 Physics
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(last updated on May 12, 2008)
AP CREDIT, PROFICIENCY EXAMS & TRANSFER CREDIT
AP credit - It is possible to receive AP credit for either PHYS 115 or PHYS 121. See http://www.phys.cwru.edu/undergrad/ap_credit.php for more details.
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Proficiency Exams - If a student believes he or she knows enough of the material in PHYS 115, 116, 121 or 122 that they should not be required to take the course, it is possible to receive credit through a proficiency exam. See http://www.phys.cwru.edu/undergrad/Proficiency%20Exams/ for more information.
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Transfer Credit - If you have taken or would like to take introductory physics at another institution, you will need to apply for transfer credit. See http://www.phys.cwru.edu/undergrad/TRANSFER_credit.php for more information.
The Department of Physics offers three different sets of introductory physics courses for students whose major requires a physics sequence.
PHYS 115/116 Introductory Physics I & II
PHYS 121/122 General Physics I & II
PHYS 123/124 Physics & Frontiers I & II
The first course in each sequence covers classical mechanics while the second course covers electricity and magnetism, E&M. The official course descriptions can be found at the bottom of this page. All three sequences carry 4 credits per course, with 3 hours of lecture (and, in certain cases, 1 hour of recitation) per week as well as a 3 hour laboratory that meets on alternate weeks ( 7 total meetings during a semester ). Any of these sequences is accepted for a Physics Major ( although PHYS 115/116 is accepted only for the Physics B.A. degree ) and, if one's major allows it, it is possible to combine the mechanics course from one sequence with the E&M course of another sequence.
A traditional physics sequence would also include a third course such as PHYS 221, Introduction to Modern Physics. Until a few years ago, almost all engineering and BS science majors took PHYS 221 but this requirement was dropped by the accreditation board for engineering and now only selected departments retain this requirement.
PHYS 115/116 Introductory Physics I & II
The PHYS 115/116 sequence is designed for students working towards a B.A. in science, primarily life sciences, and covers the material that is tested by the MCAT exams. PHYS 115 is offered in the fall and PHYS 116 is offered in the spring. PHYS 115 and PHYS 116 are also offered in succession each summer, at a very accelerated pace, so that students may complete both courses in one summer.
PHYS 115 is similar to PHYS 121; the most important distinction between them is that PHYS 115 is certain to include a discussion of fluids since this topic is critical to living systems. ( Fluids are generally not covered in PHYS 121, at the discretion of the instructor. ) The differences between PHYS 116 and PHYS 122 are more substantial; in PHYS 116, several weeks are devoted to selected topics in modern physics ( x-rays, nuclear physics, etc .) that are relevant to modern chemistry, biology and medicine ( and are included in the MCAT exam ).
Until the Fall of 2003, the PHYS 115/116 sequence was listed in the General Bulletin as 'calculus-based' and had a formal calculus prerequisite. In fact, this sequence often used the same text as did PHYS 121/122. Beginning in the Fall of 2003, calculus has been removed from the formal course description. This has been done to allow the use of algebra-based texts better suited to describing biological systems. Although the level of mathematics used in these courses is now left to the discretion of the instructor, students enrolled in this sequence are still expected to be familiar with differential and integral calculus. Most life science students take PHYS 115/116 in their sophomore or junior year, after completing a year of calculus.
There is a perception that the PHYS 121/122 sequence, being strictly calculus-based, is more rigorous than is the PHYS 115/116 sequence. Some departments that accept PHYS 115/116 for their majors advise their students to take PHYS 121/122 if there is a possibility that the student might pursue a career in research. The Physics Department is neutral on this issue; we feel that either course is a fine introduction to physics and we accept PHYS 115/116 for our own B.A. majors.
PHYS 121/122 General Physics I & II
The PHYS 121/122 sequence is designed for students working towards a B.S. in science or a B.S.E. engineering. This sequence places a heavy emphasis on the development of problem-solving skills.
