 4100. Solid State Physics (3). Spring alternate years. Continuum and atomic theories of solids, lattice vibrations, specific heat of solids, electron theory of metals and semi-conductors. Superconductivity. Three lecture-recitations. Prerequisites: PHYS 3020.
PHYS 4160. Classical Mechanics (3). Fall alternate years. Newtonian particle mechanics in one, two and three dimensions; non-inertial reference frames. Central forces and celestial mechanics. Dynamics of a system of particles; rigid body motion. Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of dynamics. Theory of small oscillations. Three lecture/recitations. Corequisite: PHYS 4010.
PHYS 4170. Quantum Mechanics (3). Spring alternate years. Duality of matter and radiation, state functions and interpretation. Heisenberg uncertainty principle, wave equations and principles of wave mechanics, elementary applications of Schroedinger’s equation, operator methods and approximation techniques. Prerequisites: PHYS 3010, PHYS 4010.
PHYS 4180. Electricity and Magnetism (3). Fall alternate years. Electric and magnetic fields; Maxwell’s theory of electromagnetic field with applications in propagation, absorption, reflection, transmission of radiation. Prerequisite: MATH 2330. Corequisite: PHYS 4010.
PHYS 4330. Philosophy and Physics of Space and Time (3). Spring alternate years. Physical theories of space and time from philosophical, scientific and historical points of view. Topics include Zeno’s paradoxes, Greek concepts of space and time, classical Newtonian world view, general ideas of modern theory of relativity and cosmology. Course presupposes high school-level mathematics only. Cross-disciplinary; cross-listed as PHIL 4330. Prerequisite: three hours in PHIL; three hours in either PHIL, MATH, or PHYS; or consent of instructor.
PHYS 4700. Independent Study (1-3). On demand. Introduction to research in physics and astronomy; projects chosen in consultation with adviser, may include library and laboratory work. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. May be repeated.
PHYS 4900. Special Problems in Physics (1-3). On demand. Readings and research on recently developing topics chosen to fit needs of students. May be repeated.
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