297 DEPARTMENT Physics Chair: Dr. Brad Carroll Location: Science Lab, Room 202 Telephone Contact: Kathy Stewart 801-626-6163 E-mail: kstewartl@weber.edu WWW: http://physics.weber.edu Professors: Farhang Amiri, Bradley W. Carroll, J. Ronald Galli, Dale A. Ostlie, Daniel V. Schroeder, John E. Sohl, Walther N. Spjeldvik; Associate Professors: Colin Inglefield, Adam Johnston; Assistant Professors: John Armstrong, Michelle L. Arnold, Stacy Palen r hysics is the study and application of the fundamental laws of nature, including the laws of motion, gravity, electromagnetism, heat, and microscopic interactions. These laws govern the behavior of objects at all scales, from the smallest subatomic particles to the entire observable universe. In between, physicists study nuclear reactions, the interactions of atoms with light, properties of solids, the chaotic dynamics of fluids, and the evolution of stars and galaxies, among many other applications. Our courses in physics introduce all of the most important fundamental laws and many of their applications. Equally valuable, however, are the skills that students develop in these courses, from analytical thinking and problem solving to experimental design and interpretation. Majoring in physics can thus prepare a student for a variety of careers in research, education, business, industry, and government. The Department offers three major programs: Physics, Applied Physics, and Physics Teaching. The Physics major places emphasis on understanding nature at the deepest possible level. It also provides a strong foundation for graduate work in pure physics. The Applied Physics major places more emphasis on physical phenomena and hands-on experience. Thus, it is more suitable for those planning to go either directly into industrial employment or into graduate programs in certain applied fields. Since the course requirements for these two majors overlap considerably, students can easily switch from one major to the other any time before their senior year. The Physics Teaching major is designed specifically for those planning to teach physics at the secondary school level. Students who are majoring in other disciplines are encouraged to consider a minor in physics, which includes a year of introductory physics plus eight credit hours of additional physics courses. These electives may be chosen to emphasize basic theory, experimental techniques, or applied subfields such as optics and astrophysics. Physics Major BACHELOR DEGREE (B.S. OR B.A.) » Program Prerequisite: Not required for Physics or Applied Physics. Physics Teaching majors must meet the Teacher Education admission and certification requirements (see Teacher Education Department). » Minor: No minor is required; however, a math minor is automatically satisfied by the requirements for the Physics major, and a math minor may be satisfied with one additional upper division math course beyond the minimum required for the Applied Physics major. » Grade Requirements: An overall GPA of 2.00 is required for Physics and Applied Physics majors. Physics Teaching majors must achieve an overall GPA of 3.00 for admission to the Teacher Education program. Also refer to the general grade requirements for graduation on page 36. » Credit Hour Requirements: A total of 120 semester credit hours is required for graduation - 75 of these are required within the Physics major, 72 within the Applied Physics Major, and 43 hours are required within the Physics Teaching major, plus the credits required by the Teacher Education department. Forty upper-division credit hours are required (courses numbered 3000 and above) - 31 of these are required within the Physics major, 26 to 31 within the Applied Physics major, and 12 upper- division physics hours within the Physics Teaching major (in addition to upper-division hours within Teacher Education). Advisement All Physics, Applied Physics, and Physics Teaching majors are strongly encouraged to meet with the chair at least annually for course and program advisement. Call 801-626-6163 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Physics Teaching majors are encouraged to also meet with a Jerry and Vickie Moyes College of Education advisor (call 801-626-6269). Admissions Requirements Declare your program of study (see page 18). There are no special admission or application requirements for the Physics and Applied Physics majors. Teaching majors must meet the Teacher Education admission and certification requirements (see Teacher Education Department). General Education Refer to pages 36-41 for specific requirements. The following courses required for the Physics and Applied Physics majors will satisfy general education requirements: PHYS PS/SI2210, CHEM PS/ SI 1210 and MATH SI 1210. The following courses required for the Physics Teaching Major will satisfy general education requirements: PHYS PS/31010, PS1030, PS/SI2210, and Mathl210. Course Requirements for B.S. or B.A. Degree Physics Major Physics PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS Courses Required (41 credit hours) PS/SI2210/SI2220 Physics for Scientists & Engineers (10) Scientific Computing with C++ and Fortran (3) Introductory Modern Physics (3) Thermal Physics (3) Electronics for Scientists (4) Analytical Mechanics (3) Electromagnetic Theory (3) Mech. & Electromagnetic Waves (3) Advanced Physics Lab (2) Quantum Mechanics (3) Atomic, Nuclear, & Particle Physics (3) Seminar in Physics (1) 2300 2710 3180 3410 3500 3510 3540 3640 4610 4620 Physics Electives (3 credit hours) Select 3 credit hours from the following 3000 and 4000 level courses. PHYS 3160 Astrophysics (3) PHYS 3190 Applied Optics (3) PHYS 3200 Solid State Physics (3) PHYS 3300 Computational Physics (3) PHYS 3420 Data Acquisition and Analysis () PHYS 4800 Individual Research Problems (1-3) PHYS 4830* Readings in Physics (1-3) * as approved by instructor PHYS 4970 Senior Thesis (2) Support Courses Required (31 credit hours) CHEM PS/SI1210/SI1220 Principles of Chemistry (10) MATH SI1210 Calculus I (4) MATH SI1220 Calculus II (4) MATH 2210 Calculus III (4) General PROFILE ENROLLMENT STUDENT AFFAIRS ACADEMIC INFO DEGREEREQ GENED Jnterdisciplinary FYE HNRS BIS/BAT LIBS INTRD MINORS Applied Science & Technology CEET CS MFET/MET CMT DGET ENGR AUSV/ATTC IDT SST TBE Arts & Humanities COMM ENGL FL DANC MUSC THEA ART/ARTH Business « ECON MBA MACC/ACTG BSAD FIN LOM MGMT MKTG ECON/QUAN 1ST Education MED CHF ATHL/AT HLTH/NUTR PE/REC EDUC Heaifh Professions CLS DENT PAR HTHS HAS/HIM NRSG RADT DMS NUCM RATH REST Science BTNY CHEM GEO MATH/MTHE MICR. PHYS ZOOL Social & Behavioral Sciences MCJ/CJ ECON GEOG HIST Continuing Ed Davis Campus Weber State University 20 05 - 2006 Catalog