Recent recorded grades — Fall 2022: 3.94 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=36 letter grades); Fall 2023: 3.72 GPA, 89.7% A/AB (n=58 letter grades); Fall 2024: 3.94 GPA, 97.8% A/AB (n=93 letter grades).
Spring 2027
The Ideas of Modern Physics
The Ideas of Modern Physics explores the twentieth-century physical world picture, covering classical physics, relativity, and quantum theory with an emphasis on conceptual meaning over practical applications.
offering recorded3 credits
Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 Tulika Bose3.7/5
Summary
1 / 6
Past student reviews · Gerry Bauer
The course included five exams, four quizzes, and frequent weekly homework assignments, which one student felt was excessive for a three-credit class.
What you’ll be able to do
Apply the ideas of quantum mechanics to describe properties of atoms, the nature of solids that lead to solar cells and transistors, and the premises of quantum computing.
Calculate time dilation, length contraction, and relativistic mass using the basics of special relativity.
Explain the nature of gravity, gravitational lensing, and gravitational waves using the basics of general relativity.
List the four fundamental forces, the interaction of particles associated with each, the three types of matter particles, and the three generations.
Describe the big bang, the expansion of the universe, and the cosmological constant using the basics of modern cosmology.
Describe the experimental indications of dark matter and dark energy.
Calculate the interaction of photons and matter using the ideas of quantum mechanics.
Identify concepts in the previous learning outcomes that underlie scientific advances in media reports.
Source: UW Guide
Grade history
↗ average GPA
1,8281,828 letter grades
A48.6%48.6%
AB20.4%20.4%
B20.8%20.8%
BC5.8%5.8%
C3.1%3.1%
D0.5%0.5%
F0.7%0.7%
All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course mapSatisfied Quantitative Reasoning (QR) A or special student standing
- Satisfied Quantitative Reasoning (QR) A or special student standing
This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Prerequisite text tree
- Satisfied Quantitative Reasoning (QR) A or special student standing
Professors
Spring 2027Historical instructors & teaching patterns
GERRY BAUER is recorded teaching in Spring 2014. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
MARK RZCHOWSKI is recorded teaching in Spring 2007. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
TULIKA BOSE is recorded teaching in Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Fall 2024. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Calendar & sections
Spring 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 48 | 0 |
| DIS 301 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 302 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 24 | 0 |
| DIS 303 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 0 | 0 |
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.
Meeting source records
Student experience
the class
Past student reviews · Gerry Bauer
Physics 107 is designed for non-science majors, but past students found the material taught at a level that was difficult for those without a physics background.
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.93 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=79 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.85 GPA, 95.8% A/AB (n=48 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.79 GPA, 89.5% A/AB (n=19 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
Past student reviews · Gerry Bauer
The course included five exams, four quizzes, and frequent weekly homework assignments, which one student felt was excessive for a three-credit class.
Past student reviews · Gerry Bauer
A previous instructor relied heavily on confusing PowerPoint slides and read directly from them, which made the lectures difficult to follow for some students.
Topics
- Classical physics, relativity, and quantum theory
- Fundamental forces and particle interactions
- Modern cosmology, big bang, and cosmic expansion
- Dark matter and dark energy
Skills
- Applying quantum mechanics to describe atomic properties and solid-state phenomena
- Calculating time dilation, length contraction, and relativistic mass
- Explaining gravity, gravitational lensing, and gravitational waves via general relativity
- Calculating photon-matter interactions using quantum mechanics
Grades
Latest available · Spring 2026— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades
Instructor
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
A68.4%68.4%
AB21.1%21.1%
B10.5%10.5%
BC0.0%0.0%
C0.0%0.0%
D0.0%0.0%
F0.0%0.0%
Grades over time
Through Spring 2026
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.
Sources & history
UW–Madison
Catalog & offerings
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Catalog observation history
Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.
Selected offering source records
The Ideas of Modern Physics
Recorded 2026-10-14Raw records
[
{
"run_id": "20261014T203208-0851c9a1",
"semester": "1274",
"observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
"offering_id": "1274:754:015592",
"course_id": "PHYSICS 107",
"course_uid": "course_670b7c6260e3596c7f89904c",
"term_id": "1274",
"source_course_id": "015592",
"source_subject_id": "754",
"title": "The Ideas of Modern Physics",
"credits_min": 3,
"credits_max": 3,
"typically_offered": "Fall, Spring"
}
]Rate My Professors
Student reviews
Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Read original reviews
Madgrades
Grade history
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesDataset & model
View the dataset on Hugging Face Recorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B
LLM outputs across runs
Full model traces
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
Model & dataset provenance
{
"model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
"model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
"task_version": "17",
"output_id": "728eb1d8fcb4a1adaa13c775810bc5df3b8893471fe0fad042afd5bacb38664f",
"requirements_status": "needs_review",
"dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
"observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}