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Undergraduate Academic Policies and Information
Graduate Academic Policies and Information
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Departmental Mission Statement Requirements for Physics Major (pre-professional schools) Requirements for Physics Major (pre-research or college teaching) Requirements for Physics Major with Secondary Education Teacher Certification Requirements for Chemical Physics Major Requirements for Geophysics Major Requirements for a concentration in International Development
Chair, Associate Professor Stewart M. DeSoto Professors Wharton Associate Professor Bishop, Craig
The purpose of the Physics curriculum is to provide students with the concepts of classical and contemporary physics and to develop both theoretical and experimental skills. The objective is to give students a fuller awareness of the structure and principles of the created universe and their relationship to technological culture. Physics is an experimental science basic to other disciplines. The curriculum is organized to prepare a student for: (A) professional schools such as engineering, law, medicine, or further work in related fields; (B) graduate work in physics toward research or college teaching; (C) secondary school teaching. Majors are also offered in (D) Chemical Physics and (E) Geophysics. The Chemical Physics curriculum offers a broad education in physical chemistry and physics. The Geophysics curriculum is a good option for a student interested in resource exploration, international development work, or preparing for a career in civil engineering. Majors can also gain recognition for a concentration in International Development. Students who complete a Physics major are granted a Bachelor of Science degree unless they request a Bachelor of Arts degree. Requirements for program (A) in Physics are 34 hours in physics, including PHYS 231 or 233, 232 or 234, 333, 335, 341, 342, 344, 351, 353, and 494; and four additional hours chosen from PHYS 343, 352, 354, 359, 361, 362, 365, and 366. Supporting course requirements are MATH 231, 232, 331, and 2 hours each of 245 and 333; and CHEM 236. Requirements for program (B) include the requirements for program (A) above, plus PHYS 495, and two additional courses. Requirements for program (C) consist of earning a double major in Physics and Secondary Education with teacher certification in Physics. Includes requirements for program (A) above; CHEM 237; ASTR 301 or 302; GEOL 211; BIOL 201; Education courses as required by the Education Department. Students opting for this program should spend at least one year as a teaching assistant in the Physics Department. Completion of these requirements will lead to teacher certification. A Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program is available with a Physics major. A combined Bachelor’s/MAT program may be completed in six years and one summer. See the Education section in this catalog. Requirements for program (D) in Chemical Physics are 20 hours of Physics, including PHYS 231 or 233, 232 or 234, 333, 361, 494, and 6 additional hours; 16 hours of Chemistry, including CHEM 236, 237, 355, 371, and 372; and 10 hours of Mathematics, including MATH 231, 232, and 2 hours of MATH 333. Requirements for program (E) in Geophysics are 20 in Physics, including PHYS 231 or 232, 233 or 234, 333, 494 and 8 additional hours; 16 hours in Geology, including GEOL 201 or 211 or 221, 321 or 437, 365, 443, and 2 hours of GEOL 495; and 10 hours of Mathematics, including MATH 231, 232, and 2 hours of MATH 333. Requirements for a concentration in International Development can be met by completing the HNGR Intern Program with a science or technology related project approved by the Physics Department. Requirements for a minor in Physics are 20 hours in physics, including PHYS 231, 232, 333, and 10 additional hours chosen from other courses applicable to the department major.
See the Financial Information section of this catalog for course fees. PHYS *205. Physics of Music. Basic concepts of sound and acoustics; vibrations, waves, fundamentals and overtones, musical scales, harmony, noise, physical and physiological production, and detection of sound waves; acoustical properties of materials and enclosures. (2) PHYS *221. General Physics I. Basic concepts of mechanics, waves and heat. Non-calculus based. Three hours lecture, three hours laboratory. Prerequisite: MATH 218 or equivalent. PHYS *222. General Physics II. Basic concepts of electromagnetism, optics, and modern physics. Non-calculus based. Three hours lecture, three hours laboratory. Prerequisite: PHYS 221. PHYS 231. Introductory Physics I. Energy and momentum, conservation laws, Newtonian mechanics, Einstein’s special relativity. Three hours lecture, three hours laboratory. Pre or Corequisite: MATH 231. PHYS 232. Introductory Physics II. Electricity, magnetism, quantum mechanics, atomic and nuclear physics. Three hours lecture, three hours laboratory. Pre or Corequisite: MATH 232. PHYS 233. Introduction to Special Relativity. Reference frames, nature of spacetime, conservation of four-momentum. Prerequisites: score of 4 or 5 on AP Physics C- Mechanics or equivalent. Pre or Corequisite: MATH 231. (1) PHYS 234. Introduction to Quantum Mechanics. Quantum mechanics, atomic and nuclear physics. Three hours lecture, three hours laboratory. Prerequisites: PHYS 231 or PHYS 233 and score of 4 or 5 on AP Physics C- Electricity/Magnetism or equivalent. Pre or Corequisite: MATH 232 or equivalent. (2) PHYS *301. Origins of Modern Science. The historical development of science from its Babylonian and Egyptian origins, through Greek science to the scientific revolution, including basic concepts in astronomy and mechanics, and their cultural interactions. (2) PHYS *302. Ideas of Modern Science. The historical development of the ideas of science from the Newtonian synthesis to the present, including concepts in optics, electromagnetism, relativity, and quantum theory and their cultural interactions. (2) PHYS *303. Ideas of Quantum Mechanics. Conceptual and historical development of quantum mechanics raising questions of cultural, theological, and philosophical interactions. (2) PHYS *315. Topics in Physical Science. Selected topics from the following: atmospheric physics, cosmology, or nonlinear dynamics and chaos. (2) PHYS 333. Frontiers of Physics. Thermodynamics, historical development of quantum mechanics and relativity, nature of science and scientific revolutions, survey of current physics research areas. Prerequisite: PHYS 232. (2, lin) PHYS 335. Modern Science Skills Laboratory. Development of skills in experimental technique, error analysis, writing lab reports, oral presentations, use of spreadsheets and Matlab, and the study of ethical issues in industry ($60 fee). Pre or Corequisite: PHYS 333. (2) PHYS 341. Analytical Mechanics. Vector calculus, particle and rigid body dynamics, central forces and gravitation, rotating systems and bodies, Lagrange and Hamilton formulations, generalized coordinates, and normal modes. Prerequisites: PHYS 232 and 2 hours of MATH 333. PHYS 342. Electromagnetic Theory. Electrostatics, steady currents, electromagnetic induction, Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic waves, and radiation. Pre or Corequisite: MATH 331. Prerequisites: PHYS 232 and 2 hours of MATH 333. Alternate years. PHYS 343. Experimental Physics. Basic experimental methods and laboratory experiments in electrical measurements and modern physics given as an independent research project. Six hours laboratory. Prerequisites: 24 hours of mathematics and physics. (2, lin) PHYS 344. Quantum Mechanics. Elements of quantum physics, solutions of Schroedinger's equation applied to atomic and molecular structure, applications, interpretations. Prerequisites: PHYS 333 and 2 hours of MATH 333. Alternate years. PHYS 351. Analog Electronics. Basic principles of electronic circuits and devices. AC and DC circuit fundamentals, filters, diodes, transistors, amplifiers, and operational amplifiers. Three hours lecture, three hours laboratory. Prerequisite: PHYS 232. Alternate years. (2) PHYS 352. Computer Data Acquisition. Digital electronics, analog to digital conversion, computer interfacing, and data acquisition with LabView software. Three hours lecture, three hours laboratory. Prerequisite: PHYS 232. Alternate years. (2) PHYS 353. Introductory Optics. Electromagnetic and quantum mechanical theory of light, geometrical and physical optics, interference, diffraction, and optical instruments. Three hours lecture, three hours laboratory. Prerequisite: PHYS 232. Alternate years. (2) PHYS 354. Advanced Optics. Light propagation in matter, polarization, Fourier optics, aberrations, holography, lasers, and modern optical materials and components. Three hours lecture, three hours laboratory. Prerequisite: PHYS 353. Alternate years. (2) PHYS 359. Thermodynamics. Theory of heat and gases, introduction to kinetic theory and statistical mechanics. Alternate years. Prerequisite: PHYS 333. PHYS 361. Solid State Physics and Nanotechnology. Bonding and structure of crystals, electronic properties of insulators, semiconductors, metals, and superconductors, limits of smallness, molecular assembly, and nanoscale physics. Prerequisite: PHYS 232. Alternate years. (2) PHYS 362. Plasma Physics. Introduction to plasma physics including definition of a plasma, single particle and guiding center motions, fluid descriptions, waves, instabilities, and applications of plasma physics in space and astrophysics, controlled thermonuclear fusion, and industry. Corequisite: PHYS 342. Alternate years. (2)
PHYS 365. Mathematical Physics. Applications of mathematical methods in physics, including boundary value problems, partial differential equations, complex variables. Prerequisite: MATH 333. Alternate years. PHYS 366. Particle Physics and Cosmology. Elementary particles, fundamental interactions, conservation laws and symmetries, big bang cosmology, dark matter and dark energy. Prerequisite: PHYS 333. Alternate years. (2) PHYS 494. Seminar. Study of the wider cultural significance of physics including its historical development; its relationship to other disciplines; its philosophical interpretations; its place in a Christian worldview; and one's stewardship toward society. Independent study and classroom presentation. Prerequisite: senior standing in the major. (2) PHYS 495. Independent Study. Independent research. (1-4) PHYS 496. Internship. Supervised off-campus experience with departmental approval. Graded pass/fail. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing with Physics major. (2-4) *Not applicable to physics major or minor.
ASTR 301. Planetary Astronomy. Observation of the sky and its cycles. Study of historical ideas about the planets, origin and development of the solar system, and modern discoveries in planetary astronomy. (2) ASTR 302. Stellar Astronomy. Observation of the sky and it cycles. Study of Big Bang Cosmology and the life history of stars in the light of Christian theology. (2) Revision date: May 1, 2008
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