Physics

The physics major prepares students to explore the laws that govern the universe.  Topics include electricity, magnetism, and relativity - all in relation to space, time, matter and energy.  As stewards of God’s creation, it is paramount to explore and understand the most complex workings of our world. 

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."
Genesis 1:31 (NIV)

Physics is the study of the most basic principles that govern all natural phenomena. For the Christian, the motivation for studying the world around us is quite clear: the creation reflects the nature of the creator. Because man is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), we are able to both understand and appreciate the beauty of the world around us. The study of physics depends on the following assumptions:

• There are basic laws that govern all natural phenomena.
• These laws can be understood by us. Since we are created in the image of God we have some hope of understanding his creation.
• These laws are worth discovering. Physics is a lot of hard work; is all that work worth it? The Christian has the expectation that basic laws will be truly beautiful, profound, and amazing. They reflect the nature of the creator.

All physicists implicitly use these assumptions when they work. Only the Christian, however, has a reason to believe that these assumptions are valid.

Why study physics at Geneva?
If you desire to know how and why the natural world around you works and you have an aptitude for mathematics, then a major in physics might be right for you.

What is a physics major good for? Good question! It might surprise you to find out that roughly half of the physics bachelors get jobs in a wide variety of fields (industry, teaching, government, finance, et cetera) while the other half go on to graduate school.

Why would a company hire a physics bachelor? The technology that dominates the world around us, automobiles, computers, airplanes, lasers, et cetera, was made possible by the great advances in physics during the 19th and 20th centuries. Thus, a person with training in physics can contribute to almost any area of science or engineering. Technology changes quickly and specific job skills can become obsolete in a few years. However, the problem solving skills, the way of thinking, learned by studying physics will be the more valuable tool in the long run. See The American Institute of Physics for more information about careers in physics.

Laboratory facilities
We have an introductory physics lab featuring computer-based data acquisition and analysis using LabView, 9-foot airtracks, oscilloscopes, and laser-based optics experiments.  An electronics lab supports courses in electronic design, as well as accoustics and astronomy.  There is additional laboratory space for the experiments in the advanced laboratory courses. These experiments are performed on an individual basis.

For questions about the Physics Major contact:
Leila Wallace, Department Chair
Email: llwallac@geneva.edu