College Catalog
Course Descriptions
Physics (PHYS)

PHYS 111 Fundamentals of Physics 1 - GS 4
An introductory course that presents the student with the fundamental concepts of physics. This algebra-based course assumes no previous physics experience and will include the study of kinematics (including vectors), Newton's laws, mechanical energy, rotational motion, and waves. Lectures and one laboratory period per week. Working knowledge of basic trigonometry and advanced high school algebra will be assumed. Fall semester. See General Education Extended Course Description.

PHYS 112 Fundamentals of Physics 2
Continuation of PHYS 111, completing a full-year introductory sequence on the fundamental concepts of physics. Topics include: thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, optics, and introduction to modern physics, including quantum concepts and radioactivity. Lectures and one laboratory period per week. Prerequisite: PHYS 111. Spring semester.

PHYS 121 General Physics 1 - GS 4
Intended mainly for physical science majors, this introductory course presents a unified view of the fundamental principles of physics. Conceptual development and problem-solving skills are emphasized. Topics include: vectors, kinematics, Newtonian dynamics, the conservation laws, oscillatory motion, and waves. Lectures and one laboratory period per week. First semester calculus and working knowledge of trigonometry and advanced high school algebra will be assumed. Prerequisite: MATH 131 or equivalent. Fall semester. See General Education Extended Course Description.

PHYS 122 General Physics 2
Continuation of PHYS 121, completing a full-year introductory sequence required of chemistry majors and pre-engineering students as well as physics majors. Topics include: thermodynamics, electric and magnetic fields and their interaction with matter, electromagnetic waves, physical and geometrical optics, and introduction to modern physics including quantum concepts and radioactivity. Lectures and one laboratory period per week. Prerequisites: PHYS 121 and MATH 131. Spring semester.

PHYS 141 Astronomy - GS 4
The course is designed to provide a survey of astronomy with emphasis on the underlying physical principles. The student will learn about the scientific method and developments that have enabled our current understanding of the dynamic universe. Main topics include: the cycles of the sky, the history of astronomy, the stars, the Milky Way galaxy, and the solar system. Group projects will pick up additional topics such as galaxies, cosmology, and details of the solar system planets. Laboratories with hands-on activities will be an important component of the course. Some lab periods will meet in the evening for astronomical observations. No mathematical background beyond basic high school algebra will be assumed. See General Education Extended Course Description.

PHYS 211 Classical Mechanics
An intermediate treatment of Newtonian mechanics. Topics include: equations of motion and their solutions, conservation laws, systems of particles, central force motion, and an introduction to Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics. Lectures and one laboratory period per week. Prerequisites: PHYS 122 and MATH 132. Fall semester, alternate years.

PHYS 225 Analog Circuits
An introductory course in linear circuit analysis, converting DC circuits, AC circuits, and properties of basic circuit components. Lectures and one laboratory period per week. Prerequisites: PHYS 122 and MATH 132. Spring semester, alternate years.

PHYS 241 Modern Physics
A survey of the essential experimental and theoretical development of twentieth-century physics. Topics include: special relativity, wave-particle duality, Bohr atom, basic quantum mechanics, radioactivity, nuclear reactions, and particle physics. Lectures and one laboratory period per week. Prerequisites: PHYS 122 and MATH 132. Alternate years.

PHYS 311 Thermal Physics
An intermediate treatment of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics from a modern point of view. Topics include: temperature, heat, entropy, irreversible processes, the general laws of thermodynamics, canonical distribution, equipartition theorem, the ideal gas law, and an introduction to quantum statistics. Prerequisite: PHYS 241. Fall semester, alternate years.

PHYS 321 Electricity and Magnetism 1
A study of the classical electromagnetic theory. Topics include: electrostatics, magnetostatics, and an introduction to electrodynamics. Vector calculus will be introduced and extensively used. Prerequisites: PHYS 122 and MATH 233. Fall semester, alternate years.

PHYS 322 Electricity and Magnetism 2
Applications of time-varying fields and Maxwell's equations, including: the propagation of electromagnetic waves, radiation from accelerated charges, dipole radiation, radiation reaction, and scalar diffraction theory. Prerequisites: PHYS 321. Spring semester, alternate years.

PHYS 325 Digital Circuits
An introduction to modern electronics: applications of circuits to measurement, control, and processing of signals. Experiments are performed that demonstrate how integrated circuits function in these applications. Prerequisite: PHYS 225. Spring semester, alternate years, to follow PHYS 225.

PHYS 341 Nuclear Physics (see Infrequently Offered Courses section of the Catalog)

PHYS 411 Quantum Mechanics
An intermediate treatment of the principles and methods of quantum mechanics. Topics include: the Schroedinger equation, the harmonic oscillator, the hydrogen atom, and applications to atomic and nuclear physics. The operator method will be introduced and used. Prerequisite: PHYS 241. Spring semester, alternate years.

PHYS 489 Special Topics
Designed for the study of subject material of special interest. The organization, methodology, objectives will be determined by the instructor. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing and consent.

PHYS 490 Independent Study
This course is designed to allow students to pursue, on an individual basis, an area of study such as solid state physics and astrophysics. The methodology and objectives will be mutually agreed upon by the faculty member and the student. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing, prior consultation with and consent of the instructor, and approval of the Associate Dean of Natural Sciences.

PHYS 492 Directed Research

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