Physics

PHY 101T   General Physics I Theory (3)

Within an algebra-based framework, this course covers topics in classical mechanics, including the kinematics in one and two dimensions, the Newton’s laws of motion, work and energy, linear momentum, rotational motion, and selected topics on vibration and waves. Three hours of lecture each week. This class must be taken with the laboratory course PHY 101L in the same semester. Successful completion of both co-requisite lecture and lab courses (PHY 101T and PHY 101L) is required. Should a student need to repeat one co-requisite, they must repeat both co-requisites. Prerequisites: MAT 120 or equivalent. Meets SUNY General Education Natural Science category. PHY 101T and PHY 201T cannot both be taken for credit.

PHY 101L   General Physics I Laboratory (1)

Laboratory section to accompany PHY 101T. Application of theoretical material from General Physics I Lecture in experimental procedures. Three hours of laboratory each week. This class must be taken with the lecture course PHY 101T in the same semester. Successful completion of both co-requisite lecture and lab courses (PHY 101T and PHY 101L) is required. Should a student need to repeat one co-requisite, they must repeat both co-requisites. Meets SUNY General Education Natural Science category. PHY 101L and PHY 201L cannot both be taken for credit.

PHY 102T   General Physics II Theory (3)

Within an algebra-based framework, this course covers topics in electricity and magnetism, including electric forces and fields, electric potential, electric current, DC circuit, magnetism, electromagnetic induction, and selected topics from electromagnetic waves and optics. Three hours of lecture each week. This class must be taken with the laboratory course PHY 102L in the same semester. Successful completion of both co-requisite lecture and lab courses (PHY 102T and PHY 102L) is required. Should a student need to repeat one co-requisite, they must repeat both co-requisites. Prerequisite: PHY 101T and PHY 101L. Meets SUNY General Education Natural Science category. PHY 102T and PHY 202T cannot both be taken for credit.

PHY 102L   General Physics II Laboratory (1)

Laboratory section to accompany PHY 102T. Application of theoretical material from General Physics II Lecture in experimental procedures. Three hours of laboratory each week. This class must be taken with the lecture course PHY 102T in the same semester. Successful completion of both co-requisite lecture and lab courses (PHY 102T and PHY 102L) is required. Should a student need to repeat one co-requisite, they must repeat both co-requisites. Meets SUNY General Education Natural Science category. PHY 102L and PHY 202L cannot both be taken for credit.

PHY 201T   Calculus Based Physics I Theory (3)

Within a mathematical framework that includes basic geometry, trigonometry, algebra, calculus and vectors, this course covers topics in mechanics including kinematics of one, two and three dimensional motion, dynamics and Newton’s laws of motion, work, kinetic energy, potential energy, kinematics and dynamics of rigid bodies, and periodic motion. Three hours of lecture each week. This class must be taken with the laboratory course PHY 201L in the same semester. Successful completion of both co-requisite lecture and lab courses (PHY 201T and PHY 201L) is required. Should a student need to repeat one co-requisite, they must repeat both co-requisites. Prerequisite: MAT 151 or equivalent. Co-requisite: MAT 152. Meets SUNY General Education Natural Science category. PHY 201T and PHY 101T cannot both be taken for credit.

PHY 201L   Calculus Based Physics I Laboratory (1)

Laboratory section to accompany PHY 201T. Application of theoretical material from Calculus Based Physics I Lecture in experimental procedures. Three hours of laboratory each week. This class must be taken with the lecture course PHY 201T in the same semester. Successful completion of both co-requisite lecture and lab courses (PHY 201T and PHY 201L) is required. Should a student need to repeat one co-requisite, they must repeat both co-requisites. Meets SUNY General Education Natural Science category. PHY 201L and PHY 101L cannot both be taken for credit.

PHY 202T   Calculus Based Physics II Theory (3)

This course covers topics on electricity and magnetism, including Electric Fields and Forces, Coulomb’s Law, Gauss’s Law, Electric Potential, Capacitance and Dielectrics, Current, Resistance, Electromotive Force, Electric Circuits, Magnetic Fields and Forces, Biot-Savart’s Law, Ampere’s Law, Electromagnetic Induction, Faraday’s Law, Maxwell’s Equations, and selected topics on the Electromagnetic Waves. Three hours of lecture each week. This class must be taken with the laboratory course PHY 202L in the same semester. Successful completion of both co-requisite lecture and lab courses (PHY 202T and PHY 202L) is required. Should a student need to repeat one co-requisite, they must repeat both co-requisites. Prerequisite: PHY 201T, PHY 201L, and MAT 152 or equivalents. Meets SUNY General Education Natural Science category. PHY 202T and PHY 102T cannot both be taken for credit.

PHY 202L   Calculus Based Physics II Laboratory (1)

Laboratory section to accompany PHY 202T. Application of theoretical material from Calculus Based Physics II Lecture in experimental procedures. Three hours of laboratory each week. This class must be taken with the lecture course PHY 202T in the same semester. Successful completion of both co-requisite lecture and lab courses (PHY 202T and PHY 202L) is required. Should a student need to repeat one co-requisite, they must repeat both co-requisites. Meets SUNY General Education Natural Science category. PHY 202L and PHY 102L cannot both be taken for credit.

PHY 203      Calculus Based Physics III (4)

The third course in three course calculus based physics sequence.  Covers selected topics from thermodynamics (temperature and heart, thermal properties of matter and laws of thermodynamics) and waves (mechanical waves, wave interference and normal modes).  Includes lecture and laboratory.  Prerequisite:  PHY 202 or equivalent.

