Outcomes for the Physics Program:

 Guiding principles for the undergraduate education of physics majors:

      It should develop the students' ability to work hard and independently, motivate the student to pay attention to detail, read and comprehend demanding texts, and be able to present complex information clearly and concisely to peers and instructors.  When completing their undergraduate education our students must have problem solving skills demonstrated by their ability to develop solutions – by set up problems from first principles, not by routinely substituting into formulas that may or may not apply to a particular situation. 

      They should develop an appreciation for the beauty of physics, experience the satisfaction solving challenging problems and the resulting exhilaration.

      They must have acquired the standard mathematical skills developed in Calculus I, Calculus II, Calculus III, Linear Algebra and Differential Equations, Differential Equations and Methods of Theoretical Physics and can write down from memory most of the commonly used equations in physics.  They are able to explain to a peer at a lower level or to an instructor the general conditions that have to be met for a particular equation to be applicable and how those conditions are met in a specific problem; what each term of the equation symbolizes, whether a particular term is defined at a point or extends over space; identify which terms are variable or constant under the conditions of the problem; follow the mathematical instructions implied in the structure of the equation to solve for the target variable.  Then examine whether the results make sense by considering limiting cases and can cite a few realistic examples to which a particular equation can be applied.

List of specific topics and skills:

Solve problems involving the dynamics of isolated point objects, collections of point objects (systems) and extended rigid objects, using Newton’s laws, energy methods, or impulse-momentum methods.  Generate free body diagrams and use them to construct the (differential) equations of motion, obtain a mathematical solution for the equations, then evaluate initial and/or boundary conditions.  Be able to solve these problems using an inertial reference frame or an accelerated frame (with emphasis on frames rotating on a fixed axis).  Know the conditions when a potential energy can be defined, test if a force can be associated with a potential energy, recognize the difference between the law of conservation of energy and the line integral of the equation for the motion of the center of mass of a system of particles or a rigid object (pseudowork).  Examine whether for a stated situation the conditions are such that energy is conserved, or momentum is conserved or angular momentum is conserved and when appropriate, use any or all of these three conservation laws to solve problems.

Can relate the work-energy theorem of mechanics to the thermodynamic potentials, the potentials in electricity and magnetism and the Hamiltonians in Modern Physics and Quantum Mechanics. 

Use mathematical software tools like Maple or Mathematica to verify solutions obtained by conventional methods, construct graphs and write simple programs.

Visualize how to evaluate multiple integrals, especially those resulting from superposition.  Given an arbitrary, but sufficiently symmetric mass distribution, calculate the center of mass or the moment of inertia of an object.  Given an arbitrary, but sufficiently simple charge distribution, calculate the resulting potential at an arbitrary point and the electric field, either by Gauss law or direct integration of the E-field due to a point charge.  Given an electric current, calculate the resulting magnetic field either by Ampere’s law or the Law of Biot and Savart.

Determine fields from potentials and vice versa. 

After considering the symmetry of the problem, select the most advantageously oriented coordinate system; either Cartesian, or Normal/Tangential or Cylindrical or Spherical.  Have developed the skills to formulate two and three dimensional problems using vectors. 

Solve partial differential equations often encountered in physics, together with boundary conditions (Schroedinger’s equation, Poisson’s equation, the diffusion equation, and the wave equation)

From geometrical information and constants, calculate resistance, capacitance and inductance.  Analyze the functioning of d-c and a-c circuits using v = iZ and Kirchhoff’s laws.

Apply Maxwell’s equation of electromagnetism and thermodynamics.

Given a sufficiently simple changing electric field, compute the resulting magnetic field, and given a sufficiently simple changing magnetic field, compute the resulting electric field.

Use the Lorentz transformations to determine the numerical values of positions, distance intervals, readings on clocks, time intervals, velocities, momenta, kinetic energies, total energies and mass energies one observer determines for a frame moving at relativistic speed relative to him/her.  Develop a firm grasp of simultaneity of events.

Realize that in nature the most stable conditions are those for which the energy is a minimum and entropy is a maximum.  Perform computations to confirm these two governing principles.

Describe, interpret and analyze the experiments leading up to and confirming quantum mechanics such as black-body thermal radiation, the photoelectric effect, particle diffraction, the Compton effect, x-ray diffraction etc.

Can solve problems involving potential wells, barriers, the harmonic oscillator, spin, orbital angular momentum, the hydrogen atom etc.

Relate the various thermodynamic coefficientsto each other by mathematical manipulation.  Apply the first and second law of thermodynamics to isothermal, isobaric, adiabatic isochoric processes.  Applications of the thermodynamic potentials, heat transfer by conduction and radiation,

Rudimentary computational acquaintance with Boltzmann, Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac statistics.

Analyze the functions or performance of the components of optical instruments, and quantitatively calculate diffraction and interference patterns produced by simple geometries.  Apply superposition of waves, traveling waves, energy transport by waves (Poynting vector).

Discuss the four fundamental forces of nature, and qualitative enumerate the fundamental particles, their decay schemes and the conservation laws associated with them.

In the laboratory portion of all our courses, students conduct experiments varying from routinized, teacher directed, “cookbook following” instructions to genuine open inquiry experiments.  In all cases there are important scientific method and process skills to be acquired.  But the fundamental purpose transcends the simple method skills.  Students must realize the dependence of theory on observation, must assess the precision of the data, locate errors and determine what can be legitimately inferred from the data.  Students must be able to reach appropriately qualified conclusions especially with regard to the support their experimental data provides to the scientific theory investigated.  All this enhances critical-logical-analytical thinking skills.

Specifically, for the laboratory portion of their undergraduate curriculum natural science majors should:

     Provided with all the necessary equipment and the instruction manuals in one location, set up a correctly operating experiment.  Acquire the competence to take plentiful data in critical regions but sparse, yet sufficient data elsewhere.  Correctly use common laboratory instruments such as various length and mass measuring devices, multimeters, analog and digital oscilloscopes (including the spectrum analyzer on the digital scopes), etc.  Develop methods to locate flaws in the experimental setup or in the data acquisition system.  Record data to the acceptable number of significant digits, analyze data (including the estimation of uncertainties), relate the results to the applicable theory and judge whether or not the obtained results make sense.  Become proficient in writing reports, use technical language correctly when presenting experimental results or theoretical conclusions, and communicate intricate ideas clearly.  Have the ability to use computers as a tool for experimental control and data acquisition, analysis, display of data, drawing graphs and as a writing tool.  Can use programs and packages as an aid for analysis.