FOUNDATION: Physics 101, Physics and Society. (3) Introduction of fundamental principles of physics, and discussion of the interaction of science and society, both today and in the past. The course seeks to provide skills in thinking critically about societal problems which have a scientific or technological component.
PHY 101 is designed to meet the Liberal Education Natural Science Foundation requirement. It is intended primarily to serve students with non-science majors, to equip them to think critically about societal problems which have a scientific or technological component, so they can act as informed voters on issues involving such problems. Algebraic skills are needed, but no previous course in physics is required.
- Vibrations and Waves (Chapter 15)
- A Model for Light (Chapter 19)
- Electrical Charges and Forces (Chapter 20)
- The Field Concept - Gravitational and Electrical Analogs (Chapters 5 and 20)
- Practical Electricity (Chapter 21)
- Electromagnetism (Chapter 22)
PHY 101 undertakes to present physics in its historical and social context, in an attempt to convey how the context shapes scientific thinking. It also seeks to provide skills in thinking critically about societal problems which have a scientific or technological component.
In setting the contexts, extensive use is made of images: a collection of thousands of color slides, videos, and computer animation’s is drawn upon.
Class discussion provides interaction between instructor and student and between students. Another tactic which works where emphasis is placed on conveying concepts through images: ask students to make a sketch or graph ¾ for example, of the field of a distribution of charges ¾ while the instructor moves through the room; it quickly becomes apparent how many have grasped the central idea. Problem solving in small groups also works: the class is divided into groups of 4 or 5 students, each group being assigned a problem to solve together during class time, with the "group solution" being presented to and discussed by the whole class and then handed in to the instructor for grading.
Inclusion of a laboratory experience can provide a challenging and rigorous route to learning about the methods of experimental physics; unfortunately limited Departmental resources prevent requiring a laboratory course for every PHY 101 student. Nevertheless students are actively involved in many of the demonstrations of physical principles. For example students acquire a "feel" for the concept of angular momentum when, seated on a slowly rotating stool with outstretched arms holding lead bricks, a student quickly draws the bricks inward and spins faster and faster! Some quantitative experiments can be done in class, where a student records data while all the other students analyze the results as they are recorded.
As indicated by the syllabus, PHY 101 introduces major achievements in physics and traces the evolution in fundamental conceptual frameworks - sometimes gradual as in the development of the idea of energy, sometimes through paradigm revolutions such as the Copernican revolution or the introduction of Relativity. Emphasis is placed on how physicists seek simplicity in Nature: mathematical laws are used to represent masses of data, models are constructed to guide thinking without including all details, unification of seemingly disparate concepts is sought, and underlying themes - such as the conservation principles - are brought out.
The use of mathematics in solving problems, including full formal solutions and especially "ball-park" estimates of answers - is included to illustrate characteristic thinking in physics.
The forming and testing of hypotheses, customarily billed as the "scientific method" - is discussed. It is also suggested that this orderly progression of thought which characterizes presentation of scientific results today is sometimes possible only after results have been obtained and understood, not necessarily throughout the collection of the results.
The relationship of scientific reasoning to intuition and imagination is explored: for example the inductive leap from the specific to the universal in Newton's formulation of his law of gravitation, or the fantastic snake-dream which inspired Kekule's idea of the ring structure of the benzene molecule. The importance of the aesthetic in science is brought out: P. A. M. Dirac is quoted as saying that given the choice of a beautiful theory or a cluttered theory which give slightly better agreement with observations, he chose the beautiful theory.
As indicated by the syllabus, PHY 101 examines the impact of institutional and religious traditions, as well as changing philosophic perspectives, on the performing of science. Early examples include Galileo's forced recantation of the Copernican system ¾ which played a part in the shift of the focus of scientific activity from Catholic southern Europe to Protestant northern Europe - and the wide acceptance of Law in Nature influenced by a deistic trend in Enlightenment Philosophy.
Gender issues are considered. A few great women have made pioneering contributions to physics, including Nobel Prizewinners Madame Curie and Maria Goeppert Mayer. Why so few? Is the environment better today for utilizing in physics the talents of women?
As indicated by the syllabus, PHY 101 is committed to showing physics as historically derived and changing. Even the idea of what is an observed fact is shown to change with the changing intellectual framework of observation; for example, does a moving body come to rest because there is no force on it or because there is a force on it? (Aristotle and Newton answered differently.) The central idea of testing hypotheses by experiments is shown to have been emphasized only since about 1600. Questioning of contemporary ways of reasoning and presenting physics concepts is valued.
Students are stimulated, and continuing interest is encouraged, by requiring them to follow news media reports of societal issues which have a scientific or technological component. When doubtful scientific claims are made, as in the "cold fusion" fiasco, students are encouraged to use their own knowledge of physics to analyze and question the claims. When large outlays for science are proposed to Congress, as for the Superconducting Supercollider or the Space Station, students are asked to form their own answers as to whether the outlays have been adequately justified in the face of other opportunities that would be forgone.