Mechanics I

Newtonian dynamics and analytic methods. Conservation laws. Oscillatory phenomena including damping and resonance. Central force problems and planetary orbits. Rigid body mechanics. Introduction to the calculus of variation and the principle of least action. Generalized coordinates. Lagrangian and Hamiltonian dynamics. Prerequisites: PHYSICS 151 or 181, MATH 233.

Writing In Physics

Satisfies Junior Year Writing requirement. Practice in different styles of science writing, leading to several long essays. Peer reviews, student presentations. Prerequisites: ENGLWRIT 112 or 113 and PHYSICS 284, or equivalent.

Freshman Colloqium

Weekly seminar for freshman physics majors; open to all undergraduates. Current trends in physics. Modern topics at the research frontier in language suitable for beginners. Lecturers from the physics faculty; topics in each one's specialty. Graded Pass/Fail.

General Physics I

Kinematics, vectors and scalars, Newton's laws of motion, work and energy, impulse and momentum. Conservation laws. Collisions, oscillations, rotational dynamics, waves and sound, fluids. Use of calculus in physics; problem-solving methods. Co-requisite: MATH 131. (GenEd. PS)

Intro Physics I

Basic physical laws governing mechanics, heat, and sound; examples and applications from the biological sciences. Arithmetic, high school algebra, and basic trigonometry required. The recommended introductory physics course for majors in the biological sciences and related areas. (Gen.Ed. PS)

Conceptual Physics

The fundamental ideas of physics, a minimum of mathematics. Selected phenomena of everyday existence (motion, sound, electricity). Physics beyond the range of our senses, the realm of atoms and nuclei (quantum physics), the universe (cosmology), high speed phenomena (relativity). For nonscience majors. PHYSICS 103 serves as an optional laboratory to accompany this course. Prerequisite: Basic Math Skills (R1) proficiency, or equivalent. (Gen.Ed. PS)
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