Course:

PHYS 124  Global Warming and Climate Change

Professor:

Gidon Eshel  

CRN:

90168

Schedule:

Mon  Wed     10:20 AM - 11:40 AM Avery Film Center 110

Distributional Area:

LS Laboratory Science

Class cap:

30

Credits:

4

Cross-listed:  Environmental & Urban Studies

This lab course explores the physical principles underlying climate and anthropogenic climate change. We will start with a survey of the most compelling lines of evidence for climate change, how they are obtained/derived and some of their limitations. We will then discuss in some depth idealized one-dimensional planetary radiative and thermal balance, first in the absence of an atmosphere, and then in the presence of a radiatively active one, with variable number of layers. In this context, it will become interesting to explore atmospheric opacity with respect to various radiative types, and what natural and anthropogenic effects affect this opacity. A related topic will be natural feedbacks, such as water vapor and could feedbacks. We will next place current (modern) observations of climate change in the broader context of past climates, emphasizing the last couple millennia, hundreds of millennia, and finally the ten million-year scale geological record. We will conclude the course with some discussion about the objective of successful policy mitigation efforts, and their implementation obstacles. While not technical per se, participation in this course does require the ability to solve a couple of linear algebraic equations (like solving x + 4 = 2y and 2x - 3y = 6 for x and y) and to perform some very basic manipulation of data and plot the results (using, e.g., Microsoft's Excel).

 

 

Course:

PHYS 141  Introduction to Physics I

Professor:

Harold Haggard  

CRN:

90105

Schedule:

Mon  Wed  Fri   8:30 AM - 9:50 AM Hegeman 107

Distributional Area:

LS Laboratory Science

Class cap:

24

Credits:

4

A calculus-based survey of Physics.  This first semester covers topics in mechanics, heat and thermodynamics, and wave motion.  The course stresses ideas--the unifying principles and characteristic models of physics.  Labs develop the crucial ability to elicit understanding of the physical world. Corequisite: MATH 141.  This course has two Lab options, see below.

 

Course:

PHYS 141 LBA Introduction to Physics I Lab A

Professor:

Harold Haggard  

CRN:

90106

Schedule:

  Wed     2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Hegeman 107

Distributional Area:

LS Laboratory Science

Class cap:

12

Credits:

0

 

Course:

PHYS 141 LBB Introduction to Physics I Lab B

Professor:

Harold Haggard  

CRN:

90107

Schedule:

   Thurs    2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Hegeman 107

Distributional Area:

LS Laboratory Science

Class cap:

12

Credits:

0

 

 

 

Course:

PHYS 142  Introduction to Physics II

Professor:

Paul Cadden-Zimansky  

CRN:

90108

Schedule:

Mon  Wed  Fri   10:20 AM - 11:40 AM Rose Laboratories 108

Mon       1:40 PM - 3:40 PM Rose Laboratories 108

Distributional Area:

LS Laboratory Science

Class cap:

12

Credits:

4

Part II of a calculus-based survey which will focus on electricity and magnetism, light, electromagnetic radiation, and optics. The course stresses ideas - the unifying principles and characteristic models of physics. Labs develop the critical ability to elicit understanding of our physical world.  Prerequisite:  Physics 141, Mathematics 141

 

Course:

PHYS 221  Mathematical Methods of Physics I

Professor:

Antonios Kontos  

CRN:

90109

Schedule:

Mon  Wed  Fri   2:00 PM - 3:20 PM Hegeman 201

Distributional Area:

MC Mathematics and Computing

Class cap:

16

Credits:

4

Cross-listed:  Mathematics

This course presents mathematical methods that are useful in the physical sciences. While some proofs and demonstrations are given, the emphasis is on the applications. Topics include: complex functions, vector spaces, matrices, coordinate transformations, power series, probability and statistics, and multi-variable differentiation and integration. Prerequisites: Mathematics 141-142, or equivalent, and strong preparation in physics comparable to Physics 141.

 

Course:

PHYS 241  Modern Physics

Professor:

Antonios Kontos  

CRN:

90110

Schedule:

Mon  Wed  Fri   10:20 AM - 11:40 AM Hegeman 106

Thurs    10:20 AM - 11:40 AM Hegeman 107

Distributional Area:

LS Laboratory Science

Class cap:

16

Credits:

4

An extension of introductory physics concentrating on developments in physics that stem from the theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, and statistical mechanics.  A major focus will be understanding classical and quantum waves, but there will also be overviews of particle physics, nuclear physics, optical and molecular physics, condensed matter physics, astronomy, and cosmology. Prerequisites: Physics 141-142 and Mathematics 141-142.

 

Course:

PHYS 303  Mechanics

Professor:

Paul Cadden-Zimansky  

CRN:

90111

Schedule:

 Tue  Thurs Fri   8:30 AM - 9:50 AM Hegeman 201

Distributional Area:

MC Mathematics and Computing

Class cap:

16

Credits:

4

Particle kinematics and dynamics in one, two, and three dimensions. Conservation laws, coordinate transformations, and problem solving techniques in differential equations, vector calculus, and linear algebra. Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulation of dynamics.   Prerequisites: Physics 141 142, Mathematics 141 142.