2010-11 Undergraduate Index A-Z
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Physics [clear]
| Title | Offering | Standing | Credits | Credits | When | F | W | S | Su | Description | Preparatory | Faculty | Days of Week | Multiple Standings | Start Quarters |
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Art, New Media, and the Science of Perception
Richard Weiss and Naima Lowe computer science mathematics media studies moving image physics psychology visual arts Signature Required: Winter |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | WWinter | What is an image? How do we form them? What factors influence our perception of images? How are the history and practices of New Media related to social and cultural phenomena surrounding robotics, cybernetics, and networked culture? Cybernetics and reproducible images emerged almost simultaneously in the Western world and became markers of the post-modern era. The result was a rich interaction that developed between art, video and photography, robotics and image processing. The culture and history of New Media, visual perception and cognitive science will form the landscape for our explorations. In this program, we will investigate how images are formed and how we perceive them, as well as the theoretical underpinnings of reproducible images and the history of New Media. Both cultural and technological aspects will guide our examination of the entire sequence of events from how images are produced in a camera to how we perceive and react to images as informed by both our personal and social experiences. We will explore digital and non-digital images and image processing, as well as the cognitive science of how our eyes and brain process patterns of light. In the fall, we will study the concepts of editing, video production and photography, as well as the influences of culture and technology on art, printed media and electronic media in the age of the Internet. Robotics and image processing will lead us to geometric optics and color. Students will learn how to work with digital and non-digital images, image reproduction, the pinhole camera model, lenses, filtering images, and programming a simple mobile robot to take pictures. In winter, we will continue to develop and expand much of the work we started in the fall. We will expand our view of robotics to include more general, computer processor-based interactive art and the cognitive science of visual perception. Winter quarter will culminate in public presentations of student projects that integrate our studies. | video production, media arts, computer science, mathematics, and cognitive science. | Richard Weiss Naima Lowe | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||
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College Physics
David McAvity |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 8 | 08 | Day | SuSummer | This is an algebra-based physics course introducing fundamental topics in physics including kinematics, dynamics, electricity, and magnetism. Conceptual understanding and problem solving skills will be developed. There will be one lab a week. The course will provide a good foundation for those wishing to pursue careers in medicine, engineering, or the physical sciences. Those students who need a full year of college physics will be able to do so in the second session through contracts. | David McAvity | Mon Tue Wed Wed Thu | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Summer | ||||
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Conceptual Physics
Mario Gadea |
Course | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 6 | 06 | Evening | FFall | This course is designed for non-science, non-math students who wish to explore how physics—the study of matter and energy and their relationships—affects our daily lives. We will study topics from classical mechanics through electricity and magnetism and into modern physics. We will touch on work from Galileo through Newton to Maxwell and Einstein. We will apply these concepts to hands-on laboratories, demonstrations,and real life situations. With this foundation, students will be equipped to better understand the equations and formulas of more advanced physics and to better understand the physical world in which they live. Conceptual physics is the qualitative study of the central concepts of physics with emphasis on conceptual rather than a mathematical viewpoint. We will explore real-world situations and emphasize comprehension rather than computation. However, calculations are still needed, and students should review basic algebra before beginning this course. | Mario Gadea | Tue Thu | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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Creative Environments: Shelter and Movement
Robert Knapp architecture chemistry community studies environmental studies physics sustainability studies |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | WWinter | The faculty of the Creative Environments programs have joined together to offer in fall quarter and in winter and spring. Please refer to those program descriptions in the catalog for more information. | applied physical sciences, architecture, civil and mechanical engineering, community studies, conceptual architecture, environmental physics, sustainable building and transportation, and sustainability and engineering. Skills include quantitative reasoning, basic drafting, sustainable design methods, group discussion and decision-making. | Robert Knapp | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||
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Designing Green
