This point is emphasized in the laboratories associated with Physics 2110 and 2120, which are essential features of these courses. Waves are ripples in something that travel, carrying with them energy, momentum, and information. You are surely familiar with waves in the ocean and, probably, with sound waves. Musical instruments work by having waves run through them. In this course, we will study in some depth the electromagnetic field.
Electromagnetism is responsible for the vast majority of our everyday experiences.
The properties of light force us to rethink the laws of mechanics, leading, in one case, to relativity, and, in a second, to quantum mechanics. The latter especially has profound consequences for the existence of life, so we will touch on quantum mechanics to cap off the course. I'm around a lot of hours every day, so feel free to come see me at any time. If it is at all possible I'll be glad to make time to talk with you. Specific homework problems will be assigned for each reading section.