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Fundamentals of Physics III ("Modern Physics")

PHY 2030 - An introduction to space-time physics and quantum physics with applications in astronomy, cosmology, solid-state physics, nuclear physics, and particle physics. Four credits. Prerequisite: PHY 2020. Offered Fall Semester.

Office Hours - M 3-4pm; T 11-12pm; W 9:30-10:30; Th 11-12pm; F 3-4pm; or by appointment (363 Couch Hall)

Useful Numbers to Memorize

  • Speed of light
  • Size of atom, nucleus (order of magnitude)
  • Diameter of Earth, Sun (order of magnitude)
  • Masses of protons, electrons, etc. (order of magnitude)
  • Common values that pop up in math (e.g., square root of 2 and 3, sine/cosine of 30,45,60 degrees)
  • Metric prefixes
  • Various unit conversions (both directions): km to miles, cm to inches, lbs in kg, etc.
  • Number of seconds in a year (~pi x 10^7)

SBG Assignment Rules

  • LReport - if you decide to write a full-blown report for a lab (to assess LReport), your lab report will be due TWO WEEKS after you conducted the experiment. I will take your highest assessment score into account at the end of the semester.
  • LApparatus - if you decide NOT to write a full-blown report for a lab (to assess LReport), you still must submit the results from your experiment; your results will be due ONE WEEK after the experiment. I will take the average assessment score into account at the end of the semester.
  • LJournal - you must submit your materials 1 WEEK after the LJournal assignment was given out. I will take only the highest individual assessment score into account at the end of the semester.
  • LFermi - I will assess you at random throughout the semester (in class). I will use the average assessment score for your course grade.
  • Other Standards - I will assess you approximately every 2-3 weeks (the 3 "exams" will be the major assessments). For each standard, I will take your most recent assessment score. (Note this means your assessment scores can go down even after you mastered them).

Course Schedule & Assignments

Q3: B.1,B.3,B.6,B.14,M.3,M.8,M.12
DAY DATE CHAPTER / ASSIGNMENTS / ASSESSMENTS / LABS
122 Aug Topic: R1
Homework Questions: B.1,B.2,B.3 (hint: make the water the Other Frame),B.5,M.3,M.5,M.8
Assignments (due next class): (i) read R1 & R2, (ii) review syllabus, (iii) work above homework problems
224 Aug Topic: R2
Questions: B.2,B.4,B.5,B.8,B.10,M.3,M.5,R.1
Assignments (due next class): (i) read R3; (ii) work above R2 problems; (iii) memorize most of the suggested numbers above (speed of light, size of atom, etc.); (iv) review solutions to R1 problems
329 Aug Topic: R3
Questions:B.1,B.2,B.5,B.6,B.8,M.2,M.5,M.10 (minimum: work 3 B, 2 M)
Assignments (due next class): (i) read R4; (ii) work above R3 problems; (iii) memorize most of the suggested numbers above (speed of light, size of atom, etc.); (iv) review solutions to R2 problems;
431 Aug Topic: R3 cont'd; R4 (Proper time)
Questions: B.2,B.4,B.7,M.1,M.2,M.4,D.1,R.2 (R4)
55 Sep Topic: R3 & R4 Review
LJournal: Read Muon paper. LJournal submission (if you choose to do this one) will be due Sep 12.
Assignments (due next class): (i) read R5; (ii) work above R4 problems; (iii) review solutions to R3 problems
67 Sep Topic: R5 (Coordinate Transformations)
LJournal: Read Bailey or Hafele and Keating paper. LJournal submission (if you choose to do this one) will be due Sep 14.
Questions: B.1,B.2,B.3,B.6,M.3,D.2
Assignments: (i) read R6; (ii) work above R5 problems (see me for help); (iii) review solutions to R1-R4 problems; (iv) prepare for mini assessment next week
712 Sep Mini-Assessment (all active standards are fair game)
Topic: R6 (Lorentz Contraction)
Questions: B.1,B.2,B.3,B.4
Assignments: (i) review R5 and R6; (ii) work above R6 problems; (iii) review solutions to R5 problems; (iv) write LJournal on Bailey/Hafele (if you so choose)
814 Sep Topic: R5 + R6 cont'd (+hint of R7)
Questions:
R6: B.6,B.8,M.4,D.1,R.2
R7: B.1,B.4,B.10,M.7
Assignments: (i) work above R6 & R7 problems; (ii) read R8
919 Sep
Topic: R7 + R8 start (four momentum)
Questions: R7B.9, Prove that Newtonian Momentum isn't conserved by reproducing Figure R8.1 example on pg 147-148
1021 Sep
Topic: R8 + R9 (conservation of four momentum)
Questions:
R8: B.1, B.7, M.5
R9: B.3,B.5,B.7,M.1
Assignments: (i) read R9; (ii) work above R8 and R9 problems
1126 Sep
Topic: R9 cont'd (conservation of four momentum)
Questions: B.1,B.2,B.3,B.4,B.5,B.7,M.1,M.3,M.4,M.11,R.1
Assignments: (i) work R9 problems for practice; (ii) come with questions on Thursday
1228 Sep
Practice Problems, discuss first assessment
133 Oct ASSESSMENT (Exam 1)
145 Oct
Topic: Q1, Q2 (wave models, standing waves)
Questions: Q1: B.1,B.2,B.5,B.7; Q2: B.2,B.3,B.4,B.5,B.6,M.4
LAB: fourier analysis of time-series data
single1_noiseless.txt | single1_noise.txt | single2_noiseless.txt | single2_noise.txt | double.txt | High_Point_Temp_4year.txt | Charlotte_Temp_7days.txt | aapl.txt | irs_google_trend.txt | OR download all together as TAR file: all_files.tar
Assignments: (i) work above Q1 and Q2 problems; (ii) read Q3; (iii) skim through Q1 and Q2; (iv) finish Fourier analysis sheet
1510 Oct
Topic: Q3 (wave nature of light / double slit)
1612 Oct
Topic: Q4 (particle nature of light / photoelectric effect)
1724 Oct Lab: Double Slit / Photoelectric Effect
1826 Oct Shop training
Lab: Double Slit / Photoelectric Effect
1831 Oct Lab: Double Slit / Photoelectric Effect
Assignments: (i) finish the two labs if you didn't; (ii) read Q5; (iii) work the following problems:
Q3: B.1,B.3,B.6,B.14,M.3,M.12
Q4: B.1,B.3,B.5,B.7,M.1
192 Nov Topic: Q5 (Wave Nature of Particles)
Questions: B.1,B.3,B.6,B.9,B.10,M.1,M.2,M.5
207 Nov Topic: Q6 (Spin)
Questions: B.2,B,4,B.6,M.1,M.2
219 Nov Mini-Assessment covering standards WS, WI, WP, Qrules (only Stern Gerlach), and ALL relativity standards (you'll be required to assess on TWO relativity standards out of a choice of (nearly) all of them.
Topic: Q7 (Rules of Quantum)
Questions: Q7: B.1,B.2,B.4,M.1,M.5;
2214 Nov Topic: QA (complex number) + some quantum weirdness
Questions: QA: B.2,B.5,B.8,B.9
2316 Nov Topic: Q9 (the wavefunction)
Questions: all Basic Skills problems
2421 Nov Topic: Q9 cont'd and Q10 (simple quantum models)
Questions: Q10: B.1, B.2, B.3, B.6, B.7, re-work through the derivation of the allowed energy levels of hydrogen (pg 157); re-work through the derivation of the energy levels of a quanton in a box (pg 154)
2528 Nov Topic: Q12 (The Time-Independent Schroedinger Equation [TISE])
2630 Nov Topic: Q12 Cont'd Mini assessment on MQ, Qrules, Qenergy
275 Dec Topic: Wrap-Up
Questions: None (review the solution to the infinite square well)
--11 Dec FINAL ASSESSMENT on all standards, 12-3pm
--13 Dec PROJECT DEADLINE

Course Documents

  • Syllabus - information about the course
  • Standards - standards by which you will be assessed in the course.
  • Evidences - ways in which students show they have mastered the course standards.

Resources

Useful Software