Electricity and Magnetism (formerly PHYS 0110) The physical principles of electricity and magnetism are developed with calculus and applied to the electrical structure of matter and the electromagnetic nature of light. Practical topics from electricity and magnetism include voltage, current, resistance, capacitance, inductance, and AC and DC circuits. Laboratory work includes an introduction to electronics and to important instruments such as the oscilloscope. (PHYS 0108 or 0109, MATH 0122)

Waves and Fourier Analysis Wave mechanics provides our most fundamental description of all known forms of matter, radiation, and their interactions. In this course we will develop the physics of oscillations and waves and the associated mathematics of Fourier series and transforms, orthogonal functions, and solutions of ordinary and partial differential equations, focusing especially on solutions of initial and boundary value problems by separation of variables in Cartesian, cylindrical and spherical coordinates. (MATH 0122; PHYS 0109 or PHYS 0110 or PHYS 0111 or PHYS 0114; students may not receive credit for both PHYS 0212 and PHYS 0216) 4.

General Relativity Among the forces of nature, gravity is both the most familiar and the least well-understood.  A hundred years after it was formulated by Einstein, General Relativity remains our best fundamental theory of gravity.  In this course we will see how gravity emerges from the geometry of curved spacetime and how this picture leads to phenomena such as black holes, gravitational waves, and the expansion of the universe.

Electricity and Magnetism The physical principles of electricity and magnetism are developed with calculus and applied to the electrical structure of matter and the electromagnetic nature of light. Practical topics from electricity and magnetism include voltage, current, resistance, capacitance, inductance, and AC and DC circuits. Laboratory work includes an introduction to electronics and to important instruments such as the oscilloscope.

Applied Mathematics for the Physical Sciences This course concentrates on the methods of applied mathematics used for treating the partial differential equations that commonly arise in physics, chemistry, and engineering. Topics include differential vector calculus, Fourier series, and other orthogonal function sets. Emphasis will be given to physical applications of the mathematics. This course is a prerequisite for all 0300- and 0400-level physics courses. (MATH 0122; PHYS 0110 concurrent or prior) 4.

Statistical Mechanics This course is a study of statistical mechanics and its applications to a variety of classical and quantum systems.  It includes a discussion of microstates, macrostates, and entropy, and systematically introduces the microcanonical, canonical, grand canonical, and isobaric ensembles. This underlying theory is applied to topics including classical thermodynamics, the equipartition theorem, electromagnetic blackbody radiation, heat capacities of solids, and ideal classical and quantum gases, with a focus on Bose-Einstein condensation and degenerate Fermi systems.

Senior Project Independent research project incorporating both written and oral presentations.

Space, Time, and Measurement The ability to precisely measure distance and time is essential to modern science and technology.  Improvements in the technology of measurement made possible scientific discoveries that then redefined our fundamental understanding of space, time and measurement themselves.  We’ll follow this process, from Galileo’s pendulum through Einstein’s theory of relativity to modern applications in quantum mechanics and cosmology, using historical and scientific texts, analytic writing, and a few hands-on activities to understand these ideas and their impact on science and society.   3 hr. sem.

Quantum Mechanics A fundamental course in quantum mechanics aimed at understanding the mathematical structure of the theory and its application to physical phenomena at the atomic and nuclear levels. Topics include the basic postulates of quantum mechanics, operator formalism, Schrödinger equation, one-dimensional and central potentials, angular momentum and spin, perturbation theory, and systems of identical particles.

Noah Graham

Reviews and ratings for Noah Graham at Middlebury College.Noah Graham teaches Electricity & Magnetism, Waves and Fourier Analysis, General Relativity and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Noah Graham good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

Noah Graham is one of the best professors that I've had at Middlebury. Though his class is challenging, I really liked his inclass examples. Wait until you talk about resistors in class and his demo ends up being really fun!

I took the course as a major requirement. After my experience in 109, I was surprised by the difficulty. Professor Herman moves at a very fast pace, and there is a lot of homework for the course. The exams are difficult and I often found it hard to effectively prepare for them.

Super interesting course that revealed a lot of mystery to be surrounding electricity and its generation. Labs were kind of annoying but the homeworks were all really helpful in understanding the material.