Courses

Covers heat, electricity, vibrations and waves, sound, geometrical optics, and nuclear physics and radioactivity. The application of physics to a variety of problems in the life and health sciences is emphasized. Vibrations and waves topics include simple harmonic motion and wave motion. Sound topics include wave characteristics, the ear, Doppler effect, shock waves, and ultrasound. Electricity topics include electrostatics, capacitance, resistivity, direct-current circuits, and RC circuits. Optics topics include reflection, mirrors, refraction, total internal reflection, fiber optics, lenses, the eye, telescopes, and microscopes. Nuclear physics and radioactivity topics include atomic nucleus, radioactivity, half-life, radioactive dating, detectors, nuclear reaction, fission, fusion, radiation damage, radiation therapy, PET, and MRI. A laboratory is included. Prereq. PHYS 1145. Coreq. PHYS 1148.

Mandatory textbook/s: PHYSICS Principles with Applications, 7th-Edition, Giancoli.

Days: M, W, Thu, 1:35 pm (Churchill Hall 101). OFFICE HOURS: Wednesday, 9:15am-12:15pm (Dana 202), or upon personal request.

Covers mechanics, fluids, and temperature and kinetic theory. The application of physics to a variety of problems in the life and health sciences is emphasized. Mechanics topics include one-dimensional motion, forces, vectors, Newton’s laws, equilibrium, work, energy, and power. Fluids topics include density, pressure, buoyancy, fluids in motion, viscosity, and surface tension. Temperature and kinetic theory topics include temperature, thermal equilibrium, gas laws, ideal gas law, kinetic theory, vapor pressure, and diffusion. A laboratory is included. Coreq. PHYS 1146.

Mandatory textbook/s: PHYSICS Principles with Applications, 7th-Edition, Giancoli.

Days: M, W, Thu, 10:30 am (West Village F020). OFFICE HOURS: Friday, 9am-12pm (Dana 202), or upon personal request.

A laboratory-based course in experimental physics. Topics include C programming with LabWindows, data acquisition, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), resistive measurements of a phase transition in chromium, laser modes, optical tweezers, optical spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), ensemble and single-photon two-slit experiments, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and muon decay. Course co-taught with Prof. Nathan Israeloff.

Required Textbook: Data Reduction and Error Analysis for the Physical Sciences, by Philip R. Bevington and D. Keith Robinson. McGraw-Hill, 3rd edition.

OFFICE HOURS: Thursdays, 3-6 PM @ Dana 202, or upon personal request.

This course underlines the basic principles of physics as they apply to the study of biological systems at the molecular and cellular levels. From diffusion to membrane dynamics to molecular and cellular mechanics, physicists use various methods to understand how various sources of energy are used to perform function. The course is designed as an exploration of various physical rules that govern life at all scales, beginning with a discussion of various physical models and theories, and progressing with a survey of cutting-edge techniques that have been developed over the past few decades.

Mandatory textbook/s: Physical Biology of the Cell (PBoC), Rob Philips et al. (2nd Edition).

Optional Book: Random Walks in Biology, Howard Berg.

Days: M, W, Thu, 1:35 pm (Richards Hall 235). OFFICE HOURS: Mondays, 3-6 PM @ Dana 202, or upon personal request.

A laboratory-based course in experimental physics. Topics include C programming with LabWindows, data acquisition, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), resistive measurements of a phase transition in chromium, laser modes, optical tweezers, optical spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), ensemble and single-photon two-slit experiments, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and muon decay. Course co-taught with Profs. Mark Williams and Nathan Israeloff.

Required Textbook: Data Reduction and Error Analysis for the Physical Sciences, by Philip R. Bevington and D. Keith Robinson. McGraw-Hill, 3rd edition.

OFFICE HOURS: Thursdays, 3-6 PM @ Dana 202, or upon personal request.

This course underlines the basic principles of physics as they apply to the study of Biological systems at the molecular and cellular levels. From diffusion to membrane dynamics to molecular and cellular mechanics, physicists use various methods to understand how various sources of energy are used to perform function. The course is designed as an exploration of various physical rules that govern life at all scales, beginning with a discussion of various physical models and theories, and progressing with a survey of cutting-edge techniques that have been developed over the past few decades.

Mandatory textbook/s: Physical Biology of the Cell (PBoC), Rob Philips et al. (2nd Edition).

Optional Book: Random Walks in Biology, Howard Berg.

Days: Days: M, W, Thu, 1:35 pm (Richards Hall 140). OFFICE HOURS: Thursdays, 3-6 PM (Dana 202), or upon personal request.

Student seminar in which faculty in the department gave weekly presentations to the class about their research in subjects such as high-energy physics, condensed matter, and biological physics.

Student seminar in which graduate students gave weekly presentations to the class about their research in subjects such as high-energy physics, condensed matter, and biological physics.

Covers mechanics, fluids, and temperature and kinetic theory. The application of physics to a variety of problems in the life and health sciences is emphasized. Mechanics topics include one-dimensional motion, forces, vectors, Newton’s laws, equilibrium, work, energy, and power. Fluids topics include density, pressure, buoyancy, fluids in motion, viscosity, and surface tension. Temperature and kinetic theory topics include temperature, thermal equilibrium, gas laws, ideal gas law, kinetic theory, vapor pressure, and diffusion. A laboratory is included. Coreq. PHYS 1146.

Mandatory textbook/s: PHYSICS Principles with Applications, 6th-Edition, Giancoli.

Days: M, W, Thu, 1:35 pm (Churchill Hall 101). OFFICE HOURS: Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9-10AM, and Wednesday at 5PM (Dana 202), or upon personal request.