Glenn Stark

Department of Physics
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA

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Teaching Interests

I teach a range of courses in the Physics Department. In the last five years I've taught:

In the Fall semester of 2006/07 I will be teaching Physics 101 (see below) and Physics 106/106X (see below). In the Spring of 2007 I will teach Physics 108 and Physics 305.

 

PHYSICS 101 Einstein's Century: Physics in the Last 100 Years

Meetings: Monday, Thursday @ 1:30 - Room 264 Science Center

Prerequisites: None. This course satisfies the Natural Science and Mathematical Modeling distribution requirements.

In 1905, Albert Einstein published three seminal papers in the history of modern science, introducing the theory of special relativity, launching the field of quantum mechanics, and helping establish the atomic nature of matter. We will use Einstein’s contributions as a springboard for an introductory exploration of the natures of light, matter, space, and time. Physics 101 is designed for the student who may not have a strong science background but would like an introduction to the major themes of physics in the last one hundred years. In addition to lectures and demonstrations we will have readings that draw from the biographical and historical contexts in which these ideas developed. We will make use of basic high school algebra, and some trigonometry, in our work.

 

PHYSICS 106/106X Fundamentals of Electricity, Magnetism, and Optics

Meetings: Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday @ 9:50 - Room 256 Science Center

Prerequisites: Physics 104 and calculus at the level of MATH 115. This course satisfies the Natural Science and Mathematical Modeling distribution requirements.

This second semester of classical physics concentrates on the fundamental forces of electricity and magnetism. The electric and magnetic forces are entirely responsible for the structures and interactions of atoms and molecules, the properties of all solids, and the structure and function of biological material. Our technological society is largely dependent on the myriad applications of the physics of electricity and magnetism, e.g., motors and generators, communications systems, and the architecture of computers. After developing quantitative descriptions of electricity and magnetism, we explore the relations between them, leading us to an understanding of light as an electromagnetic phenomenon. The course will consider both ray-optics and wave-optics descriptions of light. Laboratory exercises will emphasize electrical circuits, electronic measuring instruments, optics, and optical experiments. Students who have completed PHYS 107 and the equivalent of MATH 116 may enroll for 106X in the Fall of 2006. 106X and 106 will share common lectures and laboratories. Credit for 106X may be received through alternative assignments and exams which will be at a somewhat more advanced level than the corresponding coursework in 106. PHYS 106 does not satisfy the prerequisites for 202 or 203 and does not count toward the minimum major. PHYS 106X does satisfy the prerequisites for 202 or 203 and does count toward the minimum major.