Introduction to the Physical Sciences
Level: Open to students entering grade 9 or 10 in fall 2010.
Session: I, June 28-July 16, 2010
Days & Time: Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM-12:00 PM and 1:30-3:30 PM
Instructor(s): Burton Budick
Prerequisites: A working knowledge of elementary algebra. No prior study of physics or chemistry is required.
Related Courses: Students interested in this course might also be interested in Thinking and Problem Solving: A New Look at Mathematics or Introduction to the Science of Psychology, both offered in Session II.
"Professor Budick is very knowledgeable, and it was a huge honor to have him teach me for these three weeks. I learned so much over this short amount of time."
–Eliana Butle, 2009
"I loved this class because I used to wish the whole school day was science, and in this course we got to learn science all day in a clear and fun way."
–Sasha Stomberg, 2009
Course Description
A two-course introduction to theoretical and experimental science for students interested in recent scientific and technological advances. Each course meets daily, one in the morning, one in the afternoon.
Physics and Chemistry of the Atom
Students interested in science and mathematics meet each morning with members of the faculty for a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of physics and chemistry. Emphasis is on understanding the structure, properties, and dynamics of the atom.
Lectures, demonstrations, and readings focus on the contemporary view of matter and energy. Topics include the motion of particles and waves, the fundamental constituents of matter, forces, energy, relativistic concepts of space and time, quantum mechanics, the electronic and nuclear structure of atoms, the periodic properties of the elements, chemical bonding and the formation of molecules, and chemical and nuclear reactions.
Experiments in Modern Physics
Students measure the spectra and Doppler shifts of starlight and investigate the structure of space-time using experiments that simulate the theory of special relativity. Expanding weather balloons are used to mimic the expansion of the universe, and to prove Hubble’s Law.
Instructor(s)
Faculty
Burton Budick
Burton Budick earned a B.A. from Harvard College and was awarded a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. A specialist in experimental atomic and nuclear physics, Dr. Budick first came to Columbia University in 1962 as a research physicist and lecturer. He has taught at Columbia as a lecturer for the past decade and he is a full professor of physics at New York University.
Specific course information, such as hours and instructors, are subject to change at the discretion of the University.
