Physics
The courses in physics are designed to acquaint the student with a general knowledge of physical phenomena, the ways in which physicists study these phenomena, and the contributions such studies have made to our civilization. The courses provide knowledge necessary for students preparing to enter the health sciences, engineering, or teaching at the secondary level. They also provide support for majors in biology, chemistry, mathematics and computer science as well as for those non-science majors who wish to broaden their educational background.
Major in physics (B.A. degree): 30 semester hours, including PHYS 240, 241, 312, 314, 334, 331, 332, 335, 390, 391,421; and one course selected from PHYS 338, 379, and 383.
Supporting courses for physics (B. A. degree): 31 semester hours, including MATH 231, 232, 333, 334; MATH 238 or 431; CHEM 143, 341, 344, and 345.
Minor in physics: 19 semester hours, including PHYS 240, 241, 312, 314, 334; two courses to be selected from PHYS 331, 332, 335, 338, 383, 390, 391, 392.
PHYSICS
PHYS 141-142. General College Physics (4:3:3 each)A general course in mechanics, heat, electricity, magnetism, sound, light and modern physics with emphasis on mathematical treatment and problem solving.
PHYS 220, 230, 320, 330. Directed Study (X:X:X)Individualized study courses under the general supervision of a physics faculty member. The topic chosen by the student and approved by the faculty member and department must be sufficiently delimited to permit oral and written reports. Consult a faculty member for more information.
PHYS 240 Principles of Physics I (4:3:3)A calculus-based introduction to the classical mechanics of particles, rigid bodies, and fluids. Prerequisite: MATH 231 or enrollment therein.
PHYS 241 Principles of Physics II (4:3:3)A calculus-based introduction to the physics of waves, electromagnetism, DC circuits, light, and optics. Prerequisite: MATH 232, or enrollment therein, and PHYS 240.
PHYS 312, 314 Advanced Physics Laboratory (1:0:3)A series of labs supporting concepts in intermediate-level mechanics, electromagnetism, optics, and quantum and nuclear physics. Prerequisite: MATH 232 and PHYS 241
PHYS 331 Mechanics (3:3:0)A more advanced course dealing with statics and dynamics of particles, rigid bodies, and fluids. Prerequisite: PHYS 241 and nine semester hours of calculus.
PHYS 332. Electricity and Magnetism (3:3:0)Static electric and magnetic fields, electric and magnetic properties of matter, boundary problems, electromagnetic fields. Maxwell’s equations. Prerequisite: PHYS 241 and nine semester hours of calculus.
PHYS 334. Modern Physics (3:3:0)A study of the more recent theories of atomic and nuclear structure, nuclear reactions, radiation phenomena, special relativity, and other topics. Prerequisite: PHYS 241 or permission of instructor and six semester hours of calculus.
PHYS 335. Quantum Mechanics (3:3:0)An introduction to theory and methods of quantum mechanics. Topics include the physical basis of quantum mechanics, its fundamental postulates, and applications in chemistry and physics. (Also offered as CHEM 335.)
PHYS 338. Geometrical and Physical Optics (3:3:0)A study of geometrical optics, wave motion, interference, diffraction, polarization and spectra. Prerequisite: eight semester hours of physics and six semester hours of calculus.
PHYS 379. Special Topic (3:3:0)Designed for students majoring in physics or upper division students in the natural sciences. (Also offered as CHEM 379.)
PHYS 381. Digital Electronics (3:3:0)This course provides practical experience in using logic gates for counting, timing, Boolean, and arithmetic functions in a digital computation. The course begins with individual gate circuits and applications and then introduces integrated circuits to the medium scale level of integration. Techniques for digital control of actuators, amplifying signals, conversion to digital input, and conversion of digital values to analog input are discussed. (Also offered as CSCI 381 or ENGR 381.) Prerequisite: MATH 231 or MATH 136.
PHYS 383 Circuits and Electronics (3:2:3)Analysis of DC and AC circuits and systems. Phasors and the time-varying response of lumped circuits. Application of math transforms to circuit analysis. Diodes and transformers. Amplification using operational amps. Digital sampling of analog signals. The laboratory introduces digital acquisition techniques and LABView™ virtual instrumentation software. Prerequisite: MATH 232 and PHYS 241.
