Computational Physics Lab | 2022-Fall

Course Name
Computational Physics Lab
Course Number
ph365
Year/Term
Fall-2022
Course Credits
1
Class meeting times
3 hours of lecture per week
Prerequisites
PH213, This course is expected to be taken alongside the Paradigms.
Course description
A project-driven laboratory experience in computational physics. Includes the use of basic mathematical and numerical techniques in computer calculations leading to solutions for typical physical problems. Topics to be covered will coordinate with the Paradigms in Physics course sequence.
Topic/Day
Activities
Resources
Homework Due
Week 0 (Sept 21)
Asynchronous Lab Intro
Computational lab introduction

Video part 1

Video part 2

Week 1 (Sept 26 and 28)
Using Python as a Calculator
Using Python as a calculator
Week 2 (Oct 3 and 5)
Variables and loops
Syntax, semantics, and pseudocode
Running pseudocode by hand
Programming on paper
Video
Week 3 (Oct 10 and 12)
Plotting and Arrays
Plotting with matplotlib
Practice plotting with special relativity
Week 4 (Oct 17 and 19)
Plotting and Functions
The elephant in the room
Introducing functions
Week 5 (Oct 24 and 26)
Wrap-up activities
Introducing functions
Week 6 (Oct 31 and Nov 2)
Projectile Activity and Midterm
midterm.ipynb
Week 7 (Nov 7 and 9)
Input from files and Indexing
Indexing

file1.txt file2.txt

file3.txt file4.txt

Week 8 (Nov 14 and 16)
Scope of Variables
Global and local variables
Challenge for Week 8
Challenge for Week 8 (pdf)
Week 9 (Nov 21 and 23)
Putting things together
First and Second Derivatives
Week 10 (Nov 20 and 30)
Plotting and file access
3D plotting with Python

x.dat y.dat z.dat

fig1 fig2 fig3 fig4 fig5