Courses tagged with "Calculus I" (279)

This course explores the applications of physics (Newtonian, statistical, and quantum mechanics) to fundamental processes that occur in celestial objects. The list of topics includes Main-sequence Stars, Collapsed Stars (White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars, and Black Holes), Pulsars, Supernovae, the Interstellar Medium, Galaxies, and as time permits, Active Galaxies, Quasars, and Cosmology. Observational data is also discussed.

This Stanford Continuing Studies course is the second of a six-quarter sequence of classes exploring the essential theor

This engineering course is an introduction to photonic materials and devices structured on the wavelength scale. Generally, these systems will be characterized as having critical dimensions at the nanometer scale. These can include nanophotonic, plasmonic, and metamaterial components and systems.

This course may be useful for advanced undergraduates with the prerequisites listed below; graduate students interested in incorporating these techniques into their thesis research; and practicing scientists and engineers developing new experiments or products based on these ideas.

The transistor has been called the greatest invention of the 20^th century – it enables the electronics systems that have shaped the world we live in. Today’s nanotransistors are a high volume, high impact success of the nanotechnology revolution. If you are interested in understanding how this scientifically interesting and technologically important nano-device operates, this course is for you!

This nanotechnology course provides a simple, conceptual framework for understanding the essential physics of nanoscale transistors.  It assumes only a basic background in semiconductor physics and provides an opportunity to learn how some of the fascinating new discoveries about the flow of electrons at the nanoscale plays out in the context of a practical device.

The course is divided into four units:

• Transistors fundamentals
• Transistor electrostatics
• Ballistic MOSFETs
• Transmission theory of the MOSFET

The first two units provide an introduction for students with no background in transistors or a quick review for those familiar with transistors.  The third unit treats the ballistic transistor in which electrons move without resistance (in the traditional sense). The last unit uses that Landauer Approach to electron transport, which was developed to understand some striking experiments in nanophysics, to develop an understanding of how electrons flow in modern nanotransistors.  This short course describes a way of understanding MOSFETs that is much more suitable than traditional approaches when the channel lengths are of nanoscale dimensions. Surprisingly, the final result looks much like the traditional, textbook, MOSFET model, but the parameters in the equations have simple, clear interpretations at the nanoscale.

My objective for this course is to provide students with an understanding of the essential physics of nanoscale transistors as well as some of the practical technological considerations and fundamental limits. The goal is to do this in a way that is broadly accessible to students with only a very basic knowledge of semiconductor physics and electronic circuits. The course is designed for anyone seeking a sound, physical, but simple understanding of how nanoscale transistors operate. The course should be useful for advanced undergraduates, beginning graduate students, as well as researchers and practicing engineers and scientists.

This course is the latest in a series offered by the nanoHUB-U project which is jointly funded by Purdue and NSF with the goal of transcending disciplines through short courses accessible to students in any branch of science or engineering. These courses focus on cutting-edge topics distilled into short lectures with quizzes and practice exams.

Nanotechnology is an emerging area that engages almost every technical discipline – from chemistry to computer science – in the study and application of extremely tiny materials.  This short course allows any technically savvy person to go one layer beyond the surface of this broad topic to see the real substance behind the very small.

No region on Earth is immune from natural disasters. As we gain scientific understanding into the causes and nature of such phenomena, we become better able to mitigate the effects of disasters. Yet as the world's population continues to grow, an increasingly large number of people are at risk.

This science course examines different types of natural disasters and our ability, or inability, to control and predict such events. You will gain an appreciation of natural disasters beyond the newspaper headlines, and will better understand how the effects of disasters can be reduced.

There is an urgent need for people from all walks of life to better understand the scientific principles behind the occurrence of natural disasters:

• City planners need to know where, and where not, to site buildings.
• Politicians need to make scientifically informed decisions.
• Emergency management officials need to understand the nature of a potential disaster and ways to mitigate such an event.
• Journalists need to report scientifically accurate information.

Learner Testimonial:

“Professors Stix and Gyakum have created and presented an engaging course, and have helped in my quest for a better understanding of the world around me.” – Previous Student

Week 1: A first simple neuron model

Week 2:  Hodgkin-Huxley models and biophysical modeling

Week 3: Two-dimensional models and phase plane analysis

Week 4: Two-dimensional models (cont.)/ Dendrites

Week 5: Variability of spike trains and the neural code

Week 6: Noise models, noisy neurons and coding

Week 7: Estimating neuron models for coding and decoding

Before your course starts, try the new edX Demo where you can explore the fun, interactive learning environment and virtual labs. Learn more.

An advanced introduction to nonlinear dynamics, with emphasis on methods used to analyze chaotic dynamical systems encountered in science and engineering.

This engineering course is designed to Introduce students to a range of concepts, ideas and models used in nuclear reactor physics. This course will focus on the physical theory of reactors and methods of experimental studies of the neutron field. This course course is based on the course “Neutron transport theory” which has been taught at the National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI” for the past 20 years.

This short course is intended for the high-school students who have taken an introductory-level physics course, acquired some background in Mechanics and intend to take a more advanced course – for instance, AP Physics C. The course helps the students refresh and strengthen their fluency with the mathematical tools and the fundamental topics in Mechanics: Kinematics, Newton’s laws and Laws of Conservation. The last unit of the course contains a comprehensive Final Exam. The students who completed this mini-course will be well-prepared to tackle more advanced course material in the fall.

Learn more about our High School and AP* Exam Preparation Courses

* Advanced Placement and AP are registered trademarks of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, these offerings.

Introduction à l'optique non-linéaire, qui correspond au régime d'interaction laser-matière que l'on peut explorer à l'aide de lasers intenses, comme par exemple les lasers femtosecondes.

Learn about a new generation of solar cells, organic solar cells, that promise an answer to the energy demands of the future.

A vida que conhecemos só ocorre na Terra ? Pode existir vida em outros lugares do Universo? Para conhecer melhor a vida faz-se necessário conhecer outras vidas. Este curso explora questões abertas sobre a origem da vida em um contexto astronômico.

The Origins course tracks the origin of all things – from the Big Bang to the origin of the Solar System and the Earth. The course follows the evolution of life on our planet through deep geological time to present life forms.

8.811, Particle Physics II, describes essential research in High Energy Physics. We derive the Standard Model (SM) first using a bottom up method based on Unitarity, in addition to the usual top down method using SU3xSU2xU1. We describe and analyze several classical experiments, which established the SM, as examples on how to design experiments. Further topics include heavy flavor physics, high-precision tests of the Standard Model, neutrino oscillations, searches for new phenomena (compositeness, supersymmetry, technical color, and GUTs), and discussion of expectations from future accelerators (B factory, LHC, large electron-positron linear colliders, etc). The term paper requires the students to have constant discussions with the instructor throughout the semester on theories, physics, measurables, signatures, detectors, resolution, background identification and elimination, signal to noise and statistical analysis.

This course covers the basics of general relativity, standard big bang cosmology, thermodynamics of the early universe, cosmic background radiation, primordial nucleosynthesis, basics of the standard model of particle physics, electroweak and QCD phase transition, basics of group theory, grand unified theories, baryon asymmetry, monopoles, cosmic strings, domain walls, axions, inflationary universe, and structure formation.

Learn about the historical and philosophical foundations of contemporary science. Explore cutting-edge debates in the philosophy of the physical sciences and philosophy of the cognitive sciences.

Physics 101 is the first course in the Introduction to Physics sequence. In general, the quest of physics is to develop descriptions of the natural world that correspond closely to actual observations. Given this definition, the story behind everything in the universe, from rocks falling to stars shining, is one of physics. In principle, the events of the natural world represent no more than the interactions of the elementary particles that comprise the material universe. In practice, however, it turns out to be more complicated than that. As the system under study becomes more and more complex, it becomes less and less clear how the basic laws of physics account for the observations. Other branches of science, such as chemistry or biology, are needed.  In principle, biology is based on the laws of chemistry, and chemistry is based on the laws of physics, but our ability to understand something as complex as life in terms of the laws of physics is well beyond our present knowledge. Physics is, however, the…

The physics of the universe appears to be dominated by the effects of four fundamental forces: gravity, electromagnetism, weak nuclear forces, and strong nuclear forces.  These forces control how matter, energy, space, and time interact to produce our physical world.  All other forces, such as the force you exert in standing up, are ultimately derived from these fundamental forces. We have direct daily experience with two of these forces: gravity and electromagnetism.  Consider, for example, the everyday sight of a person sitting on a chair.  The force holding the person on the chair is gravitational, and that gravitational force balances with material forces that “push up” to keep the individual in place.  These forces are the direct result of electromagnetic forces on the nanoscale.  On a larger stage, gravity holds the celestial bodies in their orbits, while we see the universe by the electromagnetic radiation (light, for example) with which it is filled.  The electromagnetic force also makes…

Projectile motion, mechanics and electricity and magnetism.