PHYS 0081 - Space & Time, Light & Matter

Institution:

University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Subject:

Physics

Description:

The course begins with Newtonian ideas of space, time, and motion, and outlines the achievements of classical mechanics and Maxwell's electromagnetic field theory to 1900. Classical concepts thus introduced, notably the conservation laws of energy and momentum, the field concept, and the wave and particle, are then developed to take account of 20th century relativity and quantum mechanics, in ways that transcend our everyday common-sense understanding of the natural world. Modern theories of fundamental particles and of the four fundamental types of force are outlined. Applications to nuclear physics are discussed, in particular methods that show that some objects are billions of years old. After a brief outline of the physics of stars, the course culminates in recent discoveries about cosmology which demonstrate how remarkably incomplete our fundamental knowledge still remains.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.pitt.edu

Phone Number:

(412) 624-4141

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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