Chemistry and Physics
From Wagnerpedia
The chemistry program offers a comprehensive background in organic, inorganic, physical, analytical and biochemistry, with the main goal of instilling the understanding and relevance of chemistry. Laboratory work serves to apply the lecture material and provide training in laboratory skills. Advanced coursework in chemistry, which can include research, serves to deepen understanding and hone laboratory and quantitative skills. Within a research project, whether on campus or through an external internship, students develop their abilities to design and execute experiments as well as analyze and present their results. Majors gain the confidence and problem-solving skills necessary to continue their education in medical, other professional schools or graduate school, or to pursue industrial careers in fields such as pharmaceuticals, forensic science, materials chemistry, biochemistry and analytical chemistry.
Physics majors receive a broad but rigorous education in basic scientific principles that govern the behavior of matter and energy in nature. The program provides hands-on experience in electronics, optics, nuclear physics, astronomy and solar energy. Students also take courses in chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and the liberal arts. Senior students pursue research projects. The College's planetarium provides a rich enhancement to the program. Most graduates pursue graduate study or enter highly competitive positions in industry and education.
[edit] Location
The Department of Chemistry is located on the second floor of the Megerle Science Building. Teaching labs are located on the second and third floors.
The Department of Physics is located on the first floor of the Megerle Science Building. Teaching labs are located on the first floor as well.
[edit] Faculty
Chemistry
Mohammad Alauddin, Professor of Chemistry, B.S, M.S. University of Dacca; Ph.D. University of Kentucky Classes: General Chemistry, Quantitative Analysis, Instrumental Analysis Research: arsenic contamination in well-water systems email: malauddi@wagner.edu
Maria C. Gelabert, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Department Chair B.S. Southwestern University; M.S., Ph.D. Cornell University Classes: General Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Color Chemistry Research: crystal growth in hydrothermal solutions email: mgelaber@wagner.edu
Nicholas Richardson, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, B.Sc. (HONS) Salford University; Ph.D. University of Toledo Classes: General Chemsitry, Inorganic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry Research: Application of transition metal complexes in biological systems email: nrichard@wagner.edu
Wendy deProphetis, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, B.A. University of Pennsylvania; Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison Classes: Organc Chemsitry, General Chemistry, Senior Reflective Tutorial Research: The synthesis of cyclacenes, chemical education research email: wdeproph@wagner.edu
Laboratory Director: Dr. Hong-Bin Yu
Adjunct Professors: Keith J. Addy, Sheikh F. Sikander, Richard J. Stanley, Hongwei Wu
Department Secretary: Claire Sandomierski
Physics
Gregory Falabella, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, x3403 B.S., M.S., Ph.D. Rutgers University Interests: astronomy, general physics, dynamics, thermodynamics Research: computational physics, fluid mechanics, thermophysics and heat transfer, research in physics education, aerodynamics email: gfalabel@wagner.edu
Otto Raths, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, x3449 M.E., M.S., Ph.D. Stevens Institute of Technology Classes: Astronomy, General Physics, Electronics, Quantum Mechanics, Modern Physics email: oraths@wagner.edu
Adjunct Professors: Rema Balambika, Stephen E. Cummings, Harold Kozak, Tarak R. Sharma
[edit] Courses:
Chemistry
101 Chemistry in the Environment and Society.
The fundamental principles of chemistry are studied within the context of their applications to the environment, and other issues of society. The course is intended for students who are not majoring in a science, and may not be used as a prerequisite to major courses in the department. The course is not open to students who have credit for Chemistry 111. Offered fall semester.
102 Principles of Organic and Biochemistry.
The principles of organic and biochemistry are studied emphasizing applications to the health sciences. The course is intended for students who are not majoring in a science and may not be used as a prerequisite to major courses in the department. This course is not open to students who have had chemistry courses numbered 211 or higher. Prerequisite: Chemistry 101 or permission of the instructor.
103 Color Science.
Three hours of lecture weekly. The fundamental relationships between color and light, interactions of light with various substances and a general study of the electromagnetic spectrum will be covered, with an additional emphasis on technology. Other topics covered include color mixing, the chemistry of common dyes and pigments, human perception of color, and digital color imaging and reproduction. Offered spring semester of odd-numbered years.
111, 112 General Chemistry I, II.
Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory weekly in each course. A study of the basic theories and laws of chemistry and of the properties of the more common elements. These courses are intended for students majoring in one of the natural sciences. Chemistry 111 offered fall semester, 112 offered spring semester.
211, 212 Organic Chemistry I, II.
Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory weekly in each course. A presentation of the fundamental principles of organic chemistry in which the mechanisms of organic reactions are stressed. The nomenclature, structure, synthesis, reactions, and properties of the principal classes of organic compounds are described. The fundamental principles of qualitative organic analysis are presented. Prerequisites: Chemistry 111, 112. Chemistry 211 offered fall semester, 212 offered spring semester.
214 Quantitative Analysis.
Two hours of lecture and six hours of laboratory weekly. Basic principles of volumetric and gravimetric analysis. Introduction to potentiometry and voltammetry, spectroscopy, and solvent extraction. Prerequisites: Chemistry 111, 112. Offered spring semester.
313, 314 Physical Chemistry I, II.
Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory weekly in each course. The general principles governing the behavior of matter are investigated. Topics include the laws of thermodynamics, engines and refrigeration, gases, phase diagrams, chemical equilibrium, electrochemistry, fuel cells and batteries, kinetics, bonding theories, atomic structure and quantum mechanics, spectroscopy, and selected topics in solid state chemistry. The laboratory reflects the topics covered in class and includes techniques for calorimetry, optical microscopy, conductance, kinetics, spectroscopy, and dilatometry. Prerequisites: Chemistry 211, 212, 214; Physics 131, 132 or 141, 142; Mathematics 223. Chemistry 313 offered fall semester, 314 offered spring semester.
316 Biomedical Measurements.
A course covering the principles and applications of various chemical and electronic tests used in hospitals. Discussions will include procedures, such as automatic chemical analyzers, audiometry, electronic blood pressure instruments, spirometry, electro and vector cardiography, and the use of various radioactive tracers in scanning the brain, lungs, and liver, as well as radioimmunoassay procedures for ultrasonography and CAT and PET scanners. Field trips to a hospital will be included. The course is intended for students planning a medical career and should be helpful for pre-medical students, nurses, microbiologists, and hospital administrators. Prerequisites: two units each of biology and chemistry. Offered fall semester.
400 Reflective Tutorial.
Presentation and discussion of current research topics in various areas of chemistry by staff, students, and visitors. Offered spring semester.
490 Chemistry Research for Elementary School Teachers.
Supervised research experience open only to dual majors in Childhood Education and Natural Science. Recommended for students in their junior or senior year. Four hours per week researching, designing, and possibly testing pedagogical tools that enhance teaching and learning of chemical concepts required to be taught in elementary school by the New York State Department of Education. Prerequisite: Chemistry 112. Offered as needed.
491, 492 Research.
This course is open to senior chemistry majors. The student will be assigned an original problem to work on throughout the two semesters and will submit a paper on the work. This work, which includes the use of chemical literature, will be performed under the supervision of one of the faculty members acting as senior RFT advisor. 491 offered fall semester, 492 offered spring semester.
510 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry and Synthesis.
Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory weekly. A course in modern inorganic chemistry including theories of chemical bonding, coordination chemistry, organometallic chemistry, inorganic synthesis, and selected special topics. Prerequisite: Chemistry 212. Offered spring semester of oddnumbered years.
511 Instrumental Analysis.
Three hours of lecture and six hours of laboratory weekly. Lecture and laboratory experiments include atomic and molecular spectroscopy, electronanalytical techniques of voltammetry, coulometry, ion-specific electrodes, and separation techniques of gas and liquid chromatography. Prerequisite: Chemistry 214. Offered fall semester.
512 Environmental Analysis.
Two hours of lecture and six hours of laboratory weekly. On-site analyses including essentials of industrial hygiene as applied to air, water, soil, and food pollution measurements. Offered summer sessions.
514 Nuclear and Radiochemistry.
Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory weekly. A course covering the theories of radioactivity, nature and types of radioactive decay, interaction of radiation with matter, characteristics of detectors, solid and liquid scintillation counters, gamma ray spectroscopy, counting statistics, and health physics. Application of tracers, neutron activation, and isotope dilution analysis are also covered in lectures. Prerequisites: Chemistry 313, 314. Offered fall semester of odd-numbered years.
517, 518 Biochemistry I, II.
Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory weekly. An intensive course in the principles of biochemistry including the structure, biosynthesis, and metabolism of bio-macromolecules and their subunits. The laboratory will present the instrumentation and methodology currently used in biochemical analysis and research. Prerequisite: Organic Chemistry. Chemistry 517 offered fall semester; 518 offered spring semester.
591 Special Topics.
A course of varying content dealing with topics selected because of special interest in them and/or because they are not being covered in other courses. (Laboratory fee, when applicable.) Offered as required: consult department chair.
593 Independent Study.
Supervised independent research projects developed by the student, with faculty advisement. Restricted to advanced majors. Offered fall and spring semesters
Physics
131 Elements of Physics I.
Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory weekly. Introductory course using algebra. Study of classical mechanics (including rotational motion), heat, and sound. Offered fall semester.
