PHYS 1600 Waves, Optics, and Thermodynamics

4 semester hours

An introduction to mechanical waves, optics and thermodynamics with emphasis on applications to the modern world. Topics include: the wave equation, superposition, standing waves, ray-tracing, reflection, refraction, thin lenses, polarization, interference, diffraction, thin films, wave-particle duality of light, laws of thermodynamics, kinetic theory of gases.

Prerequisites: MATH 120 or concurrent enrollment
Physics and Applied Physics majors only.