2017-2018 Undergraduate Academic Catalog

Physics: Major (PHYS) PHYS-2110 General Physics I –Fa, Sp 4 hours Basic concepts of mechanics using calculus. This is the first of a three-course sequence intended for students in the physical sciences and engineering programs. Topics include linear and rotational motion in three dimensions, oscillatory motion, gravitation, fluid mechanics, and basic concepts of wave motion. Three lectures and one two-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisites: MATH-1710 Calculus I; Corequisite: MATH-1720 Calculus II. (Fee: $100) PHYS-2120 General Physics II –Fa, Sp 4 hours Basic concepts of electricity and magnetism, light, and optics using calculus. This is the second of a three-course sequence intended for students in the physical sciences and engineering programs. Topics include electricity, magnetism, Maxwell’s equations, DC and AC circuits, geometrical and physical optics. Three lectures and one two-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisites: MATH-1720 Calculus II; PHYS-2110 General Physics I. (Fee: $100) PHYS-2130 General Physics III –Fa 2 hours Basic concepts of thermodynamics and modern physics using calculus. This is the third of a three-course sequence intended for students in the physical sciences programs. Topics include heat and thermodynamics, relativity theory, quantum theory, atomic and nuclear physics. Prerequisites: MATH-1720 Calculus II; PHYS- 2120 General Physics II; PHYS-2120 may be co-enrolled with permission of instructor. PHYS-3110 Intermediate Physics Laboratory –Fa 2 hours Designed to reinforce concepts of the advanced physics courses and develop critical research and analysis skills. This course provides laboratory experience in such topics as oscillatory motion and waves, mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, and quantum mechanics. During this semester the student will develop their prospectus for their advanced laboratory project. Laboratory skills for planning, setup, documentation, and analysis using the scientific method will be emphasized. Prerequisite: 3 hours of a 3000- or 4000-level physics course. (Fee: $100) PHYS-3310 Theoretical Mechanics I –Sp 3 hours Derivation of the motion of a point object through three- dimensional space. Topics include an advanced treatment of Newtonian mechanics in three dimensions, oscillatory motion, accelerated frames of reference, central forces, and an introduction to Lagrangian mechanics. Prerequisites: PHYS-2120 General Physics II; MATH-2740 Differential Equations; MATH-2740 may be co-enrolled with permission of instructor. (even years) PHYS-3330 Acoustics –Fa 3 hours This course will study the generation, transmission and reception of sound. Topics include wave propagation through the air, resonance conditions for strings, bars, membranes and air cavities, acoustic filters, measurement and human perception of sound. Applications will be made to musical instruments, room acoustics, microphones, and speakers. Prerequisites: MATH-2710 Differential Equations; PHYS-2110 General Physics I. (even years) PHYS-3350 Thermal Physics –Sp 3 hours Study of the relationship between energy and matter through the use of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. Topics include the laws of thermodynamics, heat, work, entropy, phase transformations, statistical distributions, and kinetic theory. Prerequisite: PHYS-2130 General Physics III. (odd years) PHYS-3410 Electromagnetic Theory I –Fa 3 hours Electricity and magnetism from an advanced viewpoint using the methods of vector calculus. Includes electrostatics, Gauss’ Law, Poisson’s equation, Laplace’s equation, dielectric media, electric currents, and magnetostatics. Prerequisites: PHYS-2120 General Physics II; MATH-2710 Calculus III. (odd years) PHYS-3510 Modern Physics –Sp 3 hours Introduction to relativity theory, quantum theory, including Schrodinger’s Equation, and its basic applications, and atomic structure. Prerequisite: PHYS-2130 General Physics III. PHYS-3800 Research Methods in Physics –Sp 1 hour Reinforces concepts of the advanced physics courses and develops critical research and analysis skills. This course will focus on basic library, research, and laboratory skills for planning, setup, documentation, and analysis using the scientific method. Selected software will be introduced and used to collect data, analyze results, and document findings. There will be several laboratory sessions with experiments selected from oscillatory motion and waves, intermediate mechanics, intermediate electricity, intermediate magnetism, thermodynamics, or quantum mechanics. Prerequisite: PHYS-2130 General Physics III. (Fee: $50) PHYS-4110 Advanced Physics Laboratory –Sp 2 hours The advanced laboratory experience is designed to reinforce concepts of the advanced physics courses and to develop critical research design, documentation, analysis, and presentation skills. The advanced laboratory provides additional experience in optical, radiation, wave, advanced mechanics, advanced electromagnetism, advanced thermodynamics, and quantum mechanics. During this semester the students will be conducting their advanced laboratory project, collecting data, and documenting results. Laboratory skills for planning, setup, documentation, analysis, and briefing using the scientific method will be emphasized. Prerequisite: PHYS-3110 Intermediate Physics Lab. (Fee: $100) PHYS-4210 Mathematical Methods for Physicists –Fa 3 hours Advanced mathematical methods used in the solution of physics problems. Topics include curvilinear coordinates, vector analysis, and solutions to partial differential equations using Fourier, Bessel and Legendre functions. Prerequisites: MATH-2710 Calculus III; MATH-2740 Differential Equations; 3 hours of a 3000 or 4000-level physics course . (odd years) PHYS-4310 Theoretical Mechanics II 3 hours Principles of mechanics applied to systems of particles. Topics include rigid body motion, Hamilton’s equations, continuous media and nonlinear oscillators. Prerequisites: PHYS-3310 Theoretical Mechanics I. PHYS-4410 Electromagnetic Theory II 3 hours Continuation of PHYS-3410. Includes magnetic properties of matter, electromagnetic induction, magnetic energy, slowly varying currents, Maxwell’s equations and their applications, and introductory electrodynamics. Prerequisite: PHYS-3410 Electromagnetic Theory I. PHYS-4450 Optics 3 hours Introduction to the study of classical and modern optics, including geometric optics, wave optics, and quantum optics. Topics include thin lenses, thick lenses and systems of lenses, mirrors, aberrations, lens design, interference, coherence, diffraction, polarization, and holography. Prerequisites: PHYS-2120 General Physics II; MATH-2710 Calculus III. PHYS-4520 Quantum Mechanics I –Fa 3 hours An introduction to the principles and theory of quantum mechanics including: the wave function, the time-independent Schrodinger’s Equation, mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics, quantum mechanics in three dimensions, and systems of identical particles. Prerequisite: PHYS-3510 Modern Physics. (even years) 2017–18 Undergraduate Academic Catalog Page 293 Course Descriptions PHYS-2110 – PHYS-4520 SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS