Physics Course List
* Do you scoff at artists who put the colors in the wrong order when
painting a rainbow?
* Do you try to correct people who refer to the clouds above a
boiling pot as steam instead of water vapor?
* Have you ever wanted to know why it is that 'hot air rises' and
'cold air sinks', but the higher you go the colder the air gets?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you are a
budding physicist (and you thought that only botanists were budding!).
We strongly recommend that you drop whatever else you are doing
(DROP/ADD forms are available at the Registrar's Office) and enroll as
a physics major. If you need any further convincing, just have a look
at all the wonderful courses we offer.
PHYS 100 Introduction to Physics
A required course for students in all subject areas which
require the ability to think (e.g. engineering, physics, math
...)
Topics Include: energy, momentum, heat, electricity, magnetism,
optics, gravity
Prerequisites: Grade 12 Math and Physics
PHYS 110 Non-Calculus Physics
The ideal course for students in non-scientific areas of
science (biology, geology, psychology and other such stuff). If
the only reason you would ever be dragged into a physics class
is that your degree requirements call for it - this is the
course for you.
Topics Include: user-friendly, watered-down versions of all the
good stuff covered in PHYS 100
Prerequisites: Grade 3 Math, ability to distinguish between
moving and parked cars
PHYS 123 Physics for Artsies
This is admittedly a blatent attempt to increase enrollment in
physics and simultaneously offer paid early retirement to some
of our department members. But hey, what about 'Rocks for
Jocks', or 'Computers for Clutzes'? Why are we expected to be
the one department in the University that only offers quality
courses? So if you need a science credit, and want to do as
little work as possible to get it - remember 1-2-3. (Those who
have already taken MATH 3.14159 Numbers, Fingers, and Stuff
will have an advantage in remembering this.)
Topics Include: which way is up? why tie your shoelaces? the
difference between steam and ice (time and class intelligence
permitting)
Prerequisites: pulse rate greater than 10 beats per minute
PHYS 150 Introduction to Astronomy
The ideal course for those who wish to study physics without
having to actually study physics. This is traditionally the
course of choice for those who think a physics minor would look
good on their c.v., but who have no interest or ability in the
subject.
Topics Include: which end of the telescope is for looking in?
Prerequisites: A pledge never to ask the professor his 'sign'
PHYS 200 Modern Physics
Learn about all the theories and critical experiments of the
last century, without being burdened with the mathematics that
would permit you to do something with this knowledge.
Topics Include: the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle (perhaps)
Prerequisites: readiness to accept that everything we taught
you in PHYS 100 is only a classical approximation
PHYS 201 E&M #1
We couldn't teach you Electromagnetism properly in PHYS 100
because you had not yet taken any vector calculus. Even though
you still have not taken any class in vector calculus, we
consider that anybody who has opted to major in physics should
be able to absorb the entire content of MATH 201 in the first
week of the term.
Topics Include: Maxwell's equations
Prerequisites: PHYS 205, MATH 100
PHYS 205 Optics
Using your knowledge of electromagnetic fields (which you will
acquire next term in PHYS 201) we introduce the subject of
light - what is it and how does it behave?
Topics Include: did you know that nearsighted people have eyes
that are too strong, not too weak?
Prerequisites: PHYS 201
PHYS 207 Mechanics
No, this is not a course in car maintainance!
Topics Include: trajectories, oscillations, Hilbert space
Prerequisites: PHYS 100
PHYS 300 S&M (Sadistical Mechanics)
Have you ever wondered what the laws of statistics and quantum
mechanics say would happen if you were to put
1,000,000,000,000,000 gas molecules into a container? Take this
class and find out!
Topics Include: the Grand Ole Canonical Partition Function
Prerequisites: PHYS 100, MATH 523
PHYS 312 QM (Quantum Mechanics)
This is what we wanted to teach you in PHYS 200, but weren't
able to because you had only had five calculus courses so far.
Topics Include: is your cat really alive?
Prerequisites: PHYS 200
PHYS 400 E&M #2
Having weeded out all but the most highly intelligent students
with PHYS 201, we are now able to get into the real meat of the
subject of Electromagnetic waves and fields.
Topics Include: optics, relativity, gauge transforms
Prerequisites: PHYS 201, every math course you can get
PHYS 456 Advanced Physics for Artsies
We are presently the only Physics Department in the world to
offer an advanced physics course especially geared for
humanities students. Our consistent offering of this course is
evidence of our belief that Physics is indeed a subject for
everyone. In fact, Dr. M.C. Skewaired (who has been teaching
this class for the last 14 years) has often said in defense of
the funding for the course 'if I ever get any students, they
will love this class'.
Topics Include: which way is down?
Prerequisites: PHYS 123
