This course is a continuing study of physics for students who have
completed SCI 300: Physics or SCI 350: Honors Physics and want to
study topics in modern physics including light, quantum mechanics,
atomic and nuclear physics, and relativity. Throughout the year,
we will apply these new ideas in physics to topics in astronomy,
including supernovae, black holes, the big bang and the age of the
universe. An emphasis will be placed on higher-level laboratory
skills, including open-ended labs, which allow students to design
their own experiments. As necessary to understand modern physics,
we will study additional topics in mechanics and electricity and
magnetism, including thermodynamics, fluid flow, waves, simple
harmonic motion, and rotational motion . The mathematical level
will be similar to Honors Physics (H), but also accessible to
students who have successfully completed Trigonometry and Functions and Physics.
Syllabus:
unit 1: oscillations
unit 2: waves and sound
unit 6: fluids
unit 8: electric circuits
unit 9: fields
magnetic field
gravitational field
electric field
field interactions - Faraday's law and electric motors and generators
unit 10: atomic physics
unit 11: nuclear physics, with topics in astrophysics
unit 12: optics