Department of Applied Physical Sciences

Students will engage with their inquiry through a combination of literature-based research from primary sources, writing and the creation of an object from wood in the university makerspace. In addition, students will choose to present their inquiry from a mode of their choice including class presentation, creating a video, interviewing someone who studies or uses wood or trees, or a mode of their own design.

Special topics course. Content will vary each semester.

Engineers help to design and build solutions to the world's problems. This course will explore some of the fundamental skills and tools in engineering. You will write software to develop computational models and measure data from low fidelity prototypes of real world systems. You will interpret these results to improve system designs. You will also explore topics in biomimicry and sustainable engineering. Throughout the class, you will develop strong professional and communication skills.

Students work in flexible, interdisciplinary teams to assess opportunities, brainstorm, and prototype solutions. Students design their solutions to meet a set of specifications, while also considering the user's needs. Design thinking and physical prototyping skills are developed through fast-paced, iterative exercises in a variety of contexts and environments.

Design and fabrication for practical electronics circuits, including interfacing with sensors and actuators. Previously offered as APPL 411.

The basics of data acquisition and hardware interfacing using LabVIEW graphical programming. Previously offered as APPL 413.

This course is for anyone - student, researcher, hobbyist, etc. - who has an interest in getting into the world of electronics and micro-controllers. No prior experience is required. By the end of this class, you will be able to create and program simple systems that allow coordination of real-world inputs (lights, sound, motion, etc.). You will also be able to demonstrate how these systems can be used to implement complex behavior in custom-designed systems.

Learn how to use the premier microcontroller platform known as the Raspberry Pi (RPi)! This course is for anyone with an interest in programming, microcontrollers, and basic electronics. Prior experience with simple analog electronics (circuit-building) and the Arduino platform is recommended.

This course builds on APPL 112. Students will acquire signals from sensors and send them to an Arduino or other microcontroller. Students will also learn how to develop circuits that are part of the "Internet of Things" so that they can transmit sensor readings on the Internet. Most of the class time will be hands-on activities. Previously offered as APPL 414.

3D Printing, or additive manufacturing (AM), is used broadly from manufacturing to medical research. AM will play an increasingly large role in virtually all areas of research, industry, and commerce with new technologies and significant improvements occurring continually. The course will delve into major existing and developing technologies. We will explore design elements for AM, motion control and imaging technologies, materials performance and selection, and the physics of parts production. Previously offered as APPL 418.

Specialty topics in applied physical sciences for undergraduates.

Review of fluid mechanics including the fundamentals of pressure/flow relationships, fluid properties, and flow regimes. Students will design and create physical prototypes that demonstrate specific concepts and measure defined parameters. Students will use the BeAM makerspace network to make things that illustrate fluid device design. Class time includes exercises to reinforce concepts and a guided design activity to create a physical device. Required preparation: BeAM orientation, laser training, 3D-printer training. Previously offered as APPL 475.

Engineers develop systems that interact with the physical world by taking measurements from sensors and activating indicators. To interface with these sensors and indicators, you need electrical circuits! In this class, you will learn the basics of circuit design and analysis to make measurements, such force, temperature, pH and heart rate, and acquire these signals to a computer. You will complete your measurement system by developing circuits to activate LEDs, motors, and other indicators.

This course will be an introduction to topics in materials science and with a strong focus on materials, processing and engineering and how design plays a pivotal role in materials selection. A central theme will be in-class demonstrations and hands-on experiments so you will experience first-hand why materials do what they do and how to select the appropriate material for the right application. It's a materials world after all!

We will go beyond the basics of introductory physics and learn the principles and methods that engineers use to understand, predict, and control the behavior of force, motion, and energy in the physical world. Topics covered will include engineering statics, dynamics, and fundamental fluid mechanics. As engineers, we must analyze and design processes that interact with and transform the physical world. This requires us to apply fundamental concepts to achieve predictable and safe results.

Specialty topics in applied physical sciences for undergraduates.

A research experience provides students with practical experience in a research lab, performing work that is relevant to their UNC education. The research internship will develop and enhance the students' professional skill set and involve experiences that allow students to have responsibility for results that are of value to the research laboratory.

Through independent study, students gain practical experience in an independent project either on campus or off campus, performing work that is relevant to their studies in Applied Physical Sciences. The independent study will develop and enhance the students' professional skill set and involve experiences that enhance their entrepreneurial mindset. Students are mentored by a faculty member and others at UNC who have relevant expertise.

This course brings together mathematical, statistical, and computational methods for representing data and machine learning that are of particular interest for studying different systems across applied science and engineering. Topics will include dimensionality reduction, transforms, clustering, classification, and neural networks. Course activities will emphasize both the underlying mathematical framework and the ability to perform these data analyses in different computational environments. This class will require you to participate actively in class computations and discussion.

Thermodynamics can be thought of as the study of energy. Virtually every application has some connection to thermodynamics, underscoring the significance of learning its basic principles in engineering education. The course will cover the basic concepts of thermodynamics, including the first and second laws of thermodynamics. These principles will be introduced and explored in a way that focuses on understanding the basic concepts through exploring different natural and industrial applications.

Permission of the instructor. Advanced specialty topics in applied physical sciences for undergraduates.