Physics

“+” denotes courses offered on an “as needed” basis.

PH 100 Introductory Physics with Laboratory (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: M 109 /M 127 or equivalent math competency. A one-semester introduction to the science of physics primarily for liberal arts, business, and hospitality/tourism students. The course provides a broad, algebra-based understanding of the basic laws of nature, their application to our everyday lives, and their impact on our technological society. Laboratory fee; 4 credit hours.

PH 101 Energy–Present and Future (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: M 109 /M 127 or equivalent math competency. Intended primarily for business and liberal arts students. Explores the nature, role, and economic impact of energy in our society. Topics include the nature and growth of energy consumption, physical limits to energy production and consumption, environmental effects, and comparisons of energy alternatives. Special emphasis on the technical, environmental, and economic aspects of nuclear power as well as energy sources of the future such as fast-breeder reactors, fusion, solar, and geothermal power. 3 credit hours.

PH 103-104 General Physics I and II with Laboratory (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: M 109 /M 127 or equivalent math competency. Primarily for life science majors with no calculus background. Basic concepts of classical physics: fundamental laws of mechanics, heat, electromagnetism, optics, and conservation principles. Introduction to modern physics: relativity and quantum theory; atomic, nuclear, and solid-state physics. Application of the physical principles to life sciences. Laboratory fee; 4 credit hours per term.

PH 150 Mechanics, Heat, and Waves with Laboratory (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: M 117. Introductory course for physical science and engineering majors. Kinematics, Newton’s laws, conservation principles for momentum, energy and angular momentum. Thermal physics. Basic properties of waves, simple harmonic motion, superposition principle, interference phenomena, and sound. Laboratory fee; 4 credit hours.

PH 203 The Physics of Music and Sound with Laboratory (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: PH 100, PH 103, PH 150 or equivalent. A second- semester course in physics for students with music and sound recording majors and others with a special interest in music, acoustics, or sound and hearing. Study of the physics underlying such things as the production of sound by musical instruments, electromagnetic storage and reproduction of sound, human hearing, and acoustics of concert halls and other spaces. Integrated laboratory experiments provide hands-on experience of these phenomena. Laboratory fee; 4 credit hours.

PH 205 Electromagnetism and Optics with Laboratory (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: PH 150, M 118. Basic concepts of electricity and magnetism; Coulomb’s law, electric field and potential, Gauss’s law, Ohm’s law, Kirchoff’s rules, capacitance, magnetic field, Ampere’s law, Faraday’s law of induction, Maxwell’s equations, electromagnetic waves. Fundamentals of optics; light, laws of reflection and refraction, interference and diffraction phenomena, polarization, gratings, lenses and optical instruments. Laboratory fee; 4 credit hours.

PH 207 Engineering Physics (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: one full year of non-calculus physics with laboratories, two semesters of calculus. A one-semester course primarily for engineering transfer students who had one-year non-calculus physics sequence in two-year colleges and technical schools. All the major topics of PH 150 -PH 205 are covered with an ample use of calculus. PH 207 should not be used as a technical elective. 4 credit hours.

PH 211 Modern Physics (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: PH 205. Modern physics fundamentals. Twentieth century developments in the theory of relativity and the quantum theory. Atomic, nuclear, solid-state, and elementary particle physics. 3 credit hours.

+PH 270 Thermal Physics (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: PH 103 or PH 150. Basic thermodynamics and its applications. Major emphasis on the efficiency of energy conversion and utilization. Topics include the laws of thermodynamics, entropy, efficiency of heat engines, solar energy, the energy balance of the earth, energy systems of the future, economics of energy use. 3 credit hours.

+PH 280 Lasers (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: PH 205. Laser theory, holography, construction, and application to latest engineering and scientific uses. 3 credit hours.

+PH 285 Modern Optics (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: PH 205. Introduction to optical theories. Topics on the latest developments in optics. Application to life sciences and engineering. 3 credit hours.

PH 301 Analytical Mechanics (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: PH 150, M 204, or instructor’s consent. This is an intermediate-level course in Newtonian mechanics. Selected topics include the formulation of the central force problem and its application to planetary motion and to scattering, theory of small oscillations, dynamics of rigid body motion, and an introduction to Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalism. 3 credit hours.

PH 303 Radioactivity and Radiation (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: A college chemistry course or permission of instructor. Intended for students in occupational safety and health, fire science, forensic science, and related fields as well as for science and engineering students with interest in this area. Topics include the nature of radiation and radioactivity, the interaction of radiation with matter, biological effects of radiation, detection and measurement of radiation, shielding considerations, dosimetry, and standards for personal protection. 3 credit hours.

+PH 401 Atomic Physics (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: PH 211. Structure and interactions of atomic systems including Schrodinger’s equation, atomic bonding, scattering and mean free path, radiative transitions, and laser theory. 3 credit hours.

+PH 406 Solid-State Physics (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: PH 211. Introduction to the physics of solids with emphasis on crystal structure, lattice vibrations, band theory, semiconductors, magnetism and superconductivity. Applications to semiconductor devices and metallurgy. 3 credit hours.

+PH 415 Nuclear Physics (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: PH 211 or consent of instructor. Elementary nuclear physics. Nuclear structure, natural radioactivity, induced radioactivity, nuclear forces and reactions, fission and fusion, reactors, and topics of special interest. 3 credit hours.

PH 450 Special Topics in Physics (back to previous page)
Study of selected topics of special or current interest. 3 credit hours.

+PH 451 Elementary Quantum Mechanics (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: PH 211 or consent of instructor. An elementary treatment of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics. Schrodinger’s equation, with its applications to atomic and nuclear structure; collision theory; radiation; introductory perturbation theory. 3 credit hours.

+PH 470 Theory of Relativity (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: PH 211 or consent of instructor. Introduction to Einstein’s theory of relativity. Special theory of relativity; Lorentz transformations, relativistic mechanics and electromagnetism. General theory of relativity; equivalence principle, Einstein’s three tests, graviton, black hole, and cosmology. 3 credit hours.

PH 599 Independent Study (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: Consent of faculty member and department chair. Opportunity for the student under the direction of a faculty member to explore an area of personal interest. This course must be initiated by the student. 1-3 credit hours.

Physics - Graduate Courses

PH 613 Radioactivity and Radiation in the Environment (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: EN 600 and CH 601, or permission of instructor. Basic principles of nuclear structure and radioactivity; the interaction of radiation with matter and biological effects of radiation; natural and man-made sources of radiation in the environment. The second half of the course will focus on long-term environmental effects of radiation accidents (e.g., Chernobyl and others) and the problems of nuclear waste disposal, plutonium inventories from nuclear weapons, natural radon in buildings and similar concerns. (See also EN 613 )

PH 670 Selected Topics -- Physics (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. A study of selected topics of particular interest to students and instructor. Course may be taken more than once.