Robert Leverich, Anthony Tindill and Robert Knapp architecture community studies environmental studies physics sociology sustainability studies |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | WWinter | SSpring | Sustainable design imagines landscapes, buildings and objects of use that are responsive and responsible to environments and communities, that reuse and renew materials and energy, that draw lessons from natural systems and forms, and that use and build on the native design intelligence of human cultures. This program digs intensively into these topics, building on the background developed in Designing Green Futures (Fall 2010) or equivalent study elsewhere. This program pays special attention to buildings—their history and traditions, design challenges and potentials, modes of construction, life cycles—within a general framework of sustainable design. Students will read, attend lectures, engage in hands-on workshops and do field research addressing ecological impacts, materials, building science, graphics and design process (including computer methods) and environmental design history. They will bring lessons from these disciplines to an integrative design studio—the pivotal activity of the program. Studio projects will address drawing and design fundamentals, thinking in three dimensions, programming, user involvement, ecological design responses, materials choices and construction systems, energy use and presentation skills. Readings, seminars and writing will ground students in current issues and ideas in sustainability, and enrich their design efforts. Work will build toward application projects on campus or in the surrounding community during Spring Quarter. These projects will involve students in real-world processes, constraints, and trade-offs—essential experience for those who wish to make a difference. | architecture; environmental affairs, design, and studies; government and non-profit organizations; and sustainable technologies. | Robert Leverich Anthony Tindill Robert Knapp | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Winter | |||
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Designing Green Futures
Nelson Pizarro, Anthony Tindill, Robert Knapp and Robert Leverich architecture business and management environmental studies government physics sustainability studies |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | “We are in the midst of a great turning and it is an auspicious time to be alive,” says writer John Malkin. All over the world, attitudes toward the earth and its resources are changing; new means of stewardship are arising, new ways of doing business and of building and shaping environments. This program is for students who want to get informed, and to rethink, re-envision, and reinvent how we use resources, build, and make a living in ways that are ethical, sustainable and beautiful. It sets the stage for winter and spring programs in sustainable building and business by providing an overview of key ideas and movements in sustainability, and by introducing students to Design as a thinking, innovating, and communicating process that can bridge disciplines, including architecture, community design, environmental technologies, and entrepreneurship. Program work will center on studio-based projects involving documentation, drawing and modeling of environments and ideas, as well as research, calculation, writing, and various modes of presentation. Workshops and lectures, along with readings and seminars, will address knowledge and skills from Design (graphic means of expression and idea generation, modeling, sources of form), Business (systems thinking, entrepreneurship), Sustainable Technologies (environmental flows, building systems, energy), and Community Studies (assessment and allocation of resources, public dialogue and decision making). We will emphasize individual preparation and collaborative effort in the work, seeking opportunities and commonalities of approach between disciplines. Typical projects might include a consideration of solar access and how it could shape building form and zoning regulations; the possible distribution of vehicle recharge stations in a community and the resultant small business opportunities; the production, marketing and distribution of emergency shelters; a marketing plan for toys that promote awareness of natural cycles and flows; resource efficient packaging design; architectural interventions to humanize public spaces; or the design of graphics to effectively explain green ideas. Dedicated students will leave this fall quarter program with solid preparation for more focused studies in designing green futures. They will gain a broader understanding of current approaches to sustainability; new and emerging environmental technologies and the basic science behind them; green entrepreneurship; and design as a creative linking and envisioning process. They will build skills to develop and communicate their ideas verbally, visually, and quantitatively, and cultivate the awareness needed to create more sustaining and sustainable ways of living, building, and working in a greening world. | architecture; business and management; entrepreneurship; environmental design; environmental studies; government and non-profit organizations; and sustainable technologies. | Nelson Pizarro Anthony Tindill Robert Knapp Robert Leverich | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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Meaning, Math and Motion
Krishna Chowdary and Rachel Hastings linguistics mathematics physics Signature Required: Winter |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | WWinter | This challenging program is an integrated introduction to linguistics, mathematics and physics. We invite serious students of various backgrounds who are interested in reading, writing, communicating and calculating in order to become quantitatively literate citizens. Students will be supported in developing a firm background in physics, mathematics and linguistics at the college level, and becoming prepared for further work in these areas. We believe any area of inquiry involves entering into a previously ongoing conversation. Quoting a charming articulation by Kinsman (a mathematician-turned-oceanographer, in the preface to ): "To the beginner, science is a conversation that has been in progress for a very long time. Science resembles the babble at a party; some of the participants are euphoric, some saturnine, some quarrelsome, and some inspired beyond their usual capacity. Whatever else happens, the conversation cannot proceed systematically or at the level of humdrum sobriety. Some scientists wander from group to group, while others remain fixed. Some groups talk about similar things, and occasionally conversations pass from one group to another. You have arrived in the middle of the party." Our collective work is to catch up on the conversation, which means being deliberate