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PHYS 251Introductory Physics II

4 credits · Physics · Penn State

Selected topics in light, electricity, and magnetism. PHYS 251 Introductory Physics II (4) (GN)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. Algebra-based introduction to classical electricity and magnetism, optics, and areas of modern physics, including such topics as electric charge and fields, electrical potential and energy, electric currents and resistance, direct current (DC) circuits, magnetism, electromagnetic induction and applications to devices, electromagnetic waves, light and geometrical optics, wave nature of light, basic optical instruments (microscopes, telescopes, etc.), basics of quantum mechanics, applications of quantum theory to atoms, molecules, and solids, nuclear physics and radioactivity, applications of nuclear energy and radiation.This course is designed to provide students with a working knowledge of the elementary physics principles mentioned above, as well as their applications to everyday phenomena and to the life sciences, to enhance their conceptual understanding of physical laws, and to increase their problem solving abilities, especially as applied to physical systems. The mathematical prerequisites for this course (and the prerequisite PHYS 250 ) are mathematics at the level of algebra and trigonometry, demonstrated by suitable coursework or demonstration of satisfactory performance on the mathematical proficiency exam. The exact model of instruction varies at different campuses due to different resources and class sizes. Students attend several class meetings including at least one lab or activity period per week. Students perform laboratory experiments, discuss their results, and write up their conclusions in weekly lab reports. The course is a continuation of the first-semester course PHYS 250 .

Before you enroll

Prerequisites

You need:

Counts toward

General education

Natural Sciences (GN)

Where it fits

Where it sits in degree plans

Suggested plans most often put it in Year 2 · Spring (16 programs).

Required in (6)

  • Immunology and Infectious Disease, B.S.
  • Mechanical Engineering Technology, B.S. (Behrend)
  • Neurobiology, B.S.
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology, B.S.
  • Systems Neuroscience, B.S.
  • Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, B.S.

One of the options in (19)

  • Biobehavioral Health, B.S. (Behrend)
  • Biobehavioral Health, B.S. (Capital)
  • Biobehavioral Health, B.S. (Health and Human Development)
  • Biobehavioral Health, B.S. (University College)
  • Electrical Engineering Technology, B.S. (Capital)
  • Electrical Engineering Technology, B.S. (Engineering)
  • Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology, B.S. (Altoona)
  • Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology, B.S. (Berks)
  • Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology, B.S. (Engineering)
  • Interdisciplinary Business with Engineering Studies, B.S. (Behrend)
  • Interdisciplinary Business with Engineering Studies, B.S. (Berks)
  • Mechanical Engineering Technology, A.ENGT. (Behrend)
  • and 7 more
What it opens up

Courses that list PHYS 251 as a prerequisite (5)

  • BMB 428 Physical Chemistry with Biological Applications
  • EET 312 Electric Transients
  • FRNSC 411 Criminalistics: Trace and Impression Evidence
  • FRNSC 412 Laboratory in Criminalistics: Trace and Impression Evidence
  • MET 341 Mechanical Measurements and Instrumentation