Courses

The basic principles of classical electromagnetism and waves: mechanical waves, Coulomb's law, electric fields, Gauss's law, Faraday's law, AC circuits, electromagnetic waves, geometrical optics.

A survey of the development of scientific theories, emphasizing the ideas that emerged in physics in the twentieth century. The course is designed so that general audience students become engaged with the conceptual aspects of topics in relativity and quantum mechanics.

An introduction to stellar and galactic astronomy, and to the tools and techniques of astronomy. Discussion of the types of stars and their formation, energy production, and end states; the nature of nebulae, star clusters, black holes, galaxies, and quasars; modern cosmology; astrobiology. Several daytime and night-time observation sessions are undertaken. Historical, philosophical, and Christian theological perspectives are considered.

Topics in classical mechanics, including particle motion in three dimensions, noninertial reference frames, central forces, rigid body motion, Lagrange's equation of motion, and Hamilton's variational principle

Electric fields and potentials of static charge distributions, currents, magnetic fields and the vector potential, electromagnetic induction, electric and magnetic energy, electromagnetic properties of matter.

Introduction to thermodynamics as applied to chemical reactions. The First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics, free energy and equilibria, phase equilibria and electro-chemistry.

Introduction to the special theory of relativity; the principles of quantum mechanics and its interpretation; aspects of atomic, nuclear and particle physics; and cosmology.

To provide students with a working knowledge of basic semiconductor devices and gates and their use for implementing logic devices and simple measurement and control functions, and to provide experience in constructing and using circuit diagrams and test/measurement equipment.

First order differential equations, linear differential equations, Laplace transforms, systems of differential equations, non-linear systems, series solutions, introduction to partial differential equations. Special emphasis is placed on applications to physics and engineering.