Undergraduate Courses

Below are descriptions of BU’s undergraduate-level physics courses. For more information, please see our bulletin.

CAS PY 104 Physics of Health Sciences

4 credits.

Critical Thinking
Quantitative Reasoning I
Scientific Inquiry I

Undergraduate Prerequisites: some knowledge of algebra and trigonometry. - PY104 is a one semester introduction to the basic physics concepts that relate to the health sciences. Material covered is selected from a range of topics, such as include Kinematics and Dynamics, Newton's Laws, Statics, Momentum, Work and Energy, Mechanical Waves, Electric Charge and Force, Capacitance and Resistance, Electric Circuits, and Properties of Electromagnetic Waves, Atomic and Nuclear Physics, and Medical Imaging. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I, Critical Thinking.

CAS PY 104S Physics of Health Sciences

4 credits.

Critical Thinking
Quantitative Reasoning I
Scientific Inquiry I

Undergraduate Prerequisites: some knowledge of algebra and trigonometry. - Recommended for students majoring in athletic training, physical therapy, or speech, language & hearing sciences. A one-semester physics course for students who do not require a two-semester sequence. Students must register for two sections: a lecture section and a laboratory section. Cannot be taken for credit in addition to CAS PY 105 or PY 106. Students considering application to medical, dental, or veterinary schools should take PY 105/106 or another two-semester sequence instead of PY 104. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I, Critical Thinking.

CAS PY 211 General Physics 1

4 credits.

Critical Thinking
Quantitative Reasoning I
Scientific Inquiry I
Teamwork/Collaboration

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASMA123) or consent of instructor for students concurrently taking MA 123. ; Undergraduate Corequisites: (CASMA124 OR CASMA127) - Calculus-based introduction to basic principles of physics, emphasizing Newtonian mechanics, conservation laws, and thermodynamics. For science majors and engineers, and for premedical students who seek a more analytical course than CAS PY 105/106. Interactive, student-centered lectures, discussion, and laboratory. Carries natural science divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I, Critical Thinking, Teamwork/Collaboration.

CAS PY 211S General Physics 1

4 credits.

Critical Thinking
Quantitative Reasoning I
Scientific Inquiry I
Teamwork/Collaboration

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASMA123) or consent of instructor for students concurrently taking MA 123. ; Undergraduate Corequisites: (CASMA124 OR CASMA127) - Prereq: (CAS MA 123) or consent of instructor for students concurrently taking CAS MA 123. Coreq: (CAS MA 124 or CAS MA 127). Calculus-based introduction to basic principles of physics, emphasizing Newtonian mechanics, conservation laws, and thermodynamics. For science majors and engineers, and for premedical students who seek a more analytical course than CAS PY 105/106. Interactive, student-centered lectures and laboratory. Students must register for two sections: lecture and a laboratory. Carries natural science divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I, Critical Thinking, Teamwork/Collaboration.

CAS PY 212 General Physics 2

4 credits.

Critical Thinking
Quantitative Reasoning II
Scientific Inquiry II
Teamwork/Collaboration

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPY211 & CASMA124) or consent of instructor for students concurrently taking MA 123. - Calculus-based introduction to basic principles of physics, emphasizing electromagnetism, circuits, and optics. For science majors and engineers, and for premedical students who seek a more analytical course than CAS PY 105/106. Interactive, student-centered lectures, discussion, and laboratory. Carries natural science divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking, Teamwork/Collaboration.

CAS PY 212S General Physics 2

4 credits.

Critical Thinking
Quantitative Reasoning II
Scientific Inquiry II
Teamwork/Collaboration

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPY211 & CASMA124) or consent of instructor for students concurrently taking MA 123. - Prereq: (CAS PY 211 & CAS MA 124) or consent of instructor for students concurrently taking CAS MA 123 or CAS MA 225. Calculus-based introduction to basic principles of physics, emphasizing electromagnetism, circuits, and optics. For science majors and engineers, and for premedical students who seek a more analytical course than CAS PY 105/106. Interactive, student-centered lectures and laboratory. Students must register for two sections: lecture and a laboratory. Carries natural science divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking, Teamwork/Collaboration.

CAS PY 231 The Physics in Music

4 credits.

Critical Thinking
Quantitative Reasoning I
Scientific Inquiry I

Undergraduate Prerequisites: musical performance experience, or some familiarity with the notes on the musical clef, or consent of instructor (no physics prerequisite). - An introduction to musical acoustics, which covers vibrations and waves in musical systems and sound production, intervals and the construction of musical scales, tuning and temperament, the percussion instruments, the piano, the string, woodwind and brass instruments, room acoustics, the human ear and psychoacoustical phenomena important to musical performance and perception. Examples from the musical literature that illustrate various acoustical effects are covered. Some aspects of electronic music are also discussed. Satisfies CAS natural science divisional credit. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Quantitative Reasoning I, Scientific Inquiry I.

CAS PY 251 Principles of Physics 1

4 credits.

Critical Thinking
Quantitative Reasoning I
Scientific Inquiry I
Teamwork/Collaboration

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASMA123) or equivalent. ; Undergraduate Corequisites: (CASMA124 OR CASMA127)or consent of instructor for students currently enrolled in CAS MA 12 3. - Introduction to mechanics, conservation laws, rotation, waves, and thermodynamics. Primarily for physics, mathematics, and astronomy majors, but open to other students with a strong background in mathematics. Carries natural science divisional credit (with lab) in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I, Critical Thinking, Teamwork/Collaboration.

CAS PY 252 Principles of Physics 2

4 credits.

Critical Thinking
Quantitative Reasoning II
Scientific Inquiry II
Teamwork/Collaboration

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPY251) or equivalent. - Introduction to electric and magnetic fields, circuits, electromagnetic waves, and optics. Primarily for physics, mathematics, and astronomy majors, but open to other students with a strong background in mathematics. Carries natural science divisional credit (with lab) in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking, Teamwork/Collaboration.

CAS PY 355 Methods of Theoretical Physics

4 credits.

Digital/Multimedia Expression
Quantitative Reasoning II

Undergraduate Prerequisites: ( (CASPY251 & CASPY252 & CASMA225) OR (CASPY211 & CASPY212 & CASM A225)) or consent of instructor. - Survey of mathematical and computational methods used in modern theoretical physics. Vectors, fields, differential and integral vector calculus. Matrices, matrix transformations, rotations, eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Function spaces, orthonormal functions, Fourier analysis, bras and kets. Basics of ordinary and partial differential equations with solutions by series and numerical methods. Complex variables and analytic functions. Scientific programming in python, computational visualization and numerical methods complementing each of the analytic topics. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Digital/Multimedia Expression.