about how we calculate and convince, speak and write, listen and read, and also means acquiring the science content and process skills required to judge what is being argued. In addition to learning science content and process skills, mathematics and physics studies will be supported by applying techniques of linguistic analysis which help to illuminate the conventions and assumptions upon which the conversation relies. The study of linguistics will be deepened by using scientific texts as case studies for identifying and analyzing linguistic conventions. For example, we may study the source and nature of unstated assumptions, conventions of scientific logic, the nature and role of definitions in scientific inquiry, and the linguistic conventions found in different kinds of scientific texts. This program is designed for students with high school math who are ready for pre-calculus, but requires no prior preparation in linguistics or physics. It is intended for students serious about understanding language, improving their writing, and learning physics and mathematics, including calculus. The work will be intensive in both science and language, and students should expect to spend over 50 hours per week engaged with material. Students will participate in seminar, labs, workshops and lectures. Students will perform linguistic analyses of texts, do weekly problem sets in all areas that combine concepts, calculations and communication, and write about linguistics, math and physics. Quizzes and exams will be among the methods used to assess student learning. In fall quarter, we will study pre-calculus and begin calculus. In winter, we will continue the study of differential calculus and move on to integral calculus. In physics, topics will include mechanics and electromagnetism (algebra- and then calculus-based) over the two quarters. In linguistics, we will study principles of pragmatics, semantics and discourse analysis in both quarters. | education, linguistics, mathematics, physics, quantitative literacy, and writing. | Krishna Chowdary Rachel Hastings | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||
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Methods of Mathematical Physics
EJ Zita astronomy mathematics philosophy of science physics Signature Required: Winter Spring |
Program | SO - SRSophomore - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | WWinter | SSpring | A close examination of the complex and varied world around us reveals a high degree of underlying order. Our goal as scientists is to understand and explain this order. Mathematics is the language created (or discovered) to describe the order observed in physics. The goal of this advanced program is to introduce the mathematical language we use to describe and create physical models of our natural world, and to better understand both. To that end, we will study a number of key physical theories and systematically develop the mathematical tools that we need to understand them. We plan to begin, in fall quarter, with a review of series, complex numbers and linear equations, including matrixes, concentrating on their applications to physics, such as rotations, circuits and the simultaneous solution of linear equations. We will continue with ordinary and partial differential equations, with applications to classical mechanics, including oscillators, waves, Laplace's equation, Poisson's equation, and other fundamental examples in physics. Students will plan research projects in teams. In winter, we plan to connect differentiation with integration via vector analysis (applications in electromagnetism), Fourier Series (applications to waves, e.g. acoustic oscillations on the Sun and at the Big Bang), and variational calculus. We will go deeper into areas begun in fall. For example, we would like to take vector analysis deeper into tensor analysis, with applications such as general relativity. Students will carry out their research projects in teams. In spring, students may continue with a full-time study of electromagnetism and vector calculus, or may continue independent contract work on their research projects in teams. Students might also have the option to begin a study of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. Students will be encouraged to present their research at a regional professional physics meeting. Our program work will consist of lectures, tutorials, group workshops, student presentations, computer labs, seminars on the philosophy and history of physics and mathematics, essays and responses to essays. Teamwork within an integrated learning community will be emphasized, 1) for best learning practices, and 2) to model work within mature scientific communities. | chemistry, education, engineering, history, mathematics, philosophy, and physics. | EJ Zita | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||
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Modern Models of Motion
David McAvity and Rachel Hastings |
Program | SO - SRSophomore - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | SSpring | In the first half of the 20th century there was a remarkable revolution in physics that gave birth to new ways of thinking about the physical laws of the universe. Newtonian ideas of a deterministic, clockwork universe of absolute time and space gave way to a strange new world of quantum mechanics and relativity. These new models describing the motion and interaction of particles at all scales raised as many questions as they answered, and we are still grappling with the consequences today. This program will provide a mathematical introduction to the laws of quantum physics and relativity. We will start with some of the key issues in classical physics that lead to the changes in physics and will end with look at some of the remaining problems confronting modern physics today. The main topics in physics we will cover are special relativity, quantum theory, and some topics in cosmology and particle physics. We will learn topics in calculus relevant to this study, including an introduction to differential equations and infinite series. The program will also include individual student projects and seminar discussions on the history and philosophy of modern physics. Student entering this program should have a confident grasp of the usual material in the first two quarters of calculus-based physics and the first two quarters of calculus. | mathematics, physics, chemistry and engineering. | David McAvity Rachel Hastings | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Spring | ||||
