Course: OG1 Physics for natural science students

Lecturer: prof. dr hab. Andrzej Hennel

Semester: winter

Lecture hours per week: 2

Class hours per week: 0

Code: 13.201OG1

Credits:

Lecture for students of natural science faculties (it is not credited for students of Physics Faculty).

Syllabus:

Literature: ---

Prerequisites:

Test examination.

Course: OG2 Mysteries of the Universe

Lecturer: prof. dr hab. Kazimierz Stępień

Semester:

Lecture hours per week: 2

Class hours per week: 0

Code: 13.701OG2

Credits:

Lecture for students of natural science faculties (it is not credited for students of Physics Faculty).

Syllabus:

Literature:

Prerequisites:

Examination:

Course: OG3 History of physics

Lecturer: prof. dr hab. Andrzej K. Wróblewski

Semester: summer

Lecture hours per week: 4

Class hours per week: 0

Code: 13.201OG3

Credits: 5

The course deals with the history of physics from the ancient times till today. The scope of physics was undergoing substantial changes in various epochs. Even in the XVIII century physics textbooks still included problems which today belong rather to chemistry, astronomy, mineralogy, and biology. Thus, the discussion is limited to the development of methods and ideas of physics but links with other disciplines are stressed.

Main chapters: Prehistory of science. Science in Antiquity. Aristotle’s system. Science in Medieval times, Science of the Arabs. Rediscovery of the Greek science during the Renaissance. From Copernicus to Newton: the path to the discovery of universal gravity. Newton’s optics. Development of the science of gases (Pascal, Guericke, Boyle). Electricity from Gilbert to Coulomb. Physics of subtle fluids. The path to electromagnetism (Oerstedt, Faraday, Maxwell). Young-Fresnel theory of light. Discovery of the conservation of energy (Carnot, Mayer, Joule, Helmholtz, Kelvin). The rise of the kinetic molecular theory and the statistical physics (Boltzmann, Clausius).

The beginnings of modern physics (X rays, radioactivity, first atomic models). Special and general relativity. Quantum mechanics. Development of physics in the last 50 years.

The course is illustrated with slides (portraits of scientists, pictures of instruments from various epochs) and with original old physics books.

Some data and information may be found in: Max von Laue - History of physics.

There are no prerequisites because the course is available also for the students of other university departments. The students of physics can learn the most if they had passed at least the courses of general physics: Physics I, II, III, IV.

Pass-grade.

Course: OG4 Physics (for students of Interfaculty Environmental Studies)

Lecturer: prof. dr hab. Izabela Sosnowska

Semester: winter and summer

Lecture hours per week: 2

Class hours per week: 0

Code: 13.201OG4

Credits:

Lecture for students of Interfaculty Environmental Studies (it is not credited for students of Physics Faculty).

Syllabus:

Literature:

Prerequisites:

Oral examination.

Course: OG5 Historical experiments in physics

Lecturer: dr Anna Kaczorowska

Semester: winter

Lecture hours per week: 2

Class hours per week: 0

Code: 13.201OG5

Credits:

The lecture presents selected physicists and their famous experiments against the background of historical and cultural events. Students have an opportunity to get acquainted with translations of genuine scientists’ texts, in which the scholars show how they conducted experiments and describe their emotions, disappointments and amazement. During the lecture, with the aid of those texts, students repeat described experiments, compare the former and current interpretation of them, and follow the development of selected physical notions.

Literature:

Prerequisites:

Oral examination.

Course: OG6 Modern physics for non physicists

Lecturer: prof. dr hab. Tomasz Hofmokl

Semester: summer

Lecture hours per week: 2

Class hours per week: 0

Code: 13.201OG6

Credits: 4

Syllabus:

Literature:

Prerequisites:

Examination: