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PH 101 Introduction to Astronomy 4 cr
This is a descriptive survey course of elementary astronomy with laboratory
intended for both non-science and science majors. Topics covered include
a description of the celestial sphere, a tour of the Solar System,
techniques for measuring and classifying stars, stellar evolution,
white dwarfs, black holes, neutron stars, galaxies, and Big Bang cosmology.
Fee. Core Course.
PH 104 Concepts of Physics 4 cr
A descriptive overview of the entire field of physics with laboratory,
including the concepts of scalars and vectors, Newton’s laws, momentum
and energy conservation, rotational motion, fluids, heat and thermodynamics,
sound, electricity and magnetism, optics, atomic and nuclear physics,
relativity, and elementary particle physics. This course is intended
to provide the non-scientist with substantial insight into the physical
behavior of matter and energy. Extensive demonstrations accompany
the presentation of material to illustrate key concepts. This course
does not satisfy any preprofessional physics requirements. Fee. Core
Course.
PH 107 Freshman Physics Seminar 1 cr
Intended for physics majors in their first year or others interested
in physics as a possible major. This course will survey current “hot
topics” in physics, basic useful techniques in physics problem-solving,
physics as a career, and research in physics at USA. This course is
not intended to satisfy the science requirements within the College
of Arts and Sciences.
PH 114 Physics with
Algebra/Trigonometry I 5 cr
First semester of a two-semester introductory course in algebra/trigonometry-based
physics with laboratory and recitation. This course covers mechanics
and thermodynamics: one and two-dimensional motion, vectors, Newton’s
laws of motion, work and energy, momentum and collisions, circular
motion, rotational motion, properties of solids and fluids, the laws
of thermodynamics, kinetic theory of matter, simple harmonic motion,
and wave motion. Prerequisite: 21 ACT score on Mathematics or MA 112.
Fee. Core Course.
PH 114 Physics with
Algebra/Trigonometry II 5 cr
First semester of a two-semester introductory honors course in algebra/
trigonometry-based physics with laboratory and recitation. This course
covers mechanics and thermodynamics: one and two-dimensional motion,
vectors, Newton’s laws of motion, work and energy, momentum and collisions,
circular motion, rotational motion, properties of solids and fluids,
the laws of thermodynamics, kinetic theory of matter, simple harmonic
motion, and wave motion. The honors component consists of extra problems,
projects or work assigned by the instructor by the end of the first
week of classes. All honors students will meet with the instructor
who will give an extra work syllabus. Prerequisites: 21 ACT score
on Mathematics or MA 112, also permission of the Department Chair
or good standing in the University Honors Program. Fee. Core Course.
PH 115 Physics with
Algebra/Trigonometry II 5 cr
Second semester of a two-semester introductory course in algebra/trigonometry-based
physics with laboratory and recitation. This course covers electrostatics,
DC circuits, RC circuits, magnetic fields and forces, Faraday’s Law,
AC circuits, geometrical optics, interference and diffraction of light,
the special theory of relativity, quantum physics, and atomic and
nuclear physics. Prerequisite: PH 114. Fee. Core Course.
PH 115 Physics with
Algebra/Trigonometry II 5 cr (Honors Course)
Second semester of a two-semester introductory honors course in algebra/trigonometry-based
physics with laboratory and recitation. This course covers electrostatics,
DC circuits, RC circuits, magnetic fields and forces, Faraday’s Law,
AC circuits, geometrical optics, interference and diffraction of light,
the special theory of relativity, quantum physics, and atomic and
nuclear physics. The honors component consists of extra problems,
projects or work assigned by the instructor by the end of the first
week of classes. All honors students will meet with the instructor
who will give an extra work syllabus. Prerequisites: PH 114-H, also
permission of the Department Chair or good standing in the University
Honors Program. Fee. Core Course.
PH 201 Calculus-Based Physics I 4 cr
First semester of a two-semester introductory course in calculus-based
physics with laboratory. This course covers: one and two-dimensional
motion, vectors. Newton’s laws of motion and their applications, work
and energy, momentum and collisions, circular motion, rotational motion,
properties of materials, simple harmonic motion, wave motion and topics
in thermodynamics. Prerequisite: MA 125. Fee. Core Course.