PHYS 390 Computational Applied Science I (3:3:0)Algebraic, differential, and integral calculations with discretely sampled data. Desktop engineering calculations using MATLABTM. Introduction to the UNIXTM user environment. Storage, retrieval, and use of common data types and file formats for the applied sciences. Functions and common programming elements. Graphs and histograms. Curve fitting and use of residuals. Prerequisite: MATH 232 and PHYS 241.
PHYS 391 Computational Applied Science II (3:3:0)Modeling noisy measurements: error propagation techniques using random functions. Pre-processing of digital datasets: handling missing data and exceptions, interpolation, smoothing, and trend removal. The use of moving averages, correlation, convolution, point-spread functions, FFT, and filters to extract signals from noise. Data visualization with contouring and 2-D imaging. Examples from audio and video digital signal processing, engineering, the earth sciences, and astronomy. Prerequisite: PHYS 390.
PHYS 392 Engineering Physics (3:2:3)Physical principles for artifact and process design. Overview of conservation laws, mechanical equilibrium, fluid mechanics, heat, thermodynamics, and properties of materials. An introduction to transport phenomena. Computer modeling the time evolution of physical systems using differential equations. Uncertainty analysis. Prerequisite: PHYS 241, ENGR 390, and Math 334, or enrollment therein.
PHYS 410, 420, 430. Independent Study (X:X:X)Intensive, individual study and research available to qualified students with a special interest in doing advanced work in physics. Consult a faculty member for more information.
PHYS 421 Senior Seminar (2:X:0)A senior capstone project conducted in physics that includes a written paper with cited references, an abstract, and a formal oral presentation.
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ENGR 132 Introduction to Engineering (3:2:3)An overview of engineering as practice, profession, and philosophy. The dominance of heuristics in engineering problem solving. The role of failure in design evolution. The central role of written and graphical communication in artifact design. The role of algorithms, control structures, and flow charts in process design. Team design experiences through a series of competitions in autonomous robotics. Engineering ethics and the NSPE code. Intellectual property. Prerequisite: MATH 138 or MATH 231, or enrollment therein.
ENGR 279. Special Topics (3:3:0)ENGR 381. Digital Electronics (3:3:0)This course provides practical experience in using logic gates for counting, timing, Boolean, and arithmetic functions in a digital computation. The course begins with individual gate circuits and applications and then introduces integrated circuits to the medium scale level of integration. Techniques for digital control of actuators, amplifying signals, conversion to digital input, and conversion of digital values to analog input are discussed. (Also offered as CSCI 381 or PHYS 381.) Prerequisite: MATH 231 or MATH 136.
ENGR 383 Circuits and Electronics (3:2:3)Analysis of DC and AC circuits and systems. Phasors and the time-varying response of lumped circuits. Application of math transforms to circuit analysis. Diodes and transformers. Amplification using operational amps. Digital sampling of analog signals. The laboratory introduces digital acquisition techniques and LABView™ virtual instrumentation software. Prerequisite: MATH 232 and PHYS 241. (Also offered as PHYS 383.)
ENGR 390 Computational Applied Science I (3:3:0)Algebraic, differential, and integral calculations with discretely sampled data. Desktop engineering calculations using MATLAB™. Introduction to the UNIX™ user environment. Storage, retrieval, and use of common data types and file formats for the applied sciences. Functions and common programming elements. Graphs and histograms. Curve fitting and use of residuals. Prerequisite: MATH 232 and PHYS 241. (Also offered as PHYS 390.)
ENGR 391 Computational Applied Science II (3:3:0)Modeling noisy measurements: error propagation techniques using random functions. Pre-processing of digital datasets: handling missing data and exceptions, interpolation, smoothing, and trend removal. The use of moving averages, correlation, convolution, point-spread functions, FFT, and filters to extract signals from noise. Data visualization with contouring and 2-D imaging. Examples from audio and video digital signal processing, engineering, the earth sciences, and astronomy. Prerequisite: PHYS 390. (Also offered as PHYS 391.)
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