Explores some of the great topics in classical and modern physics, including quantum mechanics and relativity, and the connections to a broad range of inquiry, from daily life to cosmology. Math, mainly algebra, is used in a way that is completely accessible to everyone. (Formerly Conceptual Physics).
General Education Code
SI
The physics of energy developed in a course accessible to non-science majors as well as science majors. Fundamental principles and elementary calculations, at the level of basic algebra, developed and applied to the understanding of the physics of energy. Topics include fossil fuels, renewable energy, solar cells and waste energy, waste-energy recovery, nuclear power, and global greenhouse effects.
General Education Code
PE-E
Elementary mechanics. Vectors, Newton's laws, inverse square force laws, work and energy, conservation of momentum and energy, and oscillations.
Instructor
Robert Johnson, Sergey Syzranov
General Education Code
MF
Quarter offered
Fall, Winter
A continuation of
PHYS 5A. Wave motion in matter, including sound waves. Geometrical optics, interference and polarization, statics and dynamics of fluids.
General Education Code
SI
Introduction to electricity and magnetism. Electromagnetic radiation, Maxwell's equations.
Instructor
The Staff, Anthony Aguirre
General Education Code
SI
Quarter offered
Fall, Winter
Introduces temperature, heat, thermal conductivity, diffusion, ideal gases, laws of thermodynamics, heat engines, and kinetic theory. Introduces the special theory of relativity and the equivalence principle. Includes the photoelectric effect, the Compton effect, matter waves, atomic spectra, and the Bohr model.
Instructor
Wolfgang Altmannschofer
Laboratory sequence illustrating topics covered in PHYS 5A. One three-hour laboratory session per week.
Quarter offered
Fall, Winter
Laboratory sequence illustrating topics covered in PHYS 5B. One three-hour laboratory session per week.
Laboratory sequence illustrating topics covered in PHYS 5C. One three-hour laboratory session per week.
Quarter offered
Fall, Winter
Elementary mechanics. Vectors, Newton's laws, inverse square force laws, work and energy, conservation of momentum and energy, and oscillations.
Instructor
The Staff, David Lederman, Aiming Yan, Art Ramirez
General Education Code
MF
Quarter offered
Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
A continuation of
PHYS 6A. Geometric optics; statics and dynamics of fluids; introduction to thermodynamics, including temperature, heat, thermal conductivity, and molecular motion; wave motion in matter, including sound waves.
General Education Code
SI
Quarter offered
Winter, Spring
Introduction to electricity and magnetism. Elementary circuits; Maxwell's equations; electromagnetic radiation; interference and polarization of light.
Instructor
Steve Ritz, Jairo Velasco
General Education Code
SI
Quarter offered
Fall, Spring
Laboratory sequence illustrating topics covered in PHYS 6A. One three-hour laboratory session per week.
Quarter offered
Fall, Winter, Spring
Laboratory sequence illustrating topics covered in PHYS 6B. One three-hour laboratory session per week.
Quarter offered
Winter, Spring, Summer
Laboratory sequence illustrating topics covered in PHYS 6C. One three-hour laboratory session per week.
Quarter offered
Fall, Spring, Summer
Examines elementary mechanics, including vectors, kinematics, Newton's laws, work and energy, conservation of momentum and energy, fluid motion, and temperature and heat.
General Education Code
MF
Examines elementary wave motion, light polarization, reflection and refraction; elementary electricity, including electric charge, Coulomb's Law,and electric field and potential; electrostatic energy, currents, conductors, resistance, and Ohm's Law; and magnetic fields, inductors, and circuits.
General Education Code
SI
Laboratory sequence illustrating topics covered in PHYS 7A. One three-hour laboratory session per week.
One two-hour meeting per week. Subjects include roles of the physicist in industry, the business environment in a technical company, economic considerations, job hunting, and discussions with physicists with industrial experience. Enrollment by permission of instructor. Priority given to applied physics upper-division students; other majors if space available.
Fundamental theory of vibration, sound waves, sound propagation, diffraction, and interference. Free, coupled, and driven oscillations. Resonance phenomena and modes of oscillation. Fourier's theorem. Anatomy and psychophysics of the ear. Musical scales and intervals. Nature of plucked and bowed strings; guitar, violin, piano. Woodwind and brass instruments. Architectural acoustics. High school algebra and basic knowledge of musical notation recommended.
Cross Listed Courses
MUSC 80U
Instructor
C Martin Gaskell
General Education Code
MF
Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.
Quarter offered
Fall, Winter, Spring
Cross-listed Courses
Covers fundamental topics in fluid dynamics: Euler and Lagrange descriptions of continuum dynamics; conservation laws for inviscid and viscous flows; potential flows; exact solutions of the Navier-Stokes equation; boundary layer theory; gravity waves. Students cannot receive credit for this course and
AM 217. (
AM 107 formerly AMS 107.)
Cross Listed Courses
PHYS 107
Instructor
The Staff, Nicholas Brummell
Introduction to research for first-year students interested in physics and astrophysics. Students complete projects in small groups with scientists. Introduces techniques for collaboration; science writing; physics careers. Continuing course spanning two quarters. Enrollment is restricted to first-year proposed astrophysics and physics majors and by permission of the instructor.
Cross Listed Courses
PHYS 9A
Instructor
Ruth Murray-Clay, Jonathan Fortney
Introduction to research for first-year students interested in physics and astrophysics. Students complete projects in small groups with scientists. Introduces techniques for collaboration; science writing; physics careers. Continuing course spanning two quarters. Prerequisite(s): ASTR 9A. Enrollment is restricted to first-year proposed applied physics, physics, and physics (astrophysics) majors and by permission of the instructor.
Cross Listed Courses
PHYS 9B
General Education Code
PR-E