• The final exam in the course is scheduled for April 13, 2026, 19:00-22:00, in MCH300 (our lab).

  The exam will have a written part of no more than 2h15m and a hands-on part of no more than 0h45m, with half the class doing one or the other first. Once completed, the students will be free to switch to the second part of their exam, but with no returns to the first part. The total time limit of 3h00m will apply. The hands-on part will consist of analyzing a "black box" with the usual instruments provided at the workstation, leading to a drawn schematic diagram of what is inside the black box, and a brief statement describing the logic of how this was decided.

• Earlier announcements
Hello, and welcome! This is the home page of the course. All updates and communications with the students will be done through this website. Only the lab reports will be submitted through lms.brocku.ca
Lectures are every Tuesday and Wednesday 10:30-12:00, in TH255 starting January 5.
In 2025-26 academic year, the course is run as a `flipped classroom''. Students will be getting a complete hardcopy textbook/workbook with interspersed theory and lab notes chapters. It is a book to write things in, and space is provided to do so. Each lecture will be run as a tutorial, where the class will work together through the chapters in the book, with the instructor assisting with but not necessarily leading the discussions.
To read further: Lage, M. J., Platt, G. J., & Treglia, M. (2000). Inverting the classroom: A gateway to creating an inclusive learning environment. The journal of economic education, 31(1), 30-43.
This class is going to be the subject of physics education research. The project aims to determine how student attitudes and critical thinking skills in the laboratory evolve through the term as a result of the novel pedagogy (new textbook+flipped classroom). Students are encouraged to participate (there will be pre- and post-tests on students' expectations and laboratory critical thinking skills, and interviews). Participation is expected to make students better aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, and to improve their skills for future courses. Also, there will be prizes!
To read further: Walsh, C., Quinn, K. N., Wieman, C., & Holmes, N. G. (2019). Quantifying critical thinking: Development and validation of the physics lab inventory of critical thinking. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 15(1), 010135.
Flipped classroom makes it the responsibility of the student to always be there for the lectures/tutorials and to come prepared, having read the chapter in advance, and having generated questions and identified issues that need to be resolved.
Printed copies will be handed out (free!) on Wednesday, January 7, and students are expected to read this Foreword provided as a PDF in advance of the class on Wednesday.
Homework: Expect a homework assignment every week or so; full marks will be given for demonstrated effort. This is different than for the midterm and final, where full marks will require a correct answer. Assignments are to be submitted on paper, in class.
Labs are Monday (L1) and Thursday (L4), 14:00-17:00, in H300, starting January 12.
The reading week is February 16-20, 2026.
Assignment 1 has been posted, it's due by 10:30 on January 19.
Assignment 2 has been posted, it's due by 10:30 on January 26.
Assignment 3 has been posted, it's due by 10:30 on February  4  9.
Assignment 4 has been posted, it's due by 10:30 on February 23.
In-class midterm on February 25, covering all of the material up to and including Chapter 13
Assignment 5 has been posted, it's due by 10:30 on March 9.
Assignment 6 has been posted, it's due by 10:30 on March 16.
Assignment 7 has been posted, it's due by 10:30 on March 23.
Assignment 8 has been posted, it's due by 10:30 on March 30.

This is only an approximate listing, some topics may not get covered this year. As time allows, other topics not listed here may be included.

• Basic physical concepts
• charge, voltage, current, resistance, power
• DC circuits
• circuit reduction
• Kirchhoff's rules
• equivalent circuits
• Transient currents
• capacitors, inductors
• generalization of Ohm's Law
• MATH: simple differential equations
• resonance phenomena
• Sinusoidal currents, simple AC circuits
• MATH: complex numbers
• phasors
• time- and frequency-domain descriptions of AC circuits
• Fourier transform
• resonant circuits and their analysis, Q factor
• RC and RL circuits as filters; decibels
• AC equivalent circuits
• transformers
• Non-linear circuit elements
• elementary physics of semiconductors, pn-junction
• diodes and rectifiers
• transistors and their use as switches and amplifiers
• bipolar transistors and JFETs
• Operational amplifiers
• general amplifier theory; feedback
• op-amp concepts: virtual ground, summing point
• simple op-amp circuits
• math operations using op-amps
• signal modulation and de-modulation
• lock-in amplifier
• Noise
• Mathematics of Digital Circuits
• binary and other encodings
• Boolean algebra
• truth tables
• basic logic gates
• logic families
• Combinatorial Logic Devices
• encoders/decoders
• bus drivers
• 7-segment displays
• Sequential Logic Devices
• flip-flops
• synchronous and asynchronous counters
• Digital I/O and Communications
• serial vs. parallel
• Complex Digital Circuitry
• computer architecture
• microprocessors
• DSPs
• Programmable Logic Arrays
• Analog-to-Digital and Back
• A-to-D and D-to-A converters
• sensors and transducers
• control and time sequencing
• Microcontroller-Based Devices
• microcontroller architecture
• PIC microcontrollers
• assembly-language programming