PH1000 The Nature and Structure of Physics

The concepts and laws of physics are explored, from the ancient science of Aristotle and Ptolemy through the beginnings of classical physics with Galileo and Newton, through the modern quantum and relativity physics of Schrodinger and Einstein, to the physics of quarks and neutrino oscillations. Physics concepts are explored and their relevance to every day and military technologies is highlighted. The course is designed for students who will not take a physics based curriculum, but will encounter technologies impacted by physical concepts. The goal in this course is to convey an appreciation for physics as an intellectual endeavor and an understanding of the principles underlying modern technology. Prerequisites: None.

Lecture Hours

4

Lab Hours

0

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will

• Analyze kinematic motion in 1-, 2-, and 3-dimensions.
• Apply Newton's laws to physical scenarios.
• Understand how to apply the work-energy theorem.
• Apply the concepts of kinetic energy, potential energy, heat, and energy conservation to solve mechanics problems.
• Use center of mass and momentum conservation to solve elastic and inelastic collisions problems
• Use principles of torque and angular momentum to solve rotational motion problems.
• Solve problems involving simple harmonic motion.
• Calculate Coulomb forces between charged objects.
• Determine electric fields for simple charge distributions.
• Apply Gauss’s law to electric field calculations.
• Determine magnetic fields for simple current distributions.
• Use Biot-Savart and Ampere’s laws for magnetic field calculations.
• Calculate Lorentz forces acting on charges.
• Analyze magnetic induction using Faraday’s law.
• Show how Maxwell’s equations can be used to derive the electromagnetic wave equation.