The Department of Physics

Course Description

This course is designed to introduce the student to topics in the fundamentals of Optics, Oscillations & Waves. Understanding Physics is crucial to the study of all sciences. Additionally, experimentation, observation and recording skills are essential for Physics. Physics is the  tudy of matter, energy, space and time and gaining a better understanding of this subject is a stepping stone to understanding the world and many of the new technologies being developed today. The theoretical aspect of this course provides students with the fundamentals of  optics, Oscillations & Waves whereas the practical component allows all the Year I students to be exposed to a variety of techniques, concepts and skills in the experimental sciences.
Through in-class discussions, problem-solving sessions and practical exercises students will have the opportunity to improve their ability to reason through challenging situations in the physical world using basic principles to develop appropriate solutions. This course will be  assessed through in-course assignments, practical exercises/reports and a final examination.

CONTENT

The topics covered address Optics, Oscillations & Waves. The visible spectrum – Intensity and Dispersion. Intensity variation in Young’s double slit experiment, effect of polychromatic source. Intensity produced by super-position of light from coherent and incoherent sources. Interference by Thin Films, including Newton’s Rings, Wedges, Soap Films and Bubbles, Optical Coatings. Diffraction of Light, Fraunhofer Diffraction of a Single slit. Vector diagram calculation of the intensity of a point on the pattern. Double Slit, Missing Orders,  Multiple Slit, Diffraction Grating. Vector diagram calculation of the intensity of a point on the pattern. Double Slit, Missing Orders, Multiple Slit, Diffraction Grating. Acoustics: Waves in elastic media: Types of waves – longitudinal and transverse, Propagation and velocity of wave on a stretched string, Power and Intensity, Superposition, Coherence, Interference, Standing Waves, Resonance. Ultrasonic, audible and infrasonic waves. Velocity of longitudinal waves. Vibrating systems and sources of sound. Beats. The Doppler Effect, including case where source and observer are not moving in the same straight line. Electromagnetic Waves: Theory of transverse waves and examples.

GOALS/AIMS

The goals and aims of PHYS 1222 are:

•  To reinforce and extend the students’ understanding of the fundamental Physics concepts in Optics, Oscillations & Waves.
•  To provide students with the required foundation to progress to the advanced Physics courses.
•  To excite students such that they would desire to pursue advanced Physics.

In the laboratory experimental processes, the students are expected to deepen their understanding of the relations between experiment and theory.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

This course emphasizes the application of the basic principles pertaining to Optics, Waves & Oscillations to solve practical problems in these areas of study. Upon completion of this course students should have successfully attained adequate conceptual and analytical comprehension of Optics, Waves & Oscillations the following outcomes indicated below. Students should be able to:

• Describe Interference of Light with emphasis on the Young’s Double-sit experiment, Newton’s Rings and Thin Films.
• Describe wave motion, including differentiating between transverse vs longitudinal waves, and standing vs progressive waves.
• Derive and solve the equation for a propagating wave and a standing wave.
• Describe the energy transported by a wave and the resonance condition.
• Explain Huygen's Principle and perform calculations involving the Doppler effect.
• Perform calculations related to the concept of superposition, including interference & diffraction.
• Explain the principles underlying Fraunhofer Diffraction of a single-slit, double slits and multiple slits; and the Diffraction Grating.
• Perform and interpret the results of simple experiments and demonstrations of physical principles.

Assessment