Faculty. Requirements for the Major. The Physics Curriculum. Requirements for the Minor NATURAL SCIENCES DIVISION

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1 171 Physics NATURAL SCIENCES DIVISION Facuty Thomas B. Greensade Jr. Professor Eric J. Hodener Visiting Instructor John D. Idoine Professor (on eave) Frankin D. Mier Jr. Professor Emeritus Frank C. Assistant Professor, Harvey F. Lodish Facuty Deveopment Chair in Natura Science Benjamin W. Associate Professor Timothy S. Suivan Chair, Associate Professor Paua C. Associate Professor Physics is the study of the most basic principes of nature that describe the word around us, from the subatomic partices to the motion of everyday partices to the gaaxies and beyond. Courses in physics aow students to deveop a sound knowedge of these principes, as we as the anaytica and experimenta techniques necessary to appy them to a broad range of theoretica and experimenta probems. The Physics Curricuum The Department of Physics offers three options for students wishing to begin their exporation of physics. Look for the u symbo, which designates those courses particuary appropriate for first-year students or uppercass students new to the physics department curricuum. Students who want a ess mathematica approach to interesting subfieds of physics shoud consider PHYS 101 (Natura Phiosophy), PHYS 103 (Fundamentas of Modern Eectronics), PHYS 105 (Unifying Ideas in Physics), PHYS 106 (Astronomy: Panets and Moons), or PHYS 107 (Astronomy: Stars and Gaaxies). These courses are suitabe for diversification in the sciences and are accessibe to any Kenyon student. A contain some aboratory sessions in which students become famiiar with the phenomena discussed in ectures. The second option is PHYS 130 (111) and 135 (112) (Genera Physics I and II). PHYS 130 and135 constitute a genera survey of physics designed primariy for students who wi take ony one year of physics. There is a weeky aboratory that makes extensive use of computers for data acquisition and anaysis. The third option is PHYS 140 (115) (Cassica Physics) and PHYS 145 (116) (Modern Physics), which, together with PHYS 240 (223) (Fieds and Spacetime), form a cacuus-based introduction to the fundamentas of physics. These courses are more anaytica than PHYS 130 and135 and treat topics in greater depth. PHYS 140 and PHYS 145 are particuary suitabe for students who pan to take more physics or upper-eve chemistry or mathematics courses. PHYS 140 and 145 are required for a physics courses with higher numbers. They require current enroment in or credit for cacuus. There is a weeky aboratory that makes extensive use of computers for data acquisition and anaysis. Students who have an unusuay strong background in high-schoo physics, or who receive high scores on the Advanced Pacement C-eve Physics Examination, shoud consider beginning their study of physics with PHYS 240 (Fieds and Spacetime). Pacement in this course is done in consutation with the instructor and chair of the department. Requirements for the Major The program for a major in physics consists of the foowing: PHYS 140 (115); 141; 145 (116); 146; 240 (223); 241; 245 (224); 246; 280 (231); 281; 480; 481 (445). PHYS 130 (111) and 135 (112) may be substituted for PHYS 140 and 145 with permission of the department chair. One additiona unit seected from physics courses numbered above 320 and incuding PHYS 340 (335); PHYS 350 (332); or 360 (441). MATH 111; 112; 221; either 224 or 333. Additiona physics courses may be eected. A student preparing for graduate study in physics shoud enro in severa advanced physics courses in addition to the minimum requirements and may wish to take further work in mathematics and chemistry. Honors work in physics invoves directed research on a specific topic in experimenta physics, theoretica physics, or the history of physics, cuminating in a written thesis, an ora presentation to a departmenta cooquium, and an examination by an outside speciaist. The Senior Exercise incudes a tak on a topic in physics given at a department cooquium. Note: A courses in physics numbered above 220 have as prerequisites PHYS 140 and 145 and MATH 111 and 112, uness otherwise noted. PHYS 141, 146, 241, 246, 281, and 481 are aboratory courses invoving substantia experimenta work. Requirements for the Minor The department offers two minors, physics and astronomy. Students considering one of these minors shoud work with a facuty member in

2 172 Physics NATURAL SCIENCES DIVISION the physics department as the minor is being panned, since some courses are not offered every year. Requirements for the Physics Minor The program for a minor in physics consists of the foowing: PHYS 140; 141; 145; 146; 240; 241. PHYS 130 and 135 may be substituted for 140 and 145 with permission of the department chair. One additiona unit seected from physics courses numbered above 241. This minor is open to students with a majors, but may be especiay attractive to students in discipines that have strong ties to physics, such as chemistry, mathematics, and bioogy. Other combinations of introductory courses may aso be acceptabe. Note: A courses in physics numbered above 241 have as prerequisites PHYS 140 (115), 141, 145 (116), 146, and MATH 111 (11) and 112 (12), uness otherwise noted. Requirements for the Astronomy Minor The program for a minor in astronomy consists of the foowing: PHYS 130 and 135 or 140 and 145; 141; 146; 106; 107. An additiona 1/2 unit seected from a physics courses (see suggestions beow). There are severa options for the choice of the fifth course. PHYS 240, 241 (Fieds and Spacetime) and PHYS 245, 246 (Osciations and Waves) provide further experience with the foundations of physics (note that these two courses have prerequisites in mathematics). Students with interests in instrumentation can choose PHYS 280, 281 (Eectronics). Other options may incude Independent Study and Specia Topics courses reated to astronomy. Year Course Senior Honors PHYS (1 unit) This course offers guided experimenta or theoretica research for senior honors candidates. Prerequisite: permission of department chair. First-Semester Courses Natura Phiosophy u QR PHYS 101 (1/2 unit) Greensade This is a ecture course with evening aboratories. The course is designed for nonscience majors who wish to study topics in acoustics and optics. It starts with genera discussions of osciations and waves, and then appies these ideas to a number of exampes, incuding human vision and hearing, cameras, theater ighting instruments, optica iusions, and architectura and musica acoustics. These are paced in historica contexts when appropriate. The text for the course is Coege Physics, by Frankin Mier Jr. Required work incudes two examinations, reguar probem assignments, and a paper reating course materia to an area of interest to the student. No prerequisite. Cassica Physics u QR PHYS 140 (1/2 unit) Suivan This ecture course is the first in a three-semester, cacuus-based introduction to physics. Topics incude the kinematics and dynamics of partices and soid objects, work and energy, inear and anguar momentum, gravitationa, eectrostatic, and magnetic forces, and usuay the theory of singe, direct-current circuits as we. PHYS 140, 145, and 240 are recommended for students who may wish to major in physics, and are aso appropriate for students majoring in other sciences and mathematics. The course wi incude weeky homework assignments and three exams. Prerequisite: trigonometry. Co-requisite: PHYS 141 and MATH 111 or 112 taken concurrenty, or equivaent. (Whie cacuus is a co-requisite, we wi deveop the necessary mathematica toos in our ectures as we.) PHYS 140 is open ony to first- and second-year students, or by permission of the instructor. Introduction to Experimenta Physics I u QR PHYS 141 (1/4 unit) This ecture and aboratory course is Physics 130 or 140, and is a prerequisite for a physics courses numbered above 141. The course meets one afternoon each week and is organized around weeky experiments which demonstrate the phenomena of cassica mechanics, incuding projectie motion, rotation, eectrica circuits and fieds, and conservation of energy and momentum. Lectures cover the theory and instrumentation required to understand each experiment. Experimenta techniques emphasize computerized acquisition and anaysis of video images to study motion. Students are introduced to computer-assisted graphica and statistica anaysis of data as we as the anaysis of experimenta uncertainty. Enroment is imited to sixteen students in each of four sections. Corequisite: Phys 130 or 140. Fieds and Spacetime QR PHYS 240 (1/2 unit) This ecture course is the third semester of the cacuus-based introductory sequence in physics, which begins with PHYS 140 (115) and PHYS 145 (116). Topics covered incude eectric charge, eectric and magnetic fieds, eectrostatic potentias, Ampere s aw, eectromagnetic induction, Maxwe s equations in integra form, eectromagnetic waves, the postuates of the specia theory of reativity, reativistic kinematics and dynamics, and the connections between specia reativity and eectromagnetism.

