PHYS1400 · Physics
Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences
This core course is a contemporary prologue to classical physics for students seeking to gain an appreciation of the ethos, scope, methods, and tools of physics, and to reflect on its place among theliberal arts. It explores major physics ideas and paradigms in a broader cultural context, providing historical perspectives from the early Greek astronomy through the scientific revolution. Simultaneously, the aim is to develop practical science skills, including the order-of-magnitude estimates, dimensional analysis, understanding of physics laws, and problem solving techniques. Interdisciplinary connections will be emphasized by inclusion ofsuch topics as the concept of time and examples of applications of mathematics and physics to the visual arts. The course can serve as a preparation for, or a companion to more advanced physics classes.
Course experience
Averages use the original five-point historical evaluation scale.
Organization
3.4 / 5
How well the course was organized
Challenge
4.2 / 5
How intellectually challenging students found it
Attendance
4.2 / 5
How necessary attendance was
Assignments
3.4 / 5
How helpful assignments were
Weekly effort
~4
hours per week
Estimated from the original workload response buckets. Individual sections may differ.
Instructor options
Ratings below reflect only recovered evaluations connected to this course.
Across time
Section-level results available in the recovered archive.
Fall 2023
1 sectionFall 2022
1 sectionFall 2021
1 section