Physics430.syllabus

Physics 430 -- Section 1 Western Illinois University--Department of Physics

Dr. Mark S. Boley &nb sp; Fall Semester 2022

Introductory Quantum Mechanics I:(a junior/senior level physics course)

Text: Introductory Quantum Mechanics, 4th Edition, by Richard L. Liboff

Room and Time: In Currens Hall 515 from 11:00 - 11:50 a.m. on MWF

Office Number and Phone: Currens Hall 422A Ph.(309) 298-1462

Office Hours: M 2-2:45 pm and W 2:00 - 2:45 pm and F 2 - 4:30 pm (also welcome at other times!)

Email: mfmsb@wiu.edu (this is best method or leave a phone message)

Grading: There will be two midterm exams given in person and one one partially comprehensive final exam. The exams will each separately be designed as either (a) closed notes, (b) open notes, or (c) with one information sheet, to be determined by the instructor (along with class input) and announced in the class lecture at least two regular school days prior to the date of each of these exams. No make-up exams or substitute times will be given for any of these three exams. There may also be occasionally given short extra credit questions, resulting from classroom discussion or suggested homework, that will be assigned and completed in a five-minute period either at the beginning or at the end of that class period. Your final course grade will be computed according to the following weighted percentages (total point system): &nb sp; Midterm Exam #1 (on 9/23/2022): 35%

(on October 28th, 2022) Midterm Exam #2: 35%

(Wednesday, December 14th, from 10:00 - 11:50 a.m.) Final Exam: 30%

For total course points available, over 90% guarantees an A, over 80% a B, over 70% a C, and over 60% a D, but these grade cutoffs in the final distribution may go down.

Homework:

It is the objective of this introductory course for you to learn the basic postulates of quantum mechanics, to understand the experiments that verified their necessity, and to learn how to apply these postulates in order to predict the outcomes of measurements on atomic, molecular, and solid-state systems, all of which utilize quantum mechanics, and all of which leave their mark on our present-day technological world. We will begin with one-dimensional applications and proceed to three-dimensional cases. Therefore, it is very important that you do all of your homework sets conscientiously and faithfully if you are to succeed in thoroughly learning the cumulative material of this course. Not only will a significant percentage of your final grade depend upon this, but you will never truly understand some of the abstract material in this course until you apply it for problem solving. You are encouraged to discuss homework problems together, but your final work on them should be independent and never directly copied from someone else. The professor will be alert to such practices, and such cheating will not only result in failure of that homework set, but also will contribute significantly to your failure of this course. Your academic honesty is expected in cooperation.

SYLLABUS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITH NOTICE!!

Topics Expected to be Covered in this Course (but not limited to these!) Will Follow the Proposed Guideline Shown Below:

1. Review of Relevant Concepts of Classical Mechanics:

Total Energy, Momentum, Hamiltonian, States, Potential Functions

2. Review of Experiments and Theories which led to the Postulates of

Quantum Mechanics and an Associated Radical New Approach:

Planck's Blackbody Radiation, Einstein's Photoelectric Effect, etc.

3. Statement of the Quantum Mechanical Postulates:

Definitions of Observables, Operators, Measurements, State Functions, Time Development, and Initial-Value Problems

4. Introduction to Dirac Notation, Hilbert Space, and Hermitian Operators

5. Principle of Superposition Applied to Complete Sets of Commuting Observables and the Commutator Relations

6. Conservation Theorems -- Energy and Parity

7. Applications to One-Dimensional Problems / Bound and Unbound States

8. Applications to Some Simple Two-Dimensional and Two-Particle Problems / Discussion of Symmetry and Antisymmetry

9. Angular Momentum -- Properties, Eigenvalues, and Operators

10. Spherical Coordinates and the Hydrogen Atom Solution / Other Selected Three- Dimensional Problems

11. First-order Perturbation Theory

The text in the syllabus is required for you to purchase, and other references you might want to purchase or regularly consult in the science library would include:

"Introduction to QM and Atomic Physics" by Eisberg and Resnick

"Introduction to Quantum Mechanics" by David J. Griffiths Suggested Homework Chapter 1: 1, 5, 7, 11, 18, 19, 20, 21 Chapter 2: 3, 4, 7, 14, 15, 19, 20, 23, 24, 29, 44, 48 Chapter 3: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, 15, 16 Chapter 4: 1, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 26 Chapter 5: 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13, 21, 24, 25, 30 Chapter 6: 9, 10, 11, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20 Chapter 7: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 13, 34, 35, 36, 39, 40, 41, 42, 45, 46, 48 Chapter 8: 1, 3, 7, 8, 28, 31, 34, 36, 37, 39

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