132 Elements of Physics II.
Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory weekly. Continuation of Physics 131. Study of classical electricity and magnetism, optics, special relativity, atomic and nuclear theory. Prerequisite: Physics 131. Offered spring semester. Note: As a prerequisite for higher physics courses, with permission of the department, Physics 131 and 132 may be substituted for Physics 141 and 142.
141 General Physics I.
Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory weekly. Introductory course using calculus. Study of classical mechanics, thermodynamics, and wave motion. Prerequisite: Mathematics 121. Offered fall semester.
142 General Physics II.
Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory weekly. Continuation of Physics 141. Study of classical electromagnetism, optics, and atomic theory. Prerequisites: Physics 141; Mathematics 122. Offered spring semester.
211 Modern Physics.
Introduction to concepts of modern physics. Topics include relativity, Bohr-Rutherford atom, wave mechanics, atomic and nuclear theory. Prerequisites: Physics 142; Mathematics 223. Offered fall semester.
212 Intermediate Physics Laboratory.
Some fundamental experiments of modern physics: Millikan charge on electron, Planck’s constant, Franck-Hertz effect, and Beta decay. Offered spring semester. 221 Statics. The study of equivalent force systems using vector algebra. Emphasis on analysis of structures, stresses, and bending moments. Method of virtual work. Prerequisite: Physics 141. Offered fall semester.
222 Dynamics.
Kinematics and kinetics of particles and rigid bodies using vector calculus. Study of work, energy and momentum methods. Euler’s equations. Introduction to Lagrange’s and Hamilton’s equations. Prerequisite: Physics 141. Offered spring semester.
251 Electronics.
Electron dynamics, circuit analysis, instrumentation and quantum electronics are discussed. Prerequisite: Physics 142. Offered spring semester of even-numbered years.
311 Thermodynamics.
Study of heat transfer and laws of classical thermodynamics with applications to heat engines, gases, and cryogenic systems. Prerequisites: Physics 142; Mathematics 223. Offered fall semester of evennumbered years.
312 Kinetic Theory and Statistical Mechanics.
Topics include transport theory, Boltzmann’s equation, classical and quantum statistics with applications. Prerequisite: Physics 311. Offered spring semester of odd-numbered years.
361 Mathematics for Physics.
Boundary and eigen-value problems, vector calculus, partial differential equations, Fourier series. Prerequisite: Mathematics 233. Offered fall semester of odd-numbered years.
411 Electricity and Magnetism.
Study of electrostatics and electromagnetism. Solutions of Maxwell’s equations in vacuum and material media. Prerequisites: Physics 142; Mathematics 233. Offered fall semester of even-numbered years.
412 Electromagnetic Waves.
Study of propagation of electromagnetic waves in conducting and nonconducting media. Solutions to wave equation. Introduction to quantum optics. Prerequisite: Physics 411. Offered spring semester of odd-numbered years.
490 Physics Research for Elementary School Teachers.
Supervised research experience open only to dual majors in Childhood Education and Natural Science. Recommended for students in their junior or senior year. Four hours per week researching, designing, and possibly testing pedagogical tools that enhance teaching and learning of concepts in matter and energy required to be taught in elementary school by the New York State Department of Education. Prerequisite: Physics 131 or 141. Offered as needed.
511 Introductory Quantum Mechanics.
Topics covered include de Broglie’s hypothesis, uncertainty principle, solutions of Schroedinger’s equation, angular momentum, perturbation theory. Prerequisites: Physics 211; Mathematics 233. Offered fall semester of oddnumbered years.
512 Atomic and Nuclear Physics.
Topics in atomic and nuclear physics using quantum mechanics. Prerequisite: Physics 511. Offered spring semester of even-numbered years.
531 Solid State Physics.
Description of properties of crystalline solids using wave mechanics. Applications include semiconductors and superconductivity. Prerequisite: Physics 211. Offered spring semester of even-numbered years.
541 Experimental Physics I.
Under guidance of a faculty member, students will plan and construct an experimental project of their choice. Emphasis on experimental technique. Prerequisite: Physics 212. Offered fall and spring semesters.
542 Experimental Physics II.
Under guidance of a faculty member, students will complete and evaluate their project. Emphasis is on data analysis and critical evaluation of experiments. Prerequisite: Physics 541. Offered spring semester.
543 Senior Thesis.
Under guidance of a faculty member, students prepare a professional-style paper about their project with the aim of possible journal publication. Prerequisite: Physics 542. Open only to senior majors in Physics.
591 Special Topics in Physics.
Discussion of one or more areas of current research having common interest of class. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Offered fall semester of even-numbered years.
592 Seminar.
Attendance is required of all juniors and seniors majoring in physics. All seniors are expected to present a paper.
