<p>Like to know more about this. Anyone?</p>
<p>actually, me too…please</p>
<p>Core physics consists of Ph 1abc and Ph 2ab. I really liked my physics classes, which might be why I’m majoring in applied physics. I’m pretty sure others on this board can give you different perspectives.</p>
<p>Ph 1a: Classical mechanics. I think it mostly served to get everyone on the same page with respect to physics. This course was quite difficult for some people, and very easy for others, depending on their level of preparation. When I took it, it was well taught; lectures were meant more for entertainment and to examine interesting things in classical mechanics, whereas recitation was more for showing us how to use the physics. I’m told that it was less interesting this year since the lecturer had suffered a stroke or something, thus impairing his teaching ability.</p>
<p>Ph 1bc: Special relativity, electricity, and magnetism. There are two “tracks”: an analytical track and a practical track. I didn’t take practical, so I won’t be talking about it. The analytical track is quite math-intensive, and we explore electromagnetic phenomena in depth. Ph 1b isn’t so bad, but the consensus is that Ph 1c is kind of tough. I really enjoyed the textbook we used (Purcell’s “Electricity and Magnetism”), and I liked the lecturer enough that I’m going to be working with him over the summer for a research fellowship. </p>
<p>Ph 2ab (waves, quantum physics, statistical mechanics) are the sophomore level core physics courses. I didn’t take these, since we also have the option of taking Ph 12abc, a more in-depth course spanning 3 terms. This is intended for physics majors in order to give them better preparation for their upper-level classes, but is also open to all who are interested in taking it. I think Ph 12 is harder and has a bigger workload than Ph 2, but I really loved the class. For a physicist, quantum mechanics is beautiful stuff with a great history behind it. There’s also much more to waves than I’d have thought previously. I didn’t take Ph 12c since I took a separate statistical mechanics course, thus allowing me to opt out of Ph 12c.</p>
<p>Here’s the course information from the catalog:</p>
<p>Ph 1 abc. Classical Mechanics and Electromagnetism. 9 units (4-0-5); first, second, third terms. The first year of a two-year course in introductory classical and modern physics. Topics: Newtonian mechanics in Ph 1 a; electricity and magnetism, and special relativity, in Ph 1 b, c. Emphasis on physical insight and problem solving. Ph 1 b, c is divided into two tracks: the Practical Track emphasizing practical electricity with take-home lab kits, and the Analytic Track, which has no lab component but teaches and uses methods of multivariable calculus. Students will be given information helping them to choose a track at the end of fall term. Lecturers: Goodstein, Martin, Politzer.</p>
<p>Ph 2 ab. Statistical Physics, Waves, and Quantum Mechanics. 9 units (4-0-5); first, second terms. Prerequisites: Ph 1 abc, Ma 1 abc, or equivalents. The second year of a five-term introductory course in classical and modern physics. Topics to be covered include statistical physics and classical waves first term, introductory quantum mechanics second term. s Lecturers: Lange, Harrison. </p>
<p>Ph 12 abc. Waves, Quantum Physics, and Statistical Mechanics. 9 units (4-0-5); first, second, third terms. Prerequisites: Ph 1 abc, Ma 1 abc, or equivalents. A one-year course primarily for students intending further work in the physics option. Topics include classical waves; wave mechanics, interpretation of the quantum wave-function, one-dimensional bound states, scattering, and tunneling; thermodynamics, introductory kinetic theory, and quantum statistics. May be taken to fulfill the Institute Ph 2 requirement. Students may transfer from Ph 12 b to Ph 2 b any time during the term, before the last day for dropping courses. The final grade will be based on the combined record in the two courses. Instructors: Kimble, Filippone, Ooguri.</p>
<p>a quick question, maybe</p>
<p>i’m pretty sure that i’m a 1000000th person to ask it: how do first two physics classes compare to HS AP Physics C M&EM?</p>
<p>Dunno, didn’t take AP Ph C. </p>
<p>I took AP Ph B as well as multivariable calc. during high school and I felt extremely well prepared. Others did not. It varies.</p>
<p>Phys 1a is pretty much comparable to Phys C AP if you had a good high school teacher. I think it was a bit more in depth, but I can’t really remember learning anything particularly new in that class. The textbook (Serway vol. I) was certainly at the same level as my high school phys ap book.</p>
<p>I took the analytical track of phys 1b, which is much, much, much more in depth than any E&M I had in high school. It’s pretty analytical, lots of deriving formulas for oddly-shaped wires and stuff. There’s also relativity at the beginning. </p>
<p>I switched to the practical track for phys 1c, and the level of the homeworks and so forth is much closer to high school phys ap E&M, but it is a bit more in depth. Plus, you actually build basic circuits to demonstrate the material.</p>
<p>Phys 1a is conceptually the same as AP physics C (because frankly, there isn’t a whole lot of conceptual ground to cover in Newtonian Mechanics), but the hw/quiz/exam problems are appreciably harder.</p>
<p>eeermmmm…in what way are they harder? math-wise?
and…what kind of calc do they use there?</p>
<p>Some are more grungy mathematically. Some force you to apply multiple concepts at once. Some take a little trick - either in the math or in the physical problem. </p>
<p>The vast majority of the math is single variable calc stuff - integrals, derivatives, chain rule, etc. A few problems also use basic differential equations (stuff like dy/dx = -c y) and a little multivariable calculus (double integrals). </p>
<p>If you guys are really curious, check out:
<a href=“http://www.its.caltech.edu/~tmu/ph1a/problems.htm[/url]”>http://www.its.caltech.edu/~tmu/ph1a/problems.htm</a>
QP = quiz problem
FP = final problem</p>
<p>Though if you think you might come, don’t look too hard at the solutions (i.e. download them, etc.) as they are used every year for homework.</p>
<p>I didn’t take Ph1a, but I felt pretty prepared for 1bc because I took AP C and multivar and understood both pretty well. I studied AP C out of Halliday/Resnick/Walker, and I felt that the electromagnetism in Ph1bc anal was very much like the material in Halliday, except a little harder and with more topics covered. The special relativity in Ph1bc anal, however, was really tough in my opinion.</p>
<p>Is your screen name a chord or something, G2sus4m6aug11b15?</p>
<p>if i only took up to ap bc calc, will i be okay or should i try to take multivariable calc over the summer at a community college?</p>
<p>omgninja,</p>
<p>Thanks for the info.
Any advice on how to get better prepared for Statistical Physics and Qunatum Mechanics. Never touched those in HS.
What does 4-0-5 mean?</p>
<p>Karen</p>
<p>those will be your sophomore year. your freshman year will presumably prepare you pretty adequately for those.</p>
<p>4-0-5 means 4 hours of lecture/section, 0 hours of lab, 5 hours of homework per week.</p>
<p>
You’ll be just fine with BC calc. In fact I’d suggest you don’t take multivariable since you can’t test out of it unless you also know linear algebra pretty well.</p>
<p>I have a similar question. If I take AP Calculus in my junior year and want to take a class at community college during senior year, what course would be best? Linear Algebra? Or is college calculus much harder than HS calculus that I should take it again?</p>
<p>Linear algebra is a fine choice. Most college calc classes are comparable to BC calc, so it would be pretty redundant to take it again at a community college. </p>
<p>Multivariable calculus is a good choice too, in general. At Caltech, though, in order to test out of multivariable, you need to also test out of both single variable calculus and linear algebra, and so it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to take multivariable without taking linear algebra if you know you’ll end up here.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Even if you can’t test out of multivariable calc, I’d still take it. Just because multivariable calculus is awesome. Plus, it would show a passion for math.</p>
<p>Seems Maths is really related to Physics, can someone tell more about 5 terms of Maths as well?</p>