Introduction to Modern Physics

Instructor

Roman Grigoriev
Office: Howey W304 (office hours: Wednesday 12:45-1:45pm)
Phone: (404) 385-1130
E-mail:

Alejandro Garzon
Office: Howey W508A (office hours: Thursday 2-4pm)       
E-mail: gtg100n@mail.gatech.edu

Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 11:05-11:55 am
Lecture Room 5, Howey Physics Building

The course offers a survey of 20th century physics, including Quantum Mechanics, Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Relativity.

Tipler: Physics for Scientists and Engineers Chapters 17, 36-41 (4th Ed., Freeman & Co./Worth, 1999).
Also check out Tipler's Web Companion

Attendance for all lectures is strongly encouraged. A large amount of material will be covered in a short amount of time. Successful completion of this course will require a sustained effort on your part to keep up with the material and understand the topics as they are presented. You are strongly encouraged to read the indicated portion of the text prior to the lecture.

Homework assignments will be posted on the web every Friday and will be due next Friday in class. You can discuss problems with each other, but the solutions have to be executed and submitted individually. All homeworks will be hand-graded by a physics teaching assistant. Late homeworks will not be accepted. In general you are expected to comply with the academic honor code.

There will be two midterm exams and a final. Midterms and the final exam are closed book, closed notes, and hand graded by a physics teaching assistant. You may bring to the exams one 8.5" x 11" piece of paper with anything you like written on it. All calculators (including graphing calculators) are allowed. The three primary sources of material for quizzes and the final exam are (in order of importance): (1) material presented in class, (2) homework, and (3) material in the textbook.

The overall grade for the course will be based on the homeworks (33%), mid-term exams (33%) and the final (34%). Tentative letter grade thresholds are: A-85%, B-75%, C-65% and D-55%.

January 8
1. Wave properties of light
Reading: Chapter 17

January 10
2. Photoelectic effect
Reading: Chapter 17

January 12
3. Photoelectric effect
Reading: Chapter 17
Problem set #1: 17.4, 17.6, 17.12, 17.16 (solutions)

January 15
No class - Memorial day

January 17
4. Compton scattering
Reading: Chapter 17

January 19
5. Electrons and matter waves
Reading: Chapter 17
Problem set #2: 17.20, 17.22, 17.26, 17.28, 17.34, 17.42 (solutions)

January 22
6. Wave function
Reading: Chapter 17

January 24
7. Heisenberg uncertainty relation
Reading: Chapter 17

January 26
8. Schrodinger equation
Reading: Chapter 36
Problem set #3: 17.44, 17.48, 17.52, 17.55, 17.64, 17.70 (solutions)

January 29
9. Particle in a box
Reading: Chapters 17 & 36

January 31
10. Quantum harmonic oscillator
Reading: Chapter 36

February 2
11. Reflection and transmission of electron waves
Reading: Chapter 36
Problem set #4: 36.4, 36.6, 36.8, 36.14, 36.18 (solutions)

February 5
12. Quantum tunneling
Reading: Chapter 36

February 7
13. Schrodinger equation in 3D
Reading: Chapter 36

February 9
14. Identical particles
Reading: Chapter 36
Problem set #5: 36.24, 36.26, 36.28, 36.34 (solutions)

February 12
15. Bohr model of the hydrogen atom
Reading: Chapter 37

February 14
16. Quantum theory of atoms
Reading: Chapter 37

February 16
No class - School of Physics recess

February 19
Quiz #1

February 21
17. Quantum theory of atoms
Reading: Chapter 37

February 23
18. Single-electron atoms
Reading: Chapter 37
Problem set #6: 37.10, 37.12, 37.16, 37.18, 37.23, 37.26 (solutions)

February 26
19. Single-electron atoms
Reading: Chapter 37

February 28
20. Spin and addition of angular momenta
Reading: Chapter 37

March 2
21. Spin-orbit interaction
Reading: Chapter 37
Problem set #7: 37.17, 37.34, 37.36, 37.38, 37.68, 37.74 (solutions)

March 5
22. Periodic table of elements
Reading: Chapter 37

March 7
23. Relativity. Einstein's postulates
Reading: Chapter 39

March 9
24. Lorentz transformations
Reading: Chapter 39
Problem set #8: 37.46, 37.50, 37.53, 37.55 (solutions)

March 12
25. Time dilation and length contraction
Reading: Chapter 39

March 14
26. Time dilation and length contraction
Reading: Chapter 39

March 16
27. Relativistic Doppler effect
Reading: Chapter 39
Problem set #9: 39.2, 39.6, 39.16, 39.35, 39.39 (solutions)

March 26
Quiz #2

March 28
28. Simultaneity and clock synchronization
Reading: Chapter 39

March 30
29. Quiz review

April 2
30. Velocity transformation
Reading: Chapter 39

April 4
31. Relativistic momentum and energy
Reading: Chapter 39

April 6
32. Relativistic momentum and energy
Reading: Chapter 39
Problem set #10: 39.22, 39.30, 39.42, 39.46, 39.47, 39.57 (solutions)

April 9
33. Compton scattering
Reading: Chapter 39

April 11
34. Ionic bond
Reading: Chapter 38

April 13
35. Covalent bonding
Reading: Chapter 38
Problem set #11: 38.4, 38.9, 38.11, 38.16 (solutions)

April 16
36. Other types of molecular bonding
Reading: Chapter 38

April 18
37. Spectra of diatomic molecules
Reading: Chapter 38

April 20
Quiz #3
Problem set #12: 38.22, 38.24, 38.30, 38.31 (solutions)

April 23
38. Spectra of diatomic molecules
Reading: Chapter 38

April 25
39. Structure of solids
Reading: Chapter 38
Explore: Dendrites