Offered to Non-physics majors.
Physics 1 is the first half of a two-semester calculus-based Introductory physics course which will introduce you to Newtonian Mechanics. In this course, we will examine the physical laws and their application to the motion of objects under the influence of forces, fluid mechanics & wave motion. Designed in a lecture-lab integrated setup, this course approaches physics through small group work, problem-solving teams, active learning techniques, online simulations, experiments, and fun physics demonstrations. Some topics you will study include kinematics (linear and circular motions), Newton’s laws of motion, universal gravitation, statics, conservation laws, work energy, momentum, fluids, simple harmonic motion, and waves.
I hope this course will make you join the legacy left by Newton and Galileo inspire you to think and question regular everyday things around us and allow you to develop a thorough understanding of how physics works.
Gateway Course for Physics majors.
This is a one-semester lecture course that deals with physics based on the two breakthroughs of the early twentieth century: relativity and quantum mechanics. Newtonian Mechanics, spectacular as it is in describing planetary motion and a wide range of other phenomena, only hints at the richness of behaviors seen in the universe. Special relativity, which extends physics into the realm of high speeds and high energies, requires we rethink our basic notions of space and time. Quantum mechanics successfully describes atoms, molecules, and solids while at the same time calling into question our expectation of what can be predicted by a physical theory. PHYS 223 traces in some detail just how the new physics ideas developed, examining the experimental and theoretical paradoxes that forced thinking out of the traditional path. The course will primarily provide an introduction and overview, you will see some of these topics in more depth in further undergraduate courses like the Modern Physics lab (PHYS 225) in the Spring semester.
Offered to Physics majors and minors.
PHYS 275 provides an introduction to modern Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology.
We discuss the properties of present-day galaxies, including the Milky Way, and learn about their primary constituents: stars, gas, dark matter, and black holes. We also discuss how observations of distant galaxies inform us about the structure and evolution of the Universe as a whole. We focus on the physics behind the Big Bang, the nature of Dark Energy, and the evolution of the Universe over cosmic time. A few of the topics you will learn in-depth are the Review of Astronomical Observations & Nomenclature, The Properties of Stars, Stellar Evolution, The Milky Way: Structure & Components, The Nature of Dark Matter, The Galactic Center, The Hubble Sequence, Galaxy Surface Brightness Profiles, Galaxy Kinematics, Black Holes & Active Galactic Nuclei, Galaxy Environments, Galaxy Formation & Evolution, Introduction to Cosmology, Observational Cosmology and The Big Bang.
Highlights of this class include am Astronomy Night i.e visit to an observatory to learn how telescopes work and gazing at galaxies, globular clusters, and planetary nebulas in the night sky, and a special class that takes you on a journey inside (360-degree videos) the spiral galaxies, and binary stars, black holes, accretion disks, and quasars using the Oculus Quest VR headsets!
Offered to Physics Majors and Minors.
Quantum Mechanics is simply fascinating. Many students are extremely curious about Quantum since it makes much of an outrageous assault on our common ways of thinking about the world. It is also highly satisfying trying to “understand” Nature at the deepest possible level. But perhaps most importantly, Quantum Mechanics forces us to think in new, unfamiliar ways and to develop an intuition for the counterintuitive.
There are many reasons to study Quantum Mechanics since it underlies and illuminates so many aspects of Physics, Chemistry, and modern technology. Furthermore, the mathematical tools of Quantum Mechanics (calculus, linear algebra, Fourier analysis) are used in a much wider array of scientific disciplines. So, more generally, studying quantum mechanics will continue to build your skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, and quantitative reasoning.
Learning Quantum Mechanics is a kind of experience that constitutes education in the truest sense. You will see Quantum Mechanics as the most fascinating physics you have encountered, and see it as a way to understand the world at a level you never imagined possible. You will recognize and be able to describe how quantum mechanics is visible in the world all around you; recognize that physics required a major paradigm shift to advance its understanding of nature to the atomic size scale and smaller, but that the behavior at that size also determines all macroscopic properties. Thus, I hope you find your study of the subject to be not merely informative, but also liberating!