Both courses in this sequence are offered in the fall, spring and ( usually ) summer. The majority of Case students who take this sequence start it in the spring of their freshman year, after finishing their first semester of calculus in the fall. There are more laboratory sections available for PHYS 121 in the spring ( and for PHYS 122 in the fall ) to accommodate a larger group of students. The two other physics sequences use the same laboratory facilities as PHYS 121 in the fall ( and PHYS 122 in the spring ), so space in the course is more limited at this time. Preference for admission into the fall running of PHYS 121 will be given to students who intend to major in departments that suggest their majors complete a year of physics during their freshman year; these departments include chemical engineering, aerospace engineering, fluid and thermal engineering sciences, mechanical engineering, astronomy, engineering physics, and physics.
PHYS 123/124 Physics & Frontiers I & II
The PHYS 123/124 sequence is a limited enrollment, invitation-only pair of courses that cover roughly the same material as do PHYS 121/122. However, PHYS 123/124 put less of an emphasis on basic problem-solving skills and more on innovative educational methods and frontier concepts not normally discussed in introductory courses. Special topics in PHYS 123 may include chaos, fractals and special relativity. PHYS 124 covers electricity and magnetism using more sophisticated concepts of vector calculus ( which are taught in the course ) and includes a discussion of how electric and magnetic fields are inherently related to each other when viewed through Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity.
Students who enroll in PHYS 123 but who decide to withdraw during the first two weeks of the semester ( the drop/add period ) may switch to PHYS 121 on a space-available basis. Students who have a 4 or 5 on an AP Physics-C exam will forgo their AP credit if they accept an invitation to enroll in PHYS 123; however, these students may change their mind, drop PHYS 123 during the semester and still receive AP-credit for PHYS 121.
Students who complete PHYS 123 are automatically granted permission to enroll in PHYS 124 the following semester, although they are also free to switch to PHYS 122. Students who complete and do well in PHYS 121 may petition for admission to PHYS 124.
GENERAL BULLETIN COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
PHYS 115. Introductory Physics I (4)
First part of a two-semester sequence directed primarily towards students working towards a B.A. in science, with an emphasis on the life sciences. Kinematics; Newton's laws; gravitation; simple harmonic motion; mechanical waves; fluids; ideal gas law; heat and the first and second laws of thermodynamics. This course has a laboratory component.
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PHYS 116. Introductory Physics II (4)
Electrostatics, Coulomb's law, Gauss's law; capacitance and resistance; DC circuits; magnetic fields; electromagnetic induction; RC and RL circuits; light; geometrical optics; interference and diffraction; special relativity. Introduction to quantum mechanics; elements of atomic, nuclear and particle physics. This course has a laboratory component. Prereq: PHYS115.
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PHYS 121. General Physics I. Mechanics (4)
Particle dynamics. Newton's laws of motion, energy and momentum conservation, rotational motion, and angular momentum conservation. This course has a laboratory component. Prereq: MATH121, MATH123, MATH125 or one year of high school calculus.
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PHYS 122. General Physics II. Electricity and Magnetism (4)
Electricity and magnetism emphasizing the basic electromagnetic laws of Gauss, Ampere, and Faraday. Maxwell's equations and electromagnetic waves, interference, and diffraction. This course has a laboratory component Prereq: PHYS121 or PHYS123. Coreq: MATH122, MATH124 or MATH126.
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PHYS 123. Physics & Frontiers I - Mechanics (4)
The Newtonian dynamics of a particle and of rigid bodies. Energy, momentum, and angular momentum conservation with applications. A selection of special frontier topics as time permits, including fractals and chaos, special relativity, fluid mechanics, cosmology, quantum mechanics. This course has a laboratory component. Admission to this course is by invitation only.
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PHYS 124. Physics & Frontiers II - Electricity and Magnetism (4)
Time-independent and time-dependent electric and magnetic fields. The laws of Coulomb, Gauss, Ampere, and Faraday. Microscopic approach to dielectric and magnetic materials. Introduction to the usage of vector calculus; Maxwell's equations in integral and differential form. The role of special relativity in electromagnetism. Electromagnetic radiation. This course has a laboratory component. Prereq: PHYS123 or consent of department. Coreq: MATH122 or MATH124
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PHYS 221. Introduction to Modern Physics (3)
Concepts in special relativity, statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics and their impacts on modern technology. Applications to atomic structure, and selected topics in nuclear, condensed matter physics, particle physics, and cosmology. Prereq: PHYS116, PHYS122 or PHYS124.
Contact the academic representative of the Department of Physics (Prof. G. Chottiner, gsc2@case.edu ) for more information.