This seminar will discuss the physics experiments that revealed the fundamental building blocks of the universe over the course of the last century. We'll look at the questions that drove the experiments, the techniques that they used, and the impact that they had. The course will be structured to allow students to think through the observations and ideas as they are discussed to practice a hypothesis-oriented mindset. We'll also discuss ways that undergraduate science majors can make their own contributions to modern experiments through undergraduate research projects.
1
UnitsPass no pass
Grading1, 2, 3
PasstimeInter collegiate athletes only
Level LimitLetters and science
CollegeStuart is passionate about the material but this was his first time teaching this class in a while so lectures were a bit disorganized. If you're interested in particle physics or science in general, I'd recommend this course. It's an easy pass and you get to learn about some interesting stuff without the typical academic pressure of a STEM class.
His lectures were ok. His homework was ok. His tests were ok. Office hours were better. I genuinely enjoyed learning from him. He's a great guy.
Stuart is nearly useless when it comes to explaining the material. He frequently goes on unrelated tangents and never works examples in class. Terrible dull lectures, you're better off reading the textbook instead. Pop quizzes are similar to HW. Go to lab and ask TAs questions, they know more than Stuart.
He was a great teacher! He had very clear lecture notes which were very helpful for understanding the concept. He gave practice exams and reused questions in the actual exam. His tests were not hard if u read through his lecture notes and understand them well. He expects you to be able to derive equations and use them in the tests.
Stuart is a really funny guy and his explanations are super clear. Quantum can be very confusing but Stuart does a great job of projecting the material. Stuart doesn't care much for the ridiculously long calculations on exams, he leaves that for the homework. He follows Griffiths pretty close and he fills in the steps that Griffiths skips.
Ask any physics major what their least favorite class is, and they will likely say 127 because the labs are so time consuming. The class itself is not that difficult, Stuart is a funny guy in and outside of the lectures. Grade breakdown was: Labs 40%, Quizzes 10%, HW 20%, Final 30%. He has clear lectures notes, just follow them and you'll do fine.