3 173 Physics NATURAL SCIENCES DIVISION This course may be an appropriate first course for students with advanced pacement in physics or two years of high-schoo physics; such students shoud contact the chair of the physics department. Prerequisites: PHYS 140 (115) and 141 or equivaent and MATH 111 (11). Corequisite: PHYS 241. Fieds and Spacetime Laboratory QR PHYS 241 (1/4 unit) This ecture and aboratory course is Physics 240, and is a prerequisite for a physics courses numbered above 241. The course meets one or two afternoons each week and is organized around weeky experiments demonstrating various phenomena associated with eectric and magnetic fieds. Lectures cover the theory and instrumentation required to understand each experiment. Laboratory work emphasizes computerized acquisition and anaysis of data, the use of a wide variety of modern instrumentation, and the anaysis of experimenta uncertainty. Prerequisite: PHYS 140 and 141 or equivaent. Co-requisite: PHYS 240. Cassica Mechanics QR PHYS 340 (1/2 unit) This is an anaytic course in physica mechanics. Topics incude the genera theory of Newtonian mechanics, fuid statics and dynamics, rigid body motion, Langrangian mechanics, and Hamitonian mechanics. Prerequisites: PHYS 245 (224) and MATH 221 (21). Eectricity and Magnetism QR PHYS 350 (1/2 unit) Suivan This course covers the cassica theory of the eectromagnetic fied. Topics incude vector anaysis, cacuation of static fieds from source distributions, time-dependent fieds, eectromagnetic radiation, and the eectric and magnetic properties of matter. Prerequisites: PHYS 245 (224) and MATH 221 (21) (may be taken concurrenty). Research Methods for Experimenta Physics QR PHYS 480 (1/4 unit) This ecture course is a prerequisite for the physics major. It presents the theory, instrumentation, and statistica anaysis of data needed to prepare students for the experiments performed in Experimenta Physics (PHYS 481). Topics are seected from many fieds of physics and are currenty drawn from nucear physics, soid state physics, x-ray physics, optics, thermodynamics, and nucear magnetic resonance. Understanding the physics behind the operation of detectors, ock-in ampifiers, anaogto-digita converters, and other modern instrumentation is stressed. Co-requisite: PHYS 481 and senior standing. Experimenta Physics QR PHYS 481 (1/2 unit) This advanced course in experimenta physics incudes extensive aboratory work and methods of data anaysis. Students wi gain experience with nucear detection equipment, x-ray diffraction and fuorescence techniques, noise reduction using phase-sensitive detection, computer data acquisition and anaysis, and Fourier techniques in optics. Prerequisites: PHYS 245 (224), 280 (231), and senior standing. Corequisite: PHYS 480. Individua Study PHYS 493 (1/2 unit) The student may conduct specia experimenta or theoretica work on advanced topics in physics. Prerequisites: permission of instructor and department chair. Second-Semester Courses Geoogy u PHYS 108 (1/2 unit) Hodener The course wi survey physica geoogy topics, pacing emphasis on how these support the modern theory of pate tectonics. Topics wi incude matter, mineras, and rocks; surveys of environments, their major processes and features, and how these infuence the physica word and can be recognized in the rock record; the history of the deveopment of pate tectonic theory; and the major supporting evidence for pate tectonics, incuding seismicity and earthquakes, vocanism and putonic activity, orogenesis and structura geoogy, and geomagnetism and paeogeographic reconstruction. We wi buid these ideas in a goba context and appy them to the geoogic history of the North American continent. The course wi consist of ecture and aboratory exercises pus required fied trips. Some evening ab sessions wi be required. No prerequisites. Genera Physics II u QR PHYS 135 (1/2 unit) This course focuses on a wide variety of physics topics reevant to students in the ife sciences. Topics wi incude eectric and optica devices, fuids, waves, atomic physics, X-rays, radioactivity, and nucear physics. When possibe, exampes wi reate to ife-science contexts. The course wi be taught using a combination of ectures, in-cass exercises, homework assignments, and three examinations. Prerequisites: PHYS 130 (11) or 140 (115). Co-requisite: PHYS 146. Modern Physics u QR PHYS 145 (1/2 unit) This ecture course is a cacuus-based introduction to the physics of the twentieth century. Topics incude geometrica and wave optics, specia reativity, photons, photon-eectron interactions, eementary quantum theory (incuding wave-partice duaity, the Heisenberg uncertainty principe, and the time-independent Schrödinger equation), atomic physics, soid-state physics, nucear physics, and eementary partices. PHYS 145 (116) is recommended for students who may wish to major

