General Information

Last class in the honors physics intro sequence. The class tends to be a bit easier than the other honors introductory classes in terms of workload and conceptual difficulty. It will set you up well for future quantum and E&M courses.

Prerequisites

PHYS 2217 or strong performance in PHYS 2213; MATH 2930. Recommended to co-enroll in MATH 2940/MATH 2210/MATH 2230.

Topics Covered

  • Coupled harmonic oscillators
  • Strings, sound and light waves
  • Superposition principle
  • Wave equations
  • Fourier series and transforms
  • Diffraction and interference
  • Thermodynamics
  • Statistical Mechanics

Workload

Weekly problem sets. 3 lectures, 1 discussion section, 1 lab per week. 2 prelims, and a final exam. [Fall 2020]

12 weekly problem sets. 1 weekly discussion - attendance is optional, but handouts are collected and graded for participation. 1 prelim, 1 final. Grade weighting: 1/3 homework and discussion, 1/3 prelim, 1/3 final. [Fall 2022]

General Advice

  • Waves is a 3-credit course, so the workload is more manageable than 1116 and 2217. The problem sets are similar in length and frequency, but the lack of a second prelim makes the course feel like significantly less work. [Fall 2022]
  • The course is split up into about 2/3 waves content and 1/3 thermodynamics content. Some people find thermodynamics to be a little dry, but it is an area of particular emphasis on the final exam, so it pays to follow that part of the course closely. Plus, entropy and the 2nd law of thermodynamics can actually be pretty profound if your instructor approaches it right. [Fall 2022]

    Testimonials

  • I took the course with Professor Wittich. Wittich is a personable and engaged lecturer. He publishes his lecture notes on Canvas. His version of the course is well organized and more or less follows the course schedule. Exams are fair, and medians are high. If you are experimentally minded, Wittich also places a significant emphasis on modern and historical experiments relating to waves content, like the Michelson-Morley experiment and LIGO. I would recommend taking the course with him if the option is available. [Fall 2022]

Past Offerings

Semester Professor Median Grade Syllabus
Fall 2003 James Sethna N/A Course Page
Fall 2020 Brad Ramshaw A- PHYS2218_FA20.pdf
Fall 2022 Peter Wittich A PHYS2218_FA22.pdf
Spring 2023 Veit Elser N/A Physics 2218: Waves and Thermal Physics, Spring 2023
Spring 2024 Veit Elser N/A Course Page