PHY 220      Electronics for Scientists (4)

Designed to give students who do not intend to become Electrical Engineers or Technologists a good background in the field of analog and digital electronics.  Upon completion of this course, the student should have a practical understanding of test equipment and basic analog circuits such as power supplies, analog switches of operational amplifiers as well as a practical understanding of the operation and use of digital integrated circuits and their application to more complicated data acquisition systems used in modern chemical instrumentation.  Three hours of lecture and three hours laboratory per week.  May not be taken be electrical engineering, electrical technology or computer engineering technology students.  Prerequisite: One year of high school physics or equivalent.

PHY 290      Topics in Physics (1-4)

An introductory course in selected topics in Physics not currently covered in any of the listed classes. Topics are chosen to illustrate different fields and applications which are all part of Physics.

PHY 351T   Modern Physics Theory (3)

Provides a broad overview of the major developments and breakthroughs in physics since the beginning of the 20th century, including Einstein’s special theory of relativity, quantum nature of light, wave nature of particles, introduction to quantum mechanics, atomic structure, molecular and condensed mater physics, nuclear physics, particle physics and cosmology. Three hours of lecture each week. This class must be taken with the laboratory course PHY 351L in the same semester. Successful completion of both co-requisite lecture and lab courses (PHY 351T and PHY 351L) is required. Should a student need to repeat one co-requisite, they must repeat both co-requisites. Prerequisites: PHY 202T, PHY 202L, and MAT 260 or equivalents.

PHY 351L   Modern Physics Laboratory (1)

Laboratory section to accompany PHY 351T. Application of theoretical material from Modern Physics Theory in experimental procedures. Three hours of laboratory each week. This class must be taken with the lecture course PHY 351T in the same semester. Successful completion of both co-requisite lecture and lab courses (PHY 351T and PHY 351L) is required. Should a student need to repeat one co-requisite, they must repeat both co-requisites.

PHY 361      Intermediate Mechanics I (4)

The first course in a two-course sequence of Intermediate Mechanics. Within an advanced mathematical framework (that involved vector and tensor calculus, multidimensional integration, techniques of solving systems of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations) this course provides an in depth study of the laws of classical mechanics, their implementation and applications. Topics include oscillations, general motion of a particle in three dimensions, non-inertial reference systems and gravitation and central forces. Prerequisites: PHY 202, MAT 253 and MAT 260.

PHY 371      Electromagnetism I (4)

The first course in a two-course sequence on electromagnetism. Within an advanced mathematical framework (involving vector algebra, differential and integral calculus, curvilinear coordinates, Dirac delta function and theory of vector fields), this course covers topics on electrostatics, magnetostatics, electric and magnetic fields in matter, and electrodynamics. Prerequisites: PHY 202, MAT 253 and MAT 260.

PHY 381      Quantum Mechanics I (4)

The first course in a two-course sequence of quantum mechanics. Covers topics on time-Independent Schrodinger Equation (including the Infinite Square Well, the Harmonic Oscillator, the Free Particle, the Delta-Function Potential,…) Schrodinger Equation in three dimensions, the Hydrogen Atom, Angular Momentum, Spin, and Identical Particles. Prerequisites: PHY 351T, PHY 351L, MAT 253, MAT 260.

PHY 442      Thermal Physics (4)

Develops side-by-side the two main physical theories of thermal phenomena: thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. The topics covered include temperature, heat, macroscopic energy conservation (the first law of thermodynamics), entropy and the second law of thermodynamics, physical modeling of engines and refrigerators, chemical thermodynamics, Boltzmann classical and quantum statistics of simple systems, blackbody radiation, the specific heat of crystalline solids, superfluidity and superconductivity. Prerequisites: PHY 361, MAT 253 and MAT 260. Pre/Corequisite: PHY 381.

PHY 462      Intermediate Mechanics II (4)

Second course in a two-course sequence of Intermediate mechanics and continuation of PHY 361 (Intermediate Mechanics I). Within an advanced mathematical framework (that involves vector and tensor calculus, multidimensional integration, techniques of solving systems of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations), this course covers topics of dynamics of many body systems, general dynamics of rigid bodies in three dimensions, Lagrangian mechanics and dynamics of oscillating systems. Prerequisites: PHY 361, MAT 253, MAT 260.

PHY 472      Electromagnetism II (4)

The second course in a two-course sequence of electromagnetism. Starting from the most general form of the Maxwell’s equations in partial differential form, this course develops advanced theoretical and computational techniques for obtaining their time-dependent solutions that are needed in the studies of the propagation and creation of the electromagnetic waves and radiation. Prerequisites: PHY 371, MAT 253 and MAT 260.

PHY 482      Quantum Mechanics II (4)

The second course in a two-course sequence of quantum mechanics and the continuation of Quantum Mechanics I (PHY 381). Covers topics on time dependent and time independent perturbation theory, variational principle, WKB approximation and scattering theory. Prerequisites: PHY 381, MAT 253, MAT 260.

PHY 490      Special Topics in Physics (4)

A detailed examination of a topic in physics not treated extensively in other physics courses.  Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.

PHY 491      Independent Study (Variable 1-4)

Extensive study and research on a particular topic of student interest under the supervision of a faculty member.  The student is required to submit a written proposal which includes a description of the project, its duration, educational goals, method of evaluation, and number of credits to be earned. Prerequisite: Matriculated students only, permission of instructor and dean of subject area.