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Natural Order
David McAvity |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | WWinter | The natural world is filled with a wonderful variety of forms and is shaped and transformed by complex interactions. Careful observation reveals that behind this complexity is an underlying order. The order manifests itself as spatial arrangements, such as spirals in shells, branching in rivers and hexagonal cells in beehives, and in temporal sequences, such as in patterns of growth, the interference of waves, and the motion of planets. In this program we will investigate the physical constraints and simple mathematical rules that make sense of this order. We will also explore the conditions under which this order is lost in the transition to chaos and randomness. The program will be structured around two main approaches to investigating order. First we will use nature as a guide to learn the mathematical methods for describing the patterns we see. Then we will learn the physical laws that give rise to order, from the clockwork universe of Newtonian dynamics to the strange world of quantum mechanics. In support of this study we will also learn how to model these natural phenomena by programming computer simulations. This program is introductory in nature and is well suited to students who want to investigate the mathematical and physical underpinnings of natural phenomena. Students of all background are welcome, but everyone should be prepared to spend a full quarter working with quantitative material in a spirit of curiosity and engaged inquiry. This program would serve as a good introduction and preparation for some of our foundation programs in mathematics and the sciences and for students interested in becoming teachers. | teacher education, mathematics, and science. | David McAvity | Mon Mon Tue Tue Wed Thu | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Winter | |||
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Physics and Calculus: Finding Order in the Physical World
Mario Gadea |
Program | SO - SRSophomore - Senior | 8 | 08 | Evening | WWinter | SSpring | Physics is concerned with the basic principles of the universe. It is the foundation on which engineering, technology, and other sciences are based. The science of physics has developed out of the efforts of men and women to explain our physical environment. These efforts have been so successful that the laws of physics now encompass a remarkable variety of phenomena. One of the exciting features of physics is its capacity for predicting how nature will behave in one situation on the basis of experimental data obtained in another situation. In this program we will begin the process of understanding the underlying order of the physical world by modeling physical systems using both the analytical tools of calculus and the numerical tools provided by digital computers. We will also have significant hands-on laboratory experience to make predictions and explore some of these models. During winter quarter, we will cover introductory topics in physics and calculus through small-group discussions, interactive lectures, and hands-on laboratory investigations. During spring quarter, we will continue with the study of calculus and algebra-based physics. Through our study of physics, we will learn about change, models, and the process for constructing models. Through our study of calculus, we will learn how to analyze these models mathematically. We will study some of Galileo's significant contributions to classical mechanics, Kepler's astronomical observations, Newton's work on calculus and laws of motion, Euler's applications of calculus to the study of real-life problems in physics (magnetism, optics and acoustics), Maxwell's development of the unified theory of magnetism, and many others. This program will cover many of the traditional topics of both a first-year calculus sequence and a first-year physics sequence. Covering these topics together allows for the many connections between them to be reinforced while helping make clear the value of each. | mathematics, physics, engineering, energy, and education. | Mario Gadea | Tue Thu | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Winter | ||
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Science for Elementary Educators
Andrew Gilbert and Carolyn Prouty |
Course | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 6 | 06 | Day | SuSummer | This is a general science course designed to meet the science content needs of both current and future elementary school teachers. The course will provide a broad array of science content geared toward the Washington State Academic Standards for science teachers (grades K-6). Topics will include: Earth/Space Science, Physical Science, Life Science and the Nature of Science with special attention paid to systems and sustainability. Open to pre-service and in-service teachers, and other interested education professionals. | elementary science education | Andrew Gilbert Carolyn Prouty | Tue Wed Thu | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Summer | |||
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Science Seminar
EJ Zita |
Course | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 6 | 06 | Day | WWinter | In conjunction with , 15 students are invited to join our seminar for 4 credits. We will explore issues in modern physics such as cosmology, string theory, gravity and quantum mechanics. We will read about the beauty and importance of experimental and theoretical physics/mathematics. There is no physics/math prerequisite for this program. Science Seminar students will interact with advanced physics/math students in seminar. We will share our insights, ideas, and questions about the readings and our wonder about the universe. Students will write approximately three essays and many peer responses, and will meet with their seminar team before each class to post pre-seminar assignments. Learning goals include deeper qualitative understanding of physics and the scientific method, and improved skills in writing, teamwork, and communication. | EJ Zita | Fri | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Winter | ||||
