Spring 2027

A Modern Introduction to Physics

A Modern Introduction to Physics covering electromagnetism, circuits, optics, and modern physics topics with computation.

offering recorded5 credits
Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 Tony Qian

Summary

1 / 6

Past student reviews · Yibin Pan

The lecture pace was described as challenging, requiring students to stay engaged. One student noted that using resources like the textbook and Unstuck study made all the difference in succeeding.

What you’ll be able to do

  • Apply Maxwell’s equations to predict the behavior of charged particles, electrical and magnetic fields, and electromagnetic waves. Calculate electrical currents, electrical potential, field strengths, and electromagnetic forces in a given system.

  • Apply properties of electromagnetic waves to calculate the effects of geometric and physical optics.

  • Use the Schrodinger equation and associated wavefunction solutions to predict the behavior of particles in quantum systems.

  • Explain the historical development of quantum mechanics, including the experiments that led to the concept of wave-particle duality.

  • Perform measurements and analyze results in laboratory experiments using concepts from this course.

Source: UW Guide

Grade history

↗
average GPA
letter grades
A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

PHYSICS 247 and (MATH 234 or concurrent enrollment or MATH 376 or concurrent enrollment)

PHYSICS 248 used by

“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree

Professors

Spring 2027

No course-specific feedback yet.

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

BRIAN REBEL is recorded teaching in Spring 2019. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

DUNCAN CARLSMITH is recorded teaching in Spring 2011, Spring 2013, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2022. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

MICHAEL WINOKUR is recorded teaching in Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

YIBIN PAN is recorded teaching in Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025. 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 2027

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 600
DIS 301Classroom Instruction0 / 200
LAB 601Classroom Instruction0 / 200
LAB 602Classroom Instruction0 / 200
DIS 302Classroom Instruction0 / 200
DIS 303Classroom Instruction0 / 200
LAB 603Classroom Instruction0 / 200

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
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Student experience

the class

Past student reviews · Yibin Pan

Students found Yibin Pan’s lectures engaging and passionate, with demos that kept them interested, though some felt the pace was challenging and derivations were often skipped.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.83 GPA, 94.3% A/AB (n=53 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.53 GPA, 78.1% A/AB (n=32 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.29 GPA, 51.1% A/AB (n=47 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Past student reviews · Yibin Pan

The lecture pace was described as challenging, requiring students to stay engaged. One student noted that using resources like the textbook and Unstuck study made all the difference in succeeding.

Past student reviews · Yibin Pan

Some students found it frustrating that the instructor read from slides and did not elucidate equation derivations, assuming prior knowledge and failing to explain concepts deemed simple.

Topics

  • Electromagnetism, circuits, optics, and modern physics.
  • Computation in physics.

Skills

  • Apply Maxwell’s equations to predict particle and field behavior.
  • Calculate effects of geometric and physical optics.
  • Use the Schrodinger equation for quantum systems.
  • Perform measurements and analyze lab results.

Grades

Historical instructor

Spring 2027 · Projected

Before grades are released

– average GPA

Approximate 80% prediction interval

About this estimate

The course’s semester-average GPA, not an individual student’s grade. The center uses 5 same-season terms, weighted toward recent results.

The range uses the finite-sample 80th-percentile rank of absolute errors from earlier same-season forecasts. Each forecast uses only records from earlier terms. At least four forecasts are required; bounds are rounded outward and limited to 0–4. This is an empirical estimate: changing instructors or grading policies can reduce its coverage.

6 earlier forecasts · 0.25 GPA average error.

Grades over time

Through Spring 2027

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Where this course fits relative to

Latest available grades · Spring 2026 · all course levels

GPA

Higher than % of other courses in this group.

Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range

letter grades

More recorded grades than % of other courses in this group.

Typical course in this group: letter grades.

About this comparison

1280 courses over the same term, each with at least 30 recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.

Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.

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.

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Selected offering source records
PHYSICS 248 · Spring 2027

A Modern Introduction to Physics

Recorded 2026-10-14
Raw records 
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  {
    "run_id": "20261014T203208-0851c9a1",
    "semester": "1274",
    "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1274:754:021404",
    "course_id": "PHYSICS 248",
    "course_uid": "course_ac5b0db3a3b0f72a3723ac9e",
    "term_id": "1274",
    "source_course_id": "021404",
    "source_subject_id": "754",
    "title": "A Modern Introduction to Physics",
    "credits_min": 5,
    "credits_max": 5,
    "typically_offered": "Spring"
  }
]
Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews
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Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-10-14

View the dataset on Hugging Face
Model outputs & technical records
Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance 
{
  "model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
  "model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
  "task_version": "17",
  "output_id": "9e49c0d2a6f2aff26eb0721d4e203b1b45d88414203f55b63f684099f2c14c51",
  "requirements_status": "needs_review",
  "dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
  "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}