ISP 211   Spring 1998

Prerequisites: 
•MTH 110 or MTH 116 or MTH 120 or MTH 124 or MTH 201 or STT 200 or STT 201 or concurrently or designated score on mathematics placement examination. 

Instructor: Professor Wu-Ki Tung 
213 Physics & Astronomy 
(517) 432-3624 
Tung@pa.msu.edu 

What is this course all about? 

Ever wonder how physics tackle the basic laws of nature and the fundamental structure of matter?  How did Galileo and Newton revolutionize the study of nature?  What is the law of gravity, and why is it important in the development of physics?  How are everything made of atoms?  Why do we need relativity?  Just what did Einstein do?  How does a cyclotron work?  Does anti-matter really exist?  What was so special about Schroedinger's cat?  What happens if you travel at the speed of light?  What are atoms made of?  What about nuclei?  How do atom and nuclear bombs work (in principle)?  What are quarks and gluons?  How do all these elementary particles relate to Cosmology and the Big Bang? 

Answers to these (and many more) questions are what this course is all about. 

This course discusses some of the ideas of modern physics with almost no math. And with lots of demonstrations and videos. 

Lectures:   MWF: 10:20-11:10 AM,    Room 120 Physics Astronomy 

Texts:  Marsh: PHYSICS for POETS 
             Trefil: from ATOMS to QUARKS  

Office Hours: Questions, Group discussions, Homework problems, ... Wed. 4:00pm --