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Science Seminar
EJ Zita |
Course | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 4, 6 | 04 06 | Day | FFall | In conjunction with , 15 students are invited to join our seminar for 4-6 credits. We will explore issues in modern physics such as cosmology, string theory, the "God particle" or Higgs boson, gravity and quantum mechanics. We will read about the beauty and importance of classical experiments, and equations such as E=mc . Science Seminar students will be able to interact with advanced students in physics and math. We will share our insights, ideas, and questions about the readings and our wonder about the universe. Students will write two essays and four peer responses, and will be expected to meet with their seminar team at least one day beforeeach class to post pre-seminar assignments. Learning goals include deeper qualitative understanding of physics and the scientific method, and improved skills in writing, teamwork, and communication. | EJ Zita | Fri | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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Undergraduate Research in Scientific Inquiry with C. Barlow
Clyde Barlow Signature Required: Fall Winter Spring |
Research | SO - SRSophomore - Senior | V | V | Day | FFall | WWinter | SSpring | Rigorous quantitative and qualitative research is an important component of academic learning in Scientific Inquiry. This independent learning opportunity allows advanced students to delve into real-world research with faculty who are currently engaged in specific projects. Students typically begin by working in apprenticeship with faculty or laboratory staff and gradually take on more independent projects within the context of the specific research program as they gain experience. Students can develop vital skills in research design, data acquisition and interpretation, written and oral communication, collaboration, and critical thinking that are valuable for students pursuing a graduate degree or entering the job market. (chemistry) works with biophysical applications of spectroscopy to study physiological processes at the organ level, with direct applications to health problems. Students with backgrounds in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics or computer science can obtain practical experience in applying their backgrounds to biomedical research problems in an interdisciplinary laboratory environment. | Clyde Barlow | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||
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Undergraduate Research in Scientific Inquiry with E. Zita
EJ Zita Signature Required: Fall Winter Spring |
Research | SO - SRSophomore - Senior | V | V | Day | FFall | WWinter | SSpring | Rigorous quantitative and qualitative research is an important component of academic learning in Scientific Inquiry. This independent learning opportunity allows advanced students to delve into real-world research with faculty who are currently engaged in specific projects. Students typically begin by working in apprenticeship with faculty or laboratory staff and gradually take on more independent projects within the context of the specific research program as they gain experience. Students can develop vital skills in research design, data acquisition and interpretation, written and oral communication, collaboration, and critical thinking that are valuable for students pursuing a graduate degree or entering the job market. (physics) studies the Sun and other magnetized plasmas. Do solar changes affect Earth over decades (e.g. Solar Max) to millennia (e.g. climate changes)? Why does the Sun shine a bit more brightly when it is more magnetically active, even though sunspots are dark? Why does the Sun's magnetic field flip every 11 years? Why is the temperature of the Sun’s outer atmosphere millions of degrees higher than that of its surface? We investigate such solar mysteries by analyzing data from solar observatories, and with theory and computer modeling. Students can study solar physics and plasma physics, use simple optical and radio telescopes to observe the Sun from Olympia, and analyze new solar data from telescopes on satellites. Strong research students may be invited to join our summer research team in Olympia and/or Palo Alto, Calif. | astronomy, physics, climate studies. | EJ Zita | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||
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Undergraduate Research in Scientific Inquiry with R. Weiss
Richard Weiss computer science mathematics physics Signature Required: Fall Winter Spring |
Research | SO - SRSophomore - Senior | V | V | Day | FFall | WWinter | SSpring | Rigorous quantitative and qualitative research is an important component of academic learning in Scientific Inquiry. This independent learning opportunity allows advanced students to delve into real-world research with faculty who are currently engaged in specific projects. Students typically begin by working in apprenticeship with faculty or laboratory staff and gradually take on more independent projects within the context of the specific research program as they gain experience. Students can develop vital skills in research design, data acquisition and interpretation, written and oral communication, collaboration, and critical thinking that are valuable for students pursuing a graduate degree or entering the job market. (computer science and mathematics) has several ongoing projects in computer architecture, vision, robotics, artificial intelligence and security. One of his projects in computer vision is recovering three-dimensional information from multiple images. He is also interested in applying machine learning to visual recognition problems, including facial expressions. One of the computer architecture problems that he has worked on is the simulation of hardware faults and techniques for fault correction. In addition, he is open to working with students who have their own ideas for projects in these and related areas. | Richard Weiss | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall |