Concepts in Materials Science

Materials science at its core is about explaining why a piece of copper conducts, why steel bends before it breaks, and why silicon can be coaxed into a transistor — all by tracing macroscopic behavior back to how atoms are arranged and bonded. The course walks through this structure-property link across mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic, and optical regimes, using Callister as the spine and reinforcing each chapter through homeworks, quizzes, and two midterms. As a graduate-level survey, it gives non-materials students (physicists, EEs, MEs, chemists) the shared vocabulary they need before specializing into device fabrication, nanomaterials, or solid-state research downstream.