ECE 49500 - Physics for Future Presidents

Note:

Counts as a complementary elective for the BSEE and BSCMPE degrees.

Course Details

Lecture Hours: 3 Credits: 3

Counts as:

Experimental Course Offered:

Spring 2010, Fall2010

Requisites:

Prerequisites: None Concurrent Prerequisites: None

Requisites by Topic:

Prerequisites: None Concurrent Prerequisites: None

Catalog Description:

This course will survey a broad range of concepts in physics that are both interesting and important to everyday quality of life, and important to all professionals who wish to be able to use a basic conceptual qualitative and semi-quantitative understanding of a broad range of physics in their professional activities. In a sense this is an advanced physics course that just explains physics in plain English but does not employ advanced mathematics. It is meant for all liberal arts, science and engineering undergraduate students interested in understanding physics at an intuitive and physical level.

Required Text(s):

  1. Physics for Future Presidents , Richard A. Muller , Princeton University Press , 2009 , ISBN No. 0390948667

Recommended Text(s):

None.

Learning Outcomes:

A student who successfully fulfills the course requirements will have demonstrated:
  1. A conceptual understanding of a broad range of physics concepts. [d,f,h,j]

Lecture Outline:

Lectures Major Topics
2 Energy and Power
2 Atoms and heat
2 Gravity and force
2 Nuclei and radioactivity
2 Chain reactions, nuclear reactors, and atomic bombs
2 Electricity and magnetism
2 Waves
3 Visible and Invisible light
2 Quantum physics
1 Relativity
1 The universe

Engineering Design Content:

  • Establishment of Objectives and Criteria
  • Synthesis
  • Analysis

Engineering Design Consideration(s):

  • Economic
  • Environmental
  • Ethical
  • Health/Safety
  • Manufacturability
  • Political
  • Social
  • Sustainability

Assessment Method:

Homework and essays. There are no exams. The grading algorithm is 75% essay scores and 25% homework scores.