Fall 2026 - PHYS 255 D100
Vibrations and Waves (3)
Class Number: 5057
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Mon, Wed, Fri, 9:30–10:20 a.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Eundeok Mun
emun@sfu.ca
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Prerequisites:
PHYS 126 or PHYS 121 or PHYS 141, with a minimum grade of C-, or PHYS 102 with a minimum grade of B. Corequisite: MATH 251; MATH 232 or MATH 240. Recommended Corequisite: MATH 260.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
The physics of vibrations and waves. Topics include periodic motion, including free and forced oscillations, coupled oscillators, normal modes, and waves in one and higher dimensions.
COURSE DETAILS:
The MATH 232/240 corequisite can be waived for the Fall 2025 semester due to a scheduling conflict.
1. Free vibrations
2. Damped vibrations
3. Forced vibrations and resonance
4. Superposition
5. Free and forced anharmonic vibrations
6. Coupled oscillators
7. Non-dispersive waves
8. Wave impedance, reflection from boundaries
9. Standing waves
10. Energy in waves
11. Fourier analysis, modulation, Fourier transform
12. Dispersion
13. Evanescent waves
14. Electromagnetic waves
15. Polarization
16. Plane waves at boundaries
17. Diffraction
Course Delivery:
Lectures will be in-person.
Tutorials will be in-person.
Midterms (dates to be announced) will be during regular class time.
Grading
- Written Assignments 20%
- Midterms 40%
- Final Exam 40%
Materials
MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:
Required Textbook:
Walter Fox Smith, Waves and Oscillations: A Prelude to Quantum Mechanics (available online through the SFU library)
Department Undergraduate Notes:
Students who cannot write their exam during the course's scheduled exam time must request accommodation from their instructor in writing, clearly stating the reason for this request, within one week of the final exam schedule being posted.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.
To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit:
- SFU’s Academic Integrity Policy: S10-01 Policy
- SFU’s Academic Integrity website, which includes helpful videos and tips in plain language: Academic Integrity at SFU
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION
Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.