Physics Courses

Course Detail: In this one-term course, students are introduced to the basic concepts of mechanics (kinematics, force, momentum, energy) in preparation for later studies in physics. Note that this course does not satisfy the 1.5 CU of physics required at ASMS. Prerequisites: MA100 or MA101 or passing score on the algebra placement exam.

Course Detail: In this one-term course, students are introduced to the motion of the sun, moon, planets, and stars in the sky, as well lunar and solar eclipses, the tides, and the seasons. This course also covers the historical development of astronomy and astronomical models from the time of the ancient Greeks through Newton, as well as the properties of solar system bodies, including the sun and other stars. Prerequisites: None.

Course Detail: In this one-term course, students begin with the wave theory of light. They then study the propagation of waves through homogeneous and inhomogeneous media, the theory of holography and its practice, and application of lasers to surgery and other fields. Additionally, students complete practical lab work in laser techniques and holography. This class may not be taught every year. Prerequisite: PH101 or PH 200 or PH300, or permission of instructor.

Course Detail: The ability to successfully work in teams to develop an idea is necessary in the advancement of various scientific technologies. In this one-term course (which can be repeated multiple times), students will improve their teamwork skills as they work together to build a robot that can successfully compete in a national robotics competition. In building this robot, students will be able to apply their scientific and engineering knowledge to analyze and solve various problems that arise during the designing and building processes. Students will learn how to use computer-aided designing (CAS) software and to program the robot using a blocks-based language, amongst other skills. Furthermore, students will develop their technical writing and oral presentation skills through reports documenting their progress and through the maintaining of a laboratory notebook. Previous robotics experience is not required. Prerequisites: None.

Course Detail: This one-term course covers the emerging technology of 3D printing in medicine, electronics, manufacturing, and engineering. Students will explore 3D printing in each of these fields, and they will learn to use computer-aided design with Autodesk Fusion. They will convert their designs to STL files and use 3D printers to create their designs. Scanning technologies will also be used to copy 3D shapes which can then be recreated as solid prints. Prerequisites: None.

Course Detail: This one-term course introduces students to concepts of analogue electronics, electrical motors, and machine control. Students are introduced to programming using Arduinos, which will be used for data gathering, motor control, and sensors. Prerequisites: none.

Course Detail: The principles of statics are essential in various engineering disciplines, such as mechanical engineering. In this one-term course, students are introduced to these principles and how they are used in real mechanical structures in preparation for future college courses. Students will be able to use these principles to analyze simplified real-world examples of mechanical structures, such as cables, beams, bridges, and machines, to determine the conditions necessary for static equilibrium. This class may not be taught every year. Prerequisites: PH090 or PH200.

Course Detail: This one-term course builds on Mechatronics 1 with the study of digital electronics and the structure of digital systems. Students will be given projects in which they will do meaningful embedded system design. Prerequisites: PH208.

Course Detail: Materials science is an interdisciplinary field in which physics, chemistry, and engineering intersect to explain why materials behave in the way they do. In this one-term course, students are introduced to the basic principles in the field of materials science, including the various classes of materials (metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors), and how their structures, properties, and engineering applications differ. This class may not be taught every year. Prerequisites: PH090 or PH200, CH101 or CH201.

Course Detail: In this one-term course, students analyze the forces involved in flight by applying the properties of fluid flow and gases. Drag, lift, and turbulence will be studied with a view of understanding how these forces affect flight performance and characteristics. Rockets, fixed wing aircrafts, and rotary wing aircrafts will be studies. Prerequisites: none.

Course Detail: This one-term online/lecture course prepares students to pass the written FAA Pilot Knowledge Test required for private pilot certification. This course covers aerodynamics, aircraft performance, instruments, engines and systems, weight and balance, flight maneuvers, airports, airspace and ATC, navigation, aviation weather, Federal Air Regulations, aeromedical factors, and aeronautical decision making. Note that there is a fee required for this course. Prerequisites: PH090 or PH200, MA101, and MA103.

Course Detail: This one-term course provides students with an overview of nuclear fission, fusion, reactions, radioactive decay, and nuclear interactions, with an emphasis on nuclear energy. Starting with the basic physics of the nuclear process, this class includes discussions on nuclear reactor control, thermal hydraulics, fuel production, and spent fuel management for various types of reactors. Reactor characteristics and power production operations are also discussed in terms of macroscopic cross-sections and the six-factor formula. Prerequisites: none.

Course Detail: In this one-term course, students are introduced to the basic concepts in radiation dosimetry, the interaction of gamma and X-rays with matter, radiation therapy, radiological images, mammography, computer tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear medicine, ultrasound imaging, radiation shielding, and radiation protection. This course is taught at a level comparable to college courses. This course may not be taught every year. Prerequisites: BL101, MA104, PH100 or PH200 or PH300, or permission of instructor.

Course Detail: In this one-term course, the laws of physics are used to explain several functions of the human body, including the mechanics of muscles and body movements, fluid mechanics of blood and air flow, hearing and acoustic properties of the ears, vision and optics, heat and energy, and electrical signaling. To understand the biophysical processes of the human body, students will solve more numerical problems that they may in the pure biological sciences. This course is taught at a level comparable to college courses. This course may not be taught every year. Prerequisites: PH090 or PH200. Corequisites: MA201, BL101, or permission of instructor.

Course Detail: This is a one-term course that introduces the fundamental particles that constitute matter and the universe, their interactions, and the properties of exotic astrophysical objects. Topics covered include space-time and gravity, the foundation of modern cosmology, dark matter, dark energy, the formation and evolution of white dwarfs, neutron starts, and black holes, and our current theoretical and observational understanding of the past evolution and eventual fate of the universe. This course may not be taught every year. Prerequisites: MA201, PH090 or PH200. Corequisite: MA202, or permission of instructor.

Course Detail: In this one-term course, students are introduced to Einstein’s theory of relativity and cover the quantum theory of light, particle-wave duality, and quantum mechanics. Historical experiments leading to quantum mechanics and relativity are performed in the lab. This class may not be taught every year. Prerequisites: PH201 or PH301, or permission of instructor.

Course Detail: In this one-term course, the properties of crystalline and amorphous solid materials will be studied using computer simulatinos. Structural properties, bond angles, bond lengths, dihedral angles, pair-correlation functions, radial distribution functions, and the structure of simulated materials will be examined and compared with experimental results. A high-level programming skill is required for this course (students can use their other languages, but Python, Matlab, and Fortran are highly recommended for assignments and projects). A portable computer with Linux or OS operating system is required. This course is taught at a level comparable to college courses. This course may not be taught every year. Prerequisites: CS101 or CS216, or permission of instructor.

Course Detail: The implementation of renewable or alternative energy technologies is one of the best ways that society can combat both climate change and the ever-growing demand for energy resources. In this one-term course, students are introduced to the underlying physics, applications, and associated costs of various alternative energy sources, including solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, and nuclear fission/fusion. This class may not be taught every year. Prerequisites: PH090 or PH200.

Course Detail: This is a three-term course designed to prepare students who wish to take the AP Physics 1 exam. It is an algebra-based physics course in which students are introduced to the concepts of kinematics, dynamics, energy, momentum, simple harmonic motion, rotational motion, and fluids. This course is taught at a level comparable to college courses. Prerequisites: MA103, PH090, or permission of instructor. Corequisites: MA104.

Course Detail: This is a three-term course designed to prepare students who wish to take the AP Physics 1 exam. It is an algebra-based physics course in which students are introduced to the concepts of kinematics, dynamics, energy, momentum, simple harmonic motion, rotational motion, and fluids. This course is taught at a level comparable to college courses. Prerequisites: PH200.

Course Detail: This is a three-term course designed to prepare students who wish to take the AP Physics 1 exam. It is an algebra-based physics course in which students are introduced to the concepts of kinematics, dynamics, energy, momentum, simple harmonic motion, rotational motion, and fluids. This course is taught at a level comparable to college courses. Prerequisites: PH201.

Course Detail: In this two-term course, students are introduced to the concepts of mechanics (kinematics, force, momentum, and energy), thermodynamics (buoyancy, fluid motion, heat energy, engines), electromagnetism (electric fields, electric circuits, magnetic fields, and electromagnetic theory), and wave physics (oscillatory systems, sound waves, wave optics, and spectroscopy). This is taught at a level comparable to university courses. Prerequisites: MA103 and PH090. Corequisite: MA104.

Course Detail: In this two-term course, students are introduced to the concepts of mechanics (kinematics, force, momentum, and energy), thermodynamics (buoyancy, fluid motion, heat energy, engines), electromagnetism (electric fields, electric circuits, magnetic fields, and electromagnetic theory), and wave physics (oscillatory systems, sound waves, wave optics, and spectroscopy). This is taught at a level comparable to university courses. Prerequisites: PH101.

Course Detail: This is a three-term course designed to prepare students who wish to take the AP Physics C exams. It is a calculus-based course in which students are introduced to the concepts of kinematics, dynamics, energy, momentum, simple harmonic motion, rotational motion, oscillations, and electromagnetism. This course is taught at a level comparable to college courses. Prerequisites: MA201, PH090 or PH202, or permission of instructor. Corequisite: MA202.”

Course Detail: This is a three-term course designed to prepare students who wish to take the AP Physics C exams. It is a calculus-based course in which students are introduced to the concepts of kinematics, dynamics, energy, momentum, simple harmonic motion, rotational motion, oscillations, and electromagnetism. This course is taught at a level comparable to college courses. Prerequisites: PH300.

Course Detail: This is a three-term course designed to prepare students who wish to take the AP Physics C exams. It is a calculus-based course in which students are introduced to the concepts of kinematics, dynamics, energy, momentum, simple harmonic motion, rotational motion, oscillations, and electromagnetism. This course is taught at a level comparable to college courses. Prerequisites: PH301.

Course Detail: This one-term beginner-level course will emphasize the engineering design process and help students cultivate an engineering mindset. Students will engage in hands-on activities related to the fields of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, and more. Additional activities may include field trips to engineering sites and guest lectures by visiting engineers. Prerequisites: None.

Course Detail: This one-term intermediate-level course builds on the foundations of Introduction to Engineering and fosters student learning through a project-based instructional model. An additional emphasis will be placed on communication skills, professionalism, and budget management as students work for hypothetical clients to solve problems taken from real-world examples. Prerequisites: PH090 or PH200, PH094, or permission of instructor.