Physics Minor (B.Sc.) (18 credits)
Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)
Degree: Bachelor of Science; Bachelor of Arts and Science
Program credit weight: 18
Program Description
The 18-credit Minor permits no overlap with any other programs. It contains no Mathematics courses, although many of the courses in it have Math pre- or corequisites. It will, therefore, be particularly appropriate to students in Mathematics, but it is also available to any Science student with the appropriate mathematical background.
Students in certain programs (e.g., the Major Chemistry) will find that there are courses in the Minor that are already part of their program, or that they may not take for credit because of a substantial overlap of material with a course or courses in their program. After consultation with an adviser, such students may complete the Minor by substituting any other physics course(s) from the Major or Honours Physics programs.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Required Course (3 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 257 | Experimental Methods 1. | 3 |
Experimental Methods 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introductory laboratory work and data analysis as related to mechanics, optics and thermodynamics. Introduction to computers as they are employed for laboratory work, for data analysis and for numerical computation. Previous experience with computers is an asset, but is not required. | ||
Complementary Courses (15 credits)
15 credits to be selected as follows:
One of:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 230 | Dynamics of Simple Systems. | 3 |
Dynamics of Simple Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Translational motion under Newton's laws; forces, momentum, work/energy theorem. Special relativity; Lorentz transforms, relativistic mechanics, mass/energy equivalence. Topics in rotational dynamics. Noninertial frames. | ||
| PHYS 251 | Honours Classical Mechanics 1. | 3 |
Honours Classical Mechanics 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Newton's laws, work energy, angular momentum. Harmonic oscillator, forced oscillations. Inertial forces, rotating frames. Central forces, centre of mass, planetary orbits, Kepler's laws. | ||
One of:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 232 | Heat and Waves. | 3 |
Heat and Waves. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The laws of thermodynamics and their consequences. Thermodynamics of P-V-T systems and simple heat engines. Free, driven, and damped harmonic oscillators. Coupled systems and normal modes. Fourier methods. Wave motion and dispersion. The wave equation. | ||
| PHYS 253 | Thermal Physics. | 3 |
Thermal Physics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Energy, work, heat; first law. Temperature, entropy; second law. Absolute zero; third law. Equilibrium, equations of state, gases, liquids, solids, magnets; phase transitions. | ||
One of:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 241 | Signal Processing. | 3 |
Signal Processing. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Linear circuit elements, resonance, network theorems, diodes, transistors, amplifiers, feedback, integrated circuits. | ||
| PHYS 258 | Experimental Methods 2. | 3 |
Experimental Methods 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced laboratory work and data analysis as related to mechanics, optics and thermodynamics. Computers will be employed routinely for data analysis and for numerical computation, and, particularly, to facilitate the use of Fourier methods. | ||
One of:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 224 | Physics of Music. | 3 |
Physics of Music. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the physics of music. Properties of sound and their perception as pitch, loudness, and timbre. Dissonance, consonance, and musical intervals and tuning. Physics of sound propagation and reflection. Resonance. Acoustic properties of pipes, strings, bars, and membranes, and sound production in wind, string, and percussion instruments. The human voice. Room reverberation and acoustics. Directional characteristics of sound sources. | ||
| PHYS 228 | Energy and the Environment. | 3 |
Energy and the Environment. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Energy fundamentals, generation of electricity, heat engines, fossil fuel production and consumption, local and global effects, economic impact, transportation, and pollution and environmental impact of energy use. Non-renewable energy sources (fossil fuels, nuclear) and renewable sources (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal). | ||
| PHYS 260 | Modern Physics and Relativity. | 3 |
Modern Physics and Relativity. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. History of special relativity; Lorentz transformations: kinematics and dynamics; transformation of electric and magnetic forces; introduction to topics in modern physics. | ||
| PHYS 320 | Introductory Astrophysics. | 3 |
Introductory Astrophysics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of astrophysics ranging from stars and planets, to compact objects, galaxies, and the large-scale evolution of the Universe. A calculusbased course, with a focus on simple mathematical derivations that capture the essential physics. | ||
| PHYS 346 | Majors Quantum Physics. | 3 |
Majors Quantum Physics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. De Broglie waves, Bohr atom. Schroedinger equation, wave functions, observables. One dimensional potentials. Schroedinger equation in three dimensions. Angular momentum, hydrogen atom. Spin, experimental consequences. | ||
One of:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 340 | Majors Electricity and Magnetism. | 3 |
Majors Electricity and Magnetism. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The electrostatic field and scalar potential. Dielectric properties of matter. Energy in the electrostatic field. Methods for solving problems in electrostatics. The magnetic field. Induction and inductance. Energy in the magnetic field. Magnetic properties of matter. Maxwell's equations. The dipole approximation. | ||
| PHYS 350 | Honours Electricity and Magnetism. | 3 |
Honours Electricity and Magnetism. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamental laws of electric and magnetic fields in both integral and differential form. | ||