Physics/Biophysics Majors: PHYSICS 161D/161L and 162D/162L
The combination discussion/lab sequence PHYSICS 161D Fundamentals of Physics I/161L Introductory Experimental Physics I AND PHYSICS 162D Fundamentals of Physics II/162L Introductory Experimental Physics II is intended for students who might choose physics or biophysics as a major or minor, or who like science and math enough to want a more in-depth introduction to physics. Although most students who take the 161/162 sequence have seen some physics in high school, a prior course in physics is not necessary. However, a solid working knowledge of high school math is important: algebra, geometry, trigonometry, precalculus, and calculus. If you have concerns about your math or physics background, please talk with the Director of Undergraduate Studies or with the PHYSICS 161D/161L or 162D/162L instructor before the course begins.
Starting in academic year 2017/2018, PHYSICS 162D will be only offered in the fall semester and PHYSICS 161D will be only offered in the spring. Note that for this sequence, the lab components 161L and 162L are separate half-credit courses that must be taken in addition to 161D and 162D. Both 161L and 162L are offered each semester. Although it's nice to take 161L concurrently with 161D and 162L concurrently with 162, this is not strictly necessary-- the content is now decoupled, with the 161L and 162L now emphasizing general experimental skills. Note that 161L is a prerequisite for 162L. If you are starting in the fall with 162D, but haven't taken 161/161L (for example, if you have an equivalent to 161, say from AP credit or 141L or 151L), then we recommend that you take 161L in the fall and then take 162L later.
Important note for the 2016/2017 academic year: this is a transition year to a new sequence and the course offerings will differ from usual. PHYSICS 161D will be offered in the spring and 162D will not be offered this academic year. PHYSICS 264L will be offered both semesters (going forward, it will be offered only in the spring). The half-credit labs 161L and 162L will both be offered both semesters. A new course, PHYSICS 160, "Frontiers of 21st Century Physics" will be offered in the fall. Students wishing to take 162D in the 2016/2017 academic year could consider either 152L (offered in the fall) or 142L (offered both semesters). Prospective majors are encouraged to consider PHYSICS 160 in the fall and PHYSICS 161D in the spring, but please discuss with the Director of Undergraduate Studies to determine optimal placement for your background.
The 161D/161L/162D/162L sequence differs from the other introductory sequences (141L/142L, 151L/152L/153L) in three ways. First, 161 and 162 offer a small classroom experience---about 30 students each semester---versus the hundreds of students that take 141L/142L and 151L/152L. The small class allows students and the professor to get to know each other well, which encourages discussion and collaboration. The lab courses, 161L and 162L, offer creative and interesting labs integrated with programming and data analysis skill development, and are intended as preparation for research experiences.
Second, PHYSICS 161D/161L and 162D/162L mention interesting and deeper insights about what is understood about why the laws of nature have the form that they do, or how experiments and theory point to questions that are not yet understood. PHYSICS 161D/161L and 162D/162L will discuss connections of the material to later physics courses, and to various frontiers of science, including research currently being carried out by various professors at Duke.
Third, 161D/161L and 162D/162L differ from the other introductory courses by giving somewhat more derivations of key equations, usually in the context of clarifying why key equations have the form they do, say because of mathematical symmetries or conservation laws.
Note: if you are a freshman thinking of majoring in physics or biophysics and have had some advanced physics in high school (e.g., an AP or IB physics course), it may make sense to skip one or more of the intro physics courses. Please make an appointment with the Physics Director of Undergraduate Studies to discuss this possibility as soon as you arrive on campus. Roughly speaking, if you have a strong background in mechanics but not such a strong background in electrodynamics, you should take PHYSICS 161L/162/162L. If you have a strong background in both mechanics and electrodynamics (say a score of 5 on both AP Physics C exams), then taking PHYSICS 153L ("Applications of Physics: A Modern Perspective") might be a good choice.
For most freshmen, it is useful to take at least one intro physics course before sophomore year (to gain college-level problem solving skills), and it is important to build up math skills, by taking multivariate calculus (MATH 212) no later than the spring semester of the freshman year.