PHYS 101L--General Physics I Lab
Lab associated with the first semester of algebra-based introductory physics.
PHYS 103--Scientific Physics I
Lecture and problem solving. First semester of a two-semester calculus-based physics sequence for physical science and engineering students. From the course catalogue: "Classical mechanics: dynamics, waves, and fluids."
PHYS 103L--Scientific Physics I Lab
Lab associated with the first semester of calculus-based introductory physics.
PHYS 104--Scientific Inquiry: Conceptual Physics
Lecture and problem solving. Satisfies the core scientific inquiry requirement in conjunction with its laboratory. Focus on "Physics in the News" including satellites; energy generation and efficiency; and radioactivity and nuclear fission and fusion.
PHYS 204--Scientific Physics II
Lecture and problem solving. Second semester of a two-semester calculus-based physics sequence for physical science and engineering students. From the course catalogue: "Thermodynamics, electricity and magnetis, and optics."
PHYS 464--Introduction to Quantum Physics
Lecture and problem-solving. From the course catalogue: "The development of the Schrödinger equation and its application to various potential energy functions."
Textbook: McIntyre, Quantum Mechanics, Pearson (2012).
PHY 111--Introductory Physics I
Algebra-based introductory physics, with lecture, problem-solving and lab. From the course catalogue: "A broad quantitative background in basic physics appropriate for students in biology, geography, pre-physical therapy, speech pathology and nursing. Mechanics of particles, rigid bodies and fluids; the concepts of energy and momentum; and heat and thermodynamics with related laboratory work."
Textbook: Knight, Jones and Field, College Physics: A Strategic Approach with Mastering Physics, 3rd Ed., Addison-Wesley (2015).
PHY 112--Introductory Physics II
From the course catalogue: "A continuation of PHY 111. Electricity, magnetism, light, optics and elementary modern physics with related laboratory experiments."
PHY 301--Atomic Physics
First semester of a two-semester modern physics sequence, whose main audience is sophomore physics majors. Covers modern atomic physics and introductory quantum physics from the discovery of the electron through multi-electron atoms. Lab focuses on important experiments of modern physics and introduces error analysis and IgorPro.
Textbook: Thornton and Rex, Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 4th Ed., Cengage (2013).
PHY 302--Nuclear and Particle Physics
Second semester of a two-semester modern physics sequence, whose main audience is sophomore physics majors. Covers special theory of relativity, nuclear and particle physics. This course is tagged with 'writing' and features multiple revisions of lab reports and an introduction to LaTeX.
PHY 312--Electricity and Magnetism
Lecture, problem-solving, and lab. From the course catalogue: "Development and application of electromagnetic field theory: electric and magnetic fields, scalar and vector potentials, dielectrics, magnetic materials and Maxwell's equations. Includes laboratory."
Textbook: Griffiths, Introduction to Electrodynamics, 4th Ed., Pearson (2013).
Phys 110--Physics Revolutions
From the course catalogue: "Designed for non-science majors, this course explores how physics has revolutionized our understanding of the natural world. Revolutions include the unification of the terrestrial and the celestial in Newton's Mechanics; of electricity, magnetism and light in Maxwell's Electromagnetism; of space and time in Einstein's Theory of Relativity; of particles and waves in Quantum Mechanics."
This class can be used to satisfy the Q (Quantitative Reasoning) and the MNS (Mathematical and Natural Sciences) graduation requirements. As a result, I emphasize estimation and back-of-the-envelope calculations, making and interpreting graphs, and the use of probability and algebra to solve problems in addition to the scientific content.
Textbook: A. Hobson, Physics: Concepts and Connections, 5th Ed., Addison-Wesley (2009).
Phys 301--Mechanics
From the course catalogue: "Viscous forces, harmonic motion, rigid bodies, gravitation and small oscillations in Newtonian mechanics, Lagrange and Hamilton formulations, computer simulation and numerical methods."
I am using an active, problem solving based approach to this class; students will spend their time both in and out of class engaged in problem solving, both by hand and using Mathematica.
Textbook: J. Taylor, Classical Mechanics, University Science Books (2005).
Phys 303--Modern Optics
Geometrical optics, including radiometry, instrumentation, the eye and matrix methods; Physical optics including interferometry, Fraunhofer and Fresnel diffraction, polarization and holography; Lasers, including rate equations, pulsed and cw operation, Gaussian beams, and specific laser systems and applications.