PH 201 Calculus-Based Physics I 4 cr (Honors Course)
First semester of a two-semester introductory honors course in calculus-based
physics with laboratory. This course covers: one and two-dimensional
motion, vectors, Newton’s laws of motion and their applications, work
and energy, momentum and collisions, circular motion, rotational motion,
properties of materials, simple harmonic motion, wave motion and topics
in thermodynamics. The honors component consists of extra problems,
projects or work assigned by the instructor by the end of the first
week of classes. All honors students will meet with the instructor
who will give an extra work syllabus. Prerequisites: MA 125 and concurrently
taking MA 126, also permission of the Department Chair or good standing
in the University Honors Program. Fee. Core Course.
PH 202 Calculus-Based Physics II 4 cr
Second semester of a two-semester introductory course in calculus-based
physics with laboratory. This course covers electrostatic fields and
Gauss’ law, electric potential, electric circuits, magnetic fields,
Ampere’s law. Faraday’s law, inductance, Maxwell’s equations, electromagnetic
waves and optics. Prerequisite: PH 201. Fee. Core Course.
PH 202 Calculus-Based Physics II 4 cr (Honors Course)
Second semester of a two-semester introductory honors course in
calculus-based physics with laboratory. This course covers electrostatic
fields and Gauss’ law, electric potential, electrical circuits, magnetic
fields, Ampere’s law, Faraday’s law, inductance, Maxwell’s equations,
electromagnetic waves and optics. The honors component consists of
extra problems, projects or work assigned by the instructor by the
end of the first week of classes. All honors students will meet with
the instructor who will give an extra work syllabus. Prerequisites:
PH 201-H and MA 126, also permission of the Department Chair or good
standing in the University Honors Program. Fee. Core Course.
PH 294 Directed Studies: Variable Content Lab 1 cr
A directed studies course to substitute for a laboratory credit for
students who have successfully completed a calculus or algebra-based
physics lecture course at another university without the laboratory.
Students taking this course must get the approval of the Physics Department
Chair. This course may be taken up to two times (once for each of
the missing laboratories). Fee.
PH 301 Introductory Astrophysics 3 cr
Application of the principles of physics to the study of astronomical
phenomena. Topics include celestial mechanics, stars and stellar evolution,
the Milky Way and other galaxies, and cosmological models. Prior knowledge
of astronomy is not required. Prerequisite: PH 202.
PH 303 Modern Physics 4 cr
This course, with laboratory, surveys physics of the twentieth century.
Topics covered include special relativity, wave-particle concepts,
the Schrödinger equation and quantum theory of the hydrogen atom,
atomic spectra and structure, molecular spectra, the solid state,
nuclear structure, radioactivity, and elementary particles. Prerequisites:
MA 125 and either PH 115 or 202.
PH 346 Classical and Modern Optics 4 cr
Wave motion, reflection, refraction, dispersion, diffraction, interference
phenomena, Fourier spectroscopy, lasers and other modern applications
of optics. Prerequisites: PH 202 and MA 125 or the equivalent.
PH 348 Electricity and Magnetism I 3 cr
First of a two-semester sequence in electromagnetism. Topics include
a review of vector analysis. Coulomb’s law, Gauss’ law, calculation
of the scalar potential, electric fields in matter, the Biot-Sarvart
law, Ampere’s law, the vector potential, magnetostatics in matter,
electrodynamics, Faraday’s law, inductance, Maxwell’s correction to
Ampere’s law and Maxwell’s equations. Prerequisites: MA 227 and either
PH 115 or 202.
PH 349 Electricity and Magnetism II 3 cr
Second of a two-semester sequence in electromagnetism. Topics include
electromagnetic wave propagation in free space, electromagnetic wave
propagation in materials, reflection and transmission at interfaces,
wave guides, electromagnetic radiation, optical dispersion, and electrodynamics
extended to the special theory of relativity. Prerequisite: PH 348.
PH 354 Electronics 3 cr
This course is intended to provide a theoretical and practical background
in electronics. Topics include AC circuits, diode circuits, single-stage
amplifiers, op-amps and feedback, and digital electronics. This course
is not intended to satisfy the technical elective requirements for
Electrical Engineering. Prerequisites: MA 126 and either PH 115 or
202.
