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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 - T 3-5pm; W 1:30-2:30pm; Th 3-5pm; F 3-4pm (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

  • LFermi - I will assess you at random throughout the semester (in class). I will use the average assessment score for your course grade.
  • Lapp, LData, LNote - We will assess you on every lab and take your current running average of all assessment scores.
  • LRForm, LRClarify, LRData - You will have to submit three different lab reports throughout the semester. These reports will be the source of assessment for these standards. For each standard, we will take either (i) your most recent assessment score, if it is the highest for that standard, or (ii) the average of all your previous scores, if your most recent is not the highest. (Note this means your assessment scores can go down even after you mastered them).
  • All 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 either (i) your most recent assessment score, if it is the highest for that standard, or (ii) the average of all your previous scores, if your most recent is not the highest. (Note this means your assessment scores can go down even after you mastered them).

Course Schedule & Assignments

DAY DATE CHAPTER / ASSIGNMENTS / ASSESSMENTS / LABS
121 Aug Topic: R1
Homework Questions: B.1,B.3 (hint: make the water the Other Frame),B.5,M.3
Assignments (due next class): (i) read R1 & R2, (ii) review syllabus, (iii) work above homework problems
223 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
328 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;
430 Aug Topic: R4
Questions: B.2,B.4,B.7,M.1,M.2,M.4,D.1,R.2 (R4)
Assignments (due next class): (i) read R5; (ii) work R4.B2, R4.B4, R4.M4, and R3.B7; (iii) review solutions to R3.
54 Sep Topic: R5 (with R4 wrap-up)
Assignments (due next class): (i) review R5 Two-Minute Problems; (ii) look over and review solutions to R1-R4 problems, bring questions to 129 Couch at 9am on Thursday (optional; mandatory start time on Thursday is 9:45am as usual)
66 Sep Topic: R6 (with R5 wrap-up)
Questions: B.1,B.2,B.3,B.6,M.3,D.2 (R5)
Questions: B.1,B.2,B.3,B.4,B.6,B.8,M.4,D.1,R.2 (R6)
711 Sep Mini-Assessment (R1-R4)
Topic: R7
Questions: B.1,B.4,B.9,B.10,M.7 (R7)
Assignments: (i) review R7; (ii) work above R7 problems; (iii) review solutions to R6 problems; (iv) read R8 (may the force be with you)
813 Sep Hurricane Florence (class cancelled)
918 Sep Topic: R8
Questions: B.1, B.6, B.9 (R8)
Assignments: (i) work above R8 problems; (ii) review R8 equations (with special attention to the last figure summarizing all equations.; (iii) re-think your entire lives
1020 Sep
Topic: R9
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) study for first assessment
1125 Sep ASSESSMENT (Exam 1)
1227 Sep
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
Assignments: (i) work above Q1 and Q2 problems; (ii) read Q3
132 Oct
Topic: Q3 (wave nature of light / double slit)
Problems: Q3: B.1,B.3,B.6,B.14,M.3,M.8,M.12
Assignments: Same as always - work problems, read next chapter.
144 Oct
Topic: Q4 (particle nature of light / photoelectric effect)
Problems: Q4: B.1,B.3,B.5,B.7,M.1
159 Oct Topic: Q5 (Wave Nature of Particles)
Questions: Q5: B.1,B.3,B.6,B.9,B.10,M.1,M.2,M.5
1611 Oct Group Re-Assessment Questions on all relativity standards given
Topic: Q5 Wrap-Up
1723 Oct Topic: Q6 (Spin)
Questions: Q6: B.2,B,4,B.6,M.1,M.2
1825 Oct Topic: Q7 (Rules of Quanum)
Questions: Q7: B.1,B.2,B.4,M.1,M.5
1930 Oct 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.
Topics: Q7 review & QA (complex number)
Questions: QA: B.2,B.5,B.8,B.9
201 Nov Topic: Q9 (the wavefunction)
216 Nov Topic: Q9 cont'd
Questions: all Basic Skills problems + M2, M6, M7

Course Documents

Resources

Useful Software