4 174 Physics NATURAL SCIENCES DIVISION in physics, and is aso appropriate for students majoring in other sciences or mathematics. There wi be two or three midterm exams and weeky probem assignments. Prerequisite: PHYS 140 (115) and MATH 111 (11) and or permission of the instructor. Co-requisite: PHYS 146 and MATH 112 (12) taken concurrenty or equivaent. Introduction to Experimenta Physics II u QR PHYS 146 (1/4 unit) This ecture and aboratory course is Physics 135 or 145, and is a prerequisite for a physics courses numbered above 146. The course meets one afternoon each week and is organized around weeky experiments demonstrating the phenomena of waves, optics, x-rays, and atomic and nucear physics. Lectures cover the theory and instrumentation required to understand each experiment. Experimenta techniques incude the use of asers, x-ray diffraction and fuorescence, optica spectroscopy, and nucear counting and spectroscopy. Students are introduced to computer-assisted graphica and statistica anaysis of data, and the anaysis of experimenta uncertainty. Enroment is imited to sixteen students in each of four sections. Corequisite: PHYS 135 or 145. Osciations and Waves QR PHYS 245 (1/2 unit) The topics of osciations and waves serve to unify many subfieds of physics. This course begins with a discussion of damped and undamped, and free and driven, mechanica and eectrica osciations. Osciations of couped bodies and norma modes of osciations are studied aong with the techniques of Fourier anaysis and synthesis. We then consider waves and wave equations in continuous and discontinuous media, both bounded and unbounded. The course may aso treat properties of the specia mathematica functions that are the soutions to wave equations in various coordinate systems. Prerequisite: PHYS 240 (116) or equivaent or permission of instructor. Co-requisites: PHYS 246 and MATH 221 (21) Osciations and Waves Laboratory QR PHYS 246 (1/4 unit) This ecture and aboratory course is Physics 245, and is a prerequisite for a physics courses numbered above 246. The course meets one or two afternoons each week and is organized around weeky experiments demonstrating osciations and waves in mechanica, acoustica, and eectrica systems. Lectures cover the theory and instrumentation required to understand each experiment. Laboratory work emphasizes computerized acquisition and anaysis of data, the use of a wide variety of modern instrumentation, and the anaysis of experimenta uncertainty. Co-requisite: PHYS 245. Eectronics QR PHYS 280 (1/4 unit) Greensade This ecture course covers the physics behind modern eectronic components, such as transistors, FETs and operationa ampifiers, as we as the design and anaysis of digita and anaog circuits. The course begins with the study of ogic circuits and continues with other digita circuits. Anaog eectronics is then investigated using discrete and integrated circuits. Prerequisites: PHYS 145 (116). Co-requisites: PHYS 281 and MATH 112 (12). Eectronics Laboratory QR PHYS 281 (1/2 unit) Greensade This aboratory course is required for the physics major and is a prerequisite for PHYS 481. The course meets for two afternoons each week and is organized around experiments in which students design, test, and anayze both digita and anaog eectronic circuits. Students wi become famiiar with the use of a wide variety of eectronic devices, incuding ogic gates, anaog-todigita converters, digita memory, transistors, FETs, and operationa ampifiers. Independent aboratory projects aow students to combine and expand upon what they have earned to create new circuits of their own design. Co-requisite: PHYS 280. Optics QR PHYS 355 (1/2 unit) The course begins with a discussion of the wave nature of ight. The remainder of the course is concerned with the study of eectromagnetic waves and their interactions with enses, apertures of various configurations, and matter. Subjects incude the properties of waves, refection, refraction, interference, and Fraunhofer and Fresne diffraction, aong with Fourier optics and coherence theory. Prerequisite: PHYS 350 (332) or consent of the instructor. Thermodynamics and Statistica Mechanics QR PHYS 370 (1/2 unit) Suivan This introduction to cassica thermodynamics and statistica mechanics focuses on how microscopic physica processes give rise to macroscopic phenomena for exampe, how the dynamics of atoms and moecues can expain the argescae behavior of gases. Prerequisites: PHYS 245. Individua Study PHYS 494 (1/2 unit) The student may conduct specia experimenta or theoretica work on advanced topics in physics. Prerequisites: permission of instructor and department chair.

5 175 Physics NATURAL SCIENCES DIVISION The foowing courses wi be offered in : PHYS 107 Astronomy: Stars and Gaaxies PHYS 218 Dynamica Systems and Scientific Computing PHYS 360 Quantum Mechanics PHYS 365 Atomic and Nucear Physics PHYS 492 Specia Topics in Physics PHYS 493, 494 Individua Study PHYS Senior Honors