PH 366 Physical Mechanics I 3 cr
First course in a two-semester sequence in classical mechanics. Topics
include motion of particles in one-dimension, one-dimensional motion
theorems, harmonic oscillations, damped oscillations, forced oscillations,
kinematics in multiple dimensions, momentum and energy theorems, the
central force problem, motion under inverse square law forces, planetary
obitual motion, Rutherford scattering, conservation theorems for multi-particle
systems and their applications, collisions, coupled-harmonic oscillators,
and rigid body rotation about a fixed axis. Prerequisites: MA 227
and PH 202.
PH 367 Physical Mechanics II 3 cr
Second course in a two-semester sequence in classical mechanics. Topics
include: moving and rotating coordinate systems, Lagrange’s equation
and applications, Hamiltonian formulation, inertia and stress tensors,
rotations of rigid bodies and the theory of small oscillations. Prerequisite:
PH 366.
PH 385 Experimental Physics (W) 3 cr
A course in the methods and techniques of experimental physics. A
number of experiments in the area of classical mechanics, atomic physics,
molecular physics, and nuclear physics will be performed and analyzed.
A written report for each experiment that clearly and precisely explains
the experiment’s theory, technique and analysis is required. Prerequisite:
PH 303 (or taken concurrently).
PH 390 Special Topics 1-3 cr
Topics of current interest not available in a regularly scheduled
course. This course may be repeated once for credit when content varies.
PH 411 Computational Methods 3 cr in Physics
Use of computers in physics
research (industrial, applied or basic) is now common. This course
will introduce advanced undergraduate physics students to computer
solutions of physics problems. Particular attention will be paid to
problems that have no analytic solutions and may only be solved numerically.
This course will introduce several numeric methods and apply them
to specific problems from quantum mechanics, electrodynamics, and
mechanics. Students will write a series of programs in the Fortran
or the C programming language and use them to solve undergraduate
level physics problems. Prerequisites: MA 238, CIS 271 or 272, and
PH 303.
PH 448 Elementary Quantum Mechanics I 3 cr
The first course of a two-semester sequence in Quantum Mechanics.
Topics include an introduction to Hilbert space and operators, the
quantum state and observables, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle,
time evolution of the quantum state, application of the Schrödinger
equation to one-dimensional systems, and the solution of the hydrogen
atom. Prerequisites: MA 238 and either PH 303 or CH 333.
PH 449 Elementary Quantum Mechanics II 3 cr
The second course of a two-semester sequence in Quantum Mechanics.
Topics include a continuation in the mathematical formulation of quantum
mechanics, angular momentum, perturbation theory, identical particles
and spin, collision theory and the semi-classical treatment of radiation.
This course is recommended for students anticipating graduate study
in physics. Prerequisite: PH 448.
PH 463 Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics 3 cr
An in depth course in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. Topics
include simple thermodynamics systems, work, heat and the first law
of thermodynamics, ideal gases, the second law of thermodynamics,
entropy, enthalpy, Helmhotz and Gibbs functions TdS equations, heat
capacity, partition function, equipartition of energy, statistical
distribution of molecular speeds, thermal properties of solids, higher
order phase transitions, chemical equilibrium, Thomson effect, Bose-Einstein
statistics, Nuclear Magnetism, and the third law of thermodynamics.
Prerequisites: PH 202 and MA 227.
PH 494 Directed Studies 1-3 cr
Directed research under the supervision of a faculty member. Topics
generally coincide with the research interest of the supervising faculty
member. Areas of directed research may include atomic collisions,
atom trapping, experimental general relativity, experimental molecular
spectroscopy, and experimental particle physics. Prerequisite: Permission
of the Physics department chair.
PH 499 Senior Thesis (Honors) 3 cr
A written thesis that is part of the Honors Senior Project which is
submitted to partially satisfy the requirements for a Degree in Physics
with distinction. The Senior Thesis will be written on research done
in collaboration with an Honors Physics Faculty member in the Junior/Senior
year. The Senior Thesis will be reviewed by a committee of Honors
Physics Faculty. Upon approval by the committee the Senior Honors
candidate will present the Senior Thesis at the Honors Student Colloquium.
This course may be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: The Honors
candidate must have developed in the last semester of the previous
year a prospectus with the Physics Faculty Mentor and presented this
prospectus at the Annual Honors Student Colloquium, also permission
of the Physics Department Chair.
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