This class is an upper-level elective, with just shy of 15 students enrolled.
Textbook: F.L. Pedrotti, S.J.; L.M. Pedrotti; and L.S. Pedrotti, Introduction to Optics, 3rd Ed., Addison-Wesley (2006).
Phys 101 Lab--General Physics I Lab
Phys 203 Lab--Fundamentals of Physics I Lab
Phys 102 Lab--General Physics II Lab
Phys 101--General Physics I
From the course catalogue: "An introduction to the fundamental concepts of classical mechanics: Newton's laws, conservation of momentum and energy, and oscillatory and rotational motion. Four class hours and one laboratory period per week."
In this class, I used the four class hours for a mixture of lecture and problem-solving activites, including ranking tasks, mini-labs, context-rich problems, and pieces of the Tutorials in Introductory Physics series. In the lab, I emphasized construction of graphs to display data and how to relate graphical quantities (like the slope of a line) to the equations describing the particular process. Toward the end of the semester, students completed a lab project consisting of an extension of a previous lab to investigate something slightly different. In teams, the students proposed a project, conducted the proposed experiment (including any modifications that I suggested to make it more feasible), and presented their results to the class in a poster session.
Textbook: H.C. Ohanian and J.T. Markert, Physics for Scientists and Engineers Vol. 1, 3rd Ed., W.W. Norton and Co. (2007).
Phys 102--General Physics II
From the course catalogue: "A continuation of Physics 101. Introduction to geometric optics, electric circuits, and electric and magnetic fields. Four class hours and one laboratory period per week."
Much like in Physics 101, class time was spent in a mixture of lecture and problem solving, using similar activities. In addition to the emphasis on graphing skills, many labs centered on the use of electronic breadboards. As in Physics 101, the students proposed a project, conducted the proposed experiment (including any modifications that I suggested to make it more feasible), and presented their results to the class in a poster session.
Textbook: H.C. Ohanian and J.T. Markert, Physics for Scientists and Engineers Vol. 2, 3rd Ed., W.W. Norton and Co. (2007).
Phys 115--Light, Lasers, and Holography
This course was aimed at non-science majors, with the goal of introducing them to the physics of optics and lasers. Topics included waves, geometrical optics, human vision, color theory, film, interference, diffraction, lasers and holography. A variety of lab activities (ranging from verification of the law of reflection to calculating the speed of light using the hot spots of a microwave to finding the slit separation in a Young's two slit experiment) were completed throughout the semester. Emphasis was placed on both quantitative reasoning skills (particularly estimation, order of magnitude, and graph reading and construction) and written communication, in the form of formal lab reports.
Textbook: D.R. Falk, D.R. Brill, and D.G. Stork, Seeing the Light: Optics in Nature, Photography, Color, Vision, and Holography, Wiley (1986).
Phys 260--Topics in Physics: Optics
This course was aimed at sophomore, junior and senior level physics majors. Topics included geometrical optics, with particular emphasis on matrix methods, physical optics, including interference, diffraction, and Fourier methods, and lasers. Although this class did not have a formal lab meeting, I was able to supplement the lecture with several shorter (under 65 minute) lab activites in each portion of the class. I placed a particular emphasis on oral communication skills in this course, with students completing several "chalk talk" style presentations of their homework solutions throughout the semester, culminating in a short conference-style presentation of results from one of the lab activities.
Textbook: E. Hecht, Optics, Addison Wesley (2001).
Phys 320--Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics
From the course catalogue: "First, second, and third laws of thermodynamics; principles of classical and quantum statistical mechanics and their relationships to thermodynamics; fluctuations; applications of the theory of gases, liquids, and solids; heat engines."
Intended for junior and senior physics majors, this course was primarily lecture based, with some time devoted to guided problem solving. Students completed a research paper on the related topics of their choice as part of an emphasis on written communication of science.
Textbook: D.V. Schroeder, An Introduction to Thermal Physics, Addison Wesley (1999).
Phys 350--Quantum Mechanics
From the course catalogue: "Foundations and mathematical techniques of quantum mechanics, including variational methods and perturbation theory; applications to atomic, molecular and nuclear structure and processes"
Intended for junior and senior physics majors, this course was primarily lecture based, with some time devoted to guided problem solving. In addition to their regular homework sets, students completed two solutions of more challenging problems in LaTeX as part of an emphasis on written communication of science.
Textbook: D.J. Griffiths, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, Benjamin Cummings (2004).