Briggs Physics

Briggs Physics students develop a conceptual understanding of physics and the interconnectedness of physical phenomena, and how the laws of physics affect living organisms. Briggs Physics students learn to think clearly and simply about the natural world, and make quantitative predictions, for example, about the motion of falling objects, the behavior of cells, and the flow of blood through your arteries.
 
Briggs Physics students construct, articulate, and use basic scientific models, through a process called modeling. Briggs Physics students design their own laboratory investigations, and collect and interpret experimental data using computer-based data acquisition, computational modeling, and analysis tools.
 
Briggs Physics students work with each other as scientists, to understand and appreciate others’ experiences and knowledge that they bring into their scientific work. They grow in their ability to communicate about science, and to understand cultural practices of the science community and to critique them.

Courses

Our two-semester, calculus-based physics course sequence is strongly oriented toward the needs of life science students.

All course details, including semesters and times offered, can be found on the Office of the Registrar's website.

LB 273: Physics I

Newton's laws and kinematics (why objects move and how they move), thermodynamics (how heat and energy affect physical systems), and fluid dynamics (how objects are affected by air and water). Lecture plus lab.

LB 274: Physics II

Electricity and magnetism, interference and diffraction, and modern physics (nuclear and particle physics). Lecture plus lab.

Faculty

Visit the Faculty and Staff Directory and select Subject Area: Physics to read the names and biographical information of Briggs Physics faculty.