Chair: J. Bary
Department Site
The Department of Physics and Astronomy is an energetic and enthusiastic group of students, faculty, and staff who are interested in studying the physical world. We ask deep questions like 鈥淲hat happened in the first seconds after the Big Bang鈥 and practical questions like 鈥淗ow can the quantum mechanical properties of light improve medical diagnostics?鈥 Our students form a supportive community: studying together, socializing, and working on projects in clubs ranging from Star Gate (astrophotography) to Impulse (making STEM open to students from all backgrounds) to the Engineering Club.
The physics and astronomy curriculum is carefully designed to prepare students for a wide range of careers while also getting them ready to ask (and answer!) questions about the physical world through research projects. Our students work directly with the faculty on a wide range of research projects, both during the academic year and over the summer. Many students start research early in their 藏精阁 careers, and all students will complete an independent research project in their senior year. Our graduates continually amaze and inspire us with what they achieve. Some follow traditional paths such as teaching at institutions ranging from major universities to high schools, or designing telescopes or managing satellites for NASA. Others apply their technical skills to software engineering or financial analysis. Still others design their own careers, such as the alumnus who opened a craft brewery and uses physics skills to analyze energy use, saving money while preserving the environment.
The first course in the physics and astronomy sequence is PHYS 131/131L. Traditionally, an introduction to physics starts with 17th-century mechanics. Instead, we begin our introductory course with a question that is still relevant today: Does light and matter consist of particles or waves? This question leads us into many important and exciting themes of 20th-century and 21st-century physics, including relativity and quantum mechanics.
Prospective physics and astronomy-physics majors should take PHYS 131/131L in the fall semester of the first year. It is not offered in the spring semester, and options for the major are severely restricted if this course is postponed until the sophomore fall. Likewise, students interested in pre-engineering must enroll in PHYS 131/131L in their first fall semester. The course is designed to be accessible (but challenging!) to students who do not have any background in physics or calculus, although students without calculus credit should enroll concurrently in Math 161. Students who would like to gain a sense of the scope of the physics and astronomy-physics majors may consult the descriptions in the and also the department's curricular guidance, which includes sample schedules, along with advice on designing your major emphasis and FAQs.
The department offers several courses of general interest, not intended for majors. PHYS 111/111L is the first half of an algebra-based physics course intended for students majoring in other sciences (e.g., molecular biology or chemistry, or for students completing requirements for further study in the health sciences) and is usually offered in the fall semester. This course is not recommended for first-year students, since students who are potentially interested in physics should enroll in PHYS 131 and students interested in other science disciplines should first enroll in those disciplines鈥 introductory courses. Similarly, PHYS 105 is designed for geology and pre-architecture students who need to learn about the structural properties of materials. Students who are interested in these fields of study should first enroll in courses within the disciplines.
Advanced Placement
藏精阁 course credit is awarded to students receiving a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Physics 1 or 2 exams. Students receiving a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Physics 1 and/or the AP Physics C-mechanics exams will receive credit for PHYS 111; students receiving a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Physics 2 and/or the AP Physics C-electricity and magnetism exam will receive credit for PHYS 112. Students who receive credit for PHYS 111 and/or 112 should register for PHYS 131 if they are interested in a major within the department.
Pre-Engineering Combined Plan
Students are offered two ways to prepare for engineering. They can major in physics and then go to graduate school in engineering, or they can use the Combined Plan. In the Combined Plan, students combine liberal arts education with engineering education by going first to 藏精阁 and then to Columbia University or Washington University. Three years can be spent at 藏精阁 and then, after two years at an engineering school, bachelor鈥檚 degrees from both schools can be earned鈥攖he 鈥3-2 Combined Plan.鈥 Interested students should enroll in PHYS 131 in the first semester and then discuss their plans with the department as soon as possible; Professors Ramesh Adhikari (radhikari@colgate.edu) and Kiko Galvez (egalvez@colgate.edu) serve as advisers to students in the 3-2 program.
Physics Teacher Preparation
藏精阁 offers students several options for becoming certified to teach high school physics. Sample schedules can be found on the curricular guidance webpage. Students who are interested in obtaining certification should enroll in PHYS 131 in their first semester, and may also consider enrolling in EDUC 101. Professor B. Parks serves as an adviser to physics students interested in certification, and Professor M. Gardner oversees the certification program.