Spring 2004: PHYSICS 201 SYLLABUS
MODERN PHYSICS
Lecture times: MWF 2:00-2:50
Classroom: Currens Hall, 205
Lab times: Th. 10-11:50; Th 1:00-2:50
Labroom: Currens Hall, 414
Textbook: Modern Physics, 2nd ed., by Krane.
Laboratory manual: Available in bookstore.
Instructor: Dr. Jim Rabchuk
Office: 316A Currens Hall
Office Phone: 298-2577;
E-mail: jar@wiu.edu;
Home page: http://webct3.wiu.edu/
Office Hours: MWF 1-2 PM ;Tu. 9-10 AM; and by appointment.
I strongly urge you to take advantage of these hours.
Course Objective:
This class is intended to be an introduction to the ideas and techniques of modern physics. We will concentrate on what are recognized to be the foundational ideas of modern physics, relativity and quantum theory. These developments, carried out in the beginning of the twentieth century by Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg, et al., have fundamentally changed our ideas about the structure of the world that we live in. They have very specific things to say about the nature of time, space and objective reality, and their implications are still being worked out to this day. What is more, the fundamental issue lying before physicists of the 21st century is the unification of quantum physics and relativity, a task you may one day find yourselves involved in.
Because of the survey nature of this course, there is a greater emphasis on conceptual understanding. Short answer questions will be included in the homework, on quizzes and on the exams. We will also begin to work in a more sophisticated way with one of the most important differential equations of modern physics, Schrodinger's equation. Learning how to work with and manipulate such equations is an invaluable skill that is necessary in nearly all areas of modern physics and engineering. As was historically the case, our understanding of the quantum world will often be led by the study of the behavior predicted by the equation. For the sake of visualizing the behavior of the solutions to this equation, we will use computer simulations and computer algebra programs when possible.
Homework:
Homework assignments are listed below, and due dates are included in the calendar at the end of this syllabus. Only the Problems should be turned in for grading. The questions should be prepared for discussion. Homework will account for 15% of your final grade, and will be graded on a strict 90, 80, 70 , 60 scale.
HW#1: ch. 2 (Questions) 3, 6, 8, 9 (Problems) 4, 5, 8, 10, 15, 18
HW#2: ch. 2 (Q's) 14, 18 (P's) 22, 27, 31, 32, 34, 35
HW#3: ch. 3 (Q's) 3, 7, 8, 10, 13, 18 (P's) 4, 8, 10, 20, 26, 32
HW#4: ch. 4 (Q's) 8, 10, 13 (P's) 1, 5, 7, 10, 14, 20, 23, 29
HW#5: ch. 5 (Q's) 3, 8, 10, 13 (P's) 5, 7, 11, 17, 20, 31
HW#6: ch. 6 (Q's) 8, 11 (P's) 16, 19, 24, 31, 35
HW#7: ch. 7 (Q's) 5, 6, 8, 11, 15 (P's) 4, 5, 6, 11, 15, 21, 23
HW#8: ch. 8 (Q's) 3, 8, 13, 17, 20 (P's) 2, 9, 13, 15, 17, 18
Quizzes:
An in-class quiz will be given the class period after the homework is due. The quiz will be drawn from the questions assigned for that chapter. Quizzes will account for 5% of your grade, and are graded on a 90-80-70-60 scale.
Laboratory experiments:
Attendance at Labs is mandatory. You will be allowed to make up one laboratory for an excused absence, if you make arrangements ahead of time. The experiment must be made up before the next lab experiment. The labs will give you an opportunity to test your understanding of the concepts and principles we are learning in class "hands-on". All data and drawings are to be recorded on a data sheet, which must be presented to the instructor before leaving the lab room. The instructor will review the sheet and sign it if it is acceptable. You will prepare formal lab write-ups for each lab experiment and exercise, which are due by the next lab experiment, and the data sheet must be turned in with one of the partner's reports. The lab component will be 10% of your grade.
In addition to the assigned lab activities, extra credit projects can be performed during the semester which are worth up to two additional labs. These projects include working with a student X-ray apparatus, Atomic Force Microscope, computer simulations of magnetic devices and magnetic materials and other projects at the student's initiative. You need to submit a proposal for the work no later than at the end of the fiftth week. The extra credit project can be worth up to two full lab grades, and will be included in your total lab grade.
Examinations:
There will be 3 examinations given during the course of the semester. The first two will be in lab exams, worth 20% each, and the last will be a two hour final. The final exam will be cumulative and worth 25%.
The exams will be given on the following dates:
Feb. 26th, in class; covering Chs. 2-3
April 1st in class; covering Chs. 4-5
Final, May 3rd, 3PM, Cumulative, but emphasizing the material from Chs.6-8,
Grading policy:
Labs, homework and quizzes will be graded on a strict 90,80,70,60 scale. The exams will be graded on a curve.
Calendar of Physics 201 Events: Jan 7th, 2004 edition
| 12: Relativity | 13: | 14: Light's medium | 15: RelLab 1 | 16: Einstein postulates |
| 19: MLK Day | 20: | 21: Time and Length | 22: RelLab 2 | 23: Lorentz transformations/ space-time diagrams |
| 26: Simultaneity | 27: | 28: Rel. momentum HW #1 Due |
29: RelLab 3 | 30:  |
| Feb 2: Photoelectric Effect | 3: | 4: Compton Effect | 5: | 6: Relativity Review HW #2 Due |
| 9: Photons and matter | 10: | 11: Photons and waves | 12: Lincoln B-day | 13: Quantized Radiation |
| 16: Blackbody radiation | 17: | 18: DeBroglie hypothesis | 19: Lab: Photoelectric Effect | 20: Fourier Transforms |
| 23: Wave packets | 24: | 25: Uncertainty relations | 26: EXAM I | 27: Stats. and Prob. |
| March 1: Energy picture | 2: | 3: Schrodinger eqn. | 4: Lab: q/m ratio | 5: The wave function HW #4 Due Break  |
| 15: Particle in a 1D box | 16: | 17: Particle in a 2D box | 18: Graphical Schrodinger Eqn. | 19: Harmonic Oscillator |
| 22: Free particle | 23: | 24: Tunneling | 25: Lab: Electron Diffraction | 26: Atomic Spectra |
| 29: The Bohr Model HW #5 Due | 30: | 31: The Schrodinger solution of H-atom | April 1st: EXAM II | 2: The radial solution |
| 5: The angular solution | 6: | 7: Angular Momentum HW #6 Due | 8: Atomic Spectra Lab | 9:Electron Spin |
| 12: Many electron atoms | 13: | 14: The Periodic Table HW # 7 Due | 15: Lab: Nuclear Decay, pt. I | 16: X-ray and Optical transitions |
| 19: Atomic angular momenta | 20: | 21: Two state systems | 22: Lab: Nuclear Decay, pt. II | 23: Lasers |
26: Laser cooling |
27: | 28: BEC's HW #8 Due |
29: | 30: Review |
| May 3: Final at 3PM | 4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |