The information on this site is an archived previous calendar for the 2023-2024 academic year.
The current University Calendar is available at https://www.mun.ca/university-calendar/
13.24 Physics
In accordance with Senate's Policy Regarding Inactive Courses, the course descriptions for courses which have not been offered in the previous three academic years and which are not scheduled to be offered in the current academic year have been removed from the following listing. For information about any of these inactive courses, please contact the Head of the Department.
Physics courses are designated by PHYS.
PHYS 1020 Introductory Physics I
is an algebra-based introduction to Newtonian mechanics. Topics covered include motion in one and two dimensions, Newton’s laws, momentum, energy and work, and rotational motion. Previous exposure to physics would be an asset but is not essential.
PHYS 1021 Introductory Physics II
is an algebra-based introduction to oscillations, fluids, wave motion, electricity and magnetism, and circuits.
PHYS 1050 General Physics I: Mechanics
is a calculus-based introduction to mechanics. The course emphasizes problem solving, beginning with a review of vectors and one-dimensional kinematics. The main part of the course covers motion in two dimensions, forces and Newton’s Laws, energy, momentum, rotational motion and torque, and finally oscillations. For details regarding recommendations for students taking PHYS 1050, see Physics and Physical Oceanography, Note 4.
PHYS 1051 General Physics II: Oscillations, Waves, Electromagnetism
is a calculus-based introduction to oscillations, wave motion, and electromagnetism. Topics include: simple harmonic motion; travelling waves, sound waves, and standing waves; electric fields and potentials; magnetic forces and fields; electric current and resistance; and electromagnetic waves.
PHYS 2053 Fluids and Thermal Physics
examines elasticity, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, kinetic theory and statistical mechanics.
PHYS 2056 General Physics VI: Modern Physics
is special relativity, quanta of light, atomic structure and spectral lines, quantum structure of atoms and molecules, nuclei and elementary particles.
PHYS 2150 The Foundation of Astronomy
represents a general introduction to astronomy. The course emphasizes the scientific method, basic physics, night sky and objects in our solar system. Topics include space science, telescopes, spectroscopy, atomic structure, the formation and evolution of planetary systems, and the detection and properties of exoplanets.
PHYS 2151 Stellar Astronomy and Astrophysics
is atomic structure and spectra. The sun: radiation, energetics, magnetic field. Stars: distance, velocity, size, atmospheres, interiors. Variable stars, multiple stars, clusters and stellar associations. Stellar evolution, interstellar matter, structure of the Milky Way Galaxy. Exterior galaxies, quasi-stellar objects, pulsars. Cosmology.
PHYS 2400 Subatomic Physics
is an introduction to nuclear and particle physics. Topics include nuclear properties and models; radioactive dating; fission; nuclear reactors; accelerators; the detection, classification, and properties of subatomic particles. Applications in areas such as ecology, dosimetry, medical physics and nuclear astrophysics are discussed.
PHYS 2553 Introduction to Analog and Digital Electronics
covers the basics of the analog and digital electronics; direct current circuits, capacitors and inductors, alternating currents, test equipment and measurement, transducers, diodes and transistors, introduction to operational amplifiers, digital basics, digital circuitry and digital analog I/O. This course is a combined lecture/laboratory course with two three-hour sessions scheduled per week.
PHYS 2820 Computational Mechanics
introduces computational methods in the context of Newtonian mechanics. Numerical differentiation and integration, numerical solutions to differential equations and data analysis are applied to projectile motion, N-body systems, oscillations and problems from astrophysics and geophysics. Implementation of numerical methods using computer programming is emphasized.
PHYS 3060 Electricity and Magnetism
is point charges; Coulomb's law; electrostatic field and potential; Gauss' law; conductors; magnetostatics; Ampere's law; Biot-Savart law; dielectric and magnetic materials; electrostatic and magnetostatic energy; Lorentz force; time varying fields; Faraday's law; Lenz's law; Maxwell's equations.
PHYS 3061 Electromagnetic Theory
includes Maxwell’s equations, energy and momentum in electromagnetic systems, EM waves, potentials and fields, dynamical systems of charges, radiation, the interaction of EM fields with matter, and the relativistic formulation of electromagnetism and its applications.
PHYS 3160 Stellar and Galactic Astronomy
is the physics and mathematics of stars and galaxies. Orbits and the two-body problem, radiation and matter, theory of stellar atmospheres, structure and evolution of stars. Galaxies: Morphology and kinematics. Milky Way kinematics and structure, large-scale star formation, the distribution of interstellar matter in galaxies. Starburst and active galaxies. An introduction to cosmology.
