Dr. Craig L. Caylor
Associate Professor of Physics
Westminster College
caylorcl *at* westminster *dot* edu
Links
Brief history
My B.S. in physics is from 1996 at Kansas State University. I
finished my Ph.D. at Cornell University in 2001 and have been at
Westminster ever since. My wife and I have five children.
Courses I teach at Westminster
PHY 101 Physical Science: A course designed
primarily for elementary education majors, Physical Science is an
activity-based approach to learning physics concepts and
applications. We study topics in motion, heat and temperature,
electricity and magnetism, light and optics, and materials.
PHY 141 Foundations I: The first semester of
the two-semester algebra-based introductory physics sequence.
Topics covered include force, translational motion, rotation,
energy, momentum, fluids, oscillations, and waves.
PHY 142 Foundations II: The second semester of
the two-semester algebra-based introductory physics sequence.
Topics covered include electricity, magnetism, light, and
optics.
PHY 152 Principles II: The second semester
of the two-semester calculus-based introductory physics
sequence. Topics covered include electricity, magnetism,
light, and optics.
PHY 221 Electronics: The basics of electrical
engineering for physicists. With lab.
PHY 311 Thermal Physics: An introduction to
thermodynamics and statistical mechanics for physics major
sophomores and juniors.
PHY 313 Modern Physics: An introduction to
special relativity, quantum mechanics, and sub-atomic
particles.
PHY 401 Quantum Mechanics: Taken by physics
major juniors and seniors, this challenging course covers the
important conceptual underpinnings of quantum mechanics at an
advanced level and includes mathematically rigorous
applications.
Research projects (past and present) at Westminster
Oscillating water droplets: Collection and analysis of
strobed video data of horizontally driven water droplets on
hydrophobic glass substrates.
Electrowetting: Model electrowetting-based lenses for
instructional use.
Critical ionic mixtures: Phase transition properties
of a mixture of an ionic fluid with hexane.
AC susceptibility: Frequency dependence of the magnetic
properties of ferromagnetic materials.
Publication abstracts