PHYS 3180 Observational Astrophysics
covers theoretical topics including celestial mechanics, continuous and line spectra, stellar structure and nucleosynthesis, and stellar evolution. Observational topics include planning observations, acquisition of images with a CCD electronic camera, fundamentals of astronomical image processing, photometry, and stellar spectroscopy using a variety of software packages.
PHYS 3220 Classical Mechanics I
covers vector operations, coordinate transformations, derivative of vectors, Newton’s laws, differential equations, kinematics and dynamics of a particle, linear and quadratic air resistance, terminal velocity, momentum of a time varying mass, center of mass systems, angular momentum, moment of inertia, energy, work-energy theorem, forces as the gradient of potential energy, time dependent potential energy, curvilinear one-dimensional systems, energy of a multiparticle system, calculus of variations, and Lagrangian Dynamics.
PHYS 3230 Classical Mechanics II
covers noninertial frames of reference, Newton's second law in a rotating frame, centrifugal force, Coriolis force, motion of rigid bodies, center of mass, rotation about a fixed axis, rotation about any axis, inertia tensor, Euler's equations with zero torque, coupled oscillators, chaos theory, bifurcation diagrams, state-space orbits, Poincare sections, Hamiltonian dynamics, ignorable coordinate, phase-space orbits, Liouville's theorem, scattering angle, impact parameter, differential scattering cross section, and Rutherford scattering.
PHYS 3250 Elementary Particles and Fields
includes the Standard Model, classification of elementary particles and forces of nature, symmetries, conservation laws, quark model, quantum electrodynamics, quantum chromodynamics, and the theory of weak interactions.
PHYS 3400 Thermodynamics
covers the first and second laws of thermodynamics. Entropy. Thermodynamics of real substances. Kinetic theory of matter. Introduction to statistical mechanics.
PHYS 3650 Quantum Mechanics I
includes a review of elementary quantum physics and covers topics such as wave functions, operators, expectation values, the Schrödinger equation in one dimension, states and operators in Hilbert space, coordinate and momentum representations, quantum mechanics in three dimensions, angular momentum, spherically symmetric potentials, and approximation methods.
PHYS 3820 Mathematical Physics I
focuses on applications of mathematical techniques to solve problems in physics. Vectors, vector calculus, matrices and tensors, coordinate systems and transformations, and summation notation are reviewed. Topics in complex numbers, functions and calculus are introduced, including branch cuts, differentiation, integration, Cauchy formula, series, residue theorem, and the gamma function. Other topics include differential equations using series solutions and separation of variables, and Fourier series of real and complex functions.
PHYS 4100 Senior Physics Seminar
is a review of current topics in Physics discussed in a seminar format. Seminars are presented by faculty, students, and guest speakers. Topics are normally drawn from the fields of sub-atomic & nuclear physics or astronomy & cosmology.
PHYS 4880 Physics Laboratory
introduces the student to advanced laboratory work in several areas of physics.
PHYS 4950 Research Experience in Physics
is an opportunity for students to participate in original research under the supervision of a faculty advisor. Students are required to present a written report and to give a seminar on their work.
PHYS 495A/B Honours Project in Physics
is a two-semester course that requires the student, under the supervision of a faculty member, to prepare a dissertation in an area of physics. In addition to a written project, an oral presentation will be given by the student at the end of the second semester.
6
Permission of the Program Chair and admission to an honours program
AR = Attendance requirement as noted. CH = Credit hours: unless otherwise noted, a course normally has a credit value of 3 credit hours. CO = Co-requisite(s): course(s) listed must be taken concurrently with or successfully completed prior to the course being described. CR = Credit restricted: The course being described and the course(s) listed are closely related but not equivalent. Credit is limited to one of these courses. Normally, these courses cannot be substituted, one for the other, to satisfy program requirements. EQ = Equivalent: the course being described and the course(s) listed are equal for credit determination. Credit is limited to one of these courses. These courses can be substituted, one for the other, to satisfy program requirements. |
LC = Lecture hours per week: lecture hours are 3 per week unless otherwise noted. LH = Laboratory hours per week. OR = Other requirements of the course such as tutorials, practical sessions, or seminars. PR = Prerequisite(s): course(s) listed must be successfully completed prior to commencing the course being described. UL = Usage limitation(s) as noted. |
The information on this site is an archived previous calendar for the 2023-2024 academic year.
The current University Calendar is available at https://www.mun.ca/university-calendar/
Copyright © 2023 Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
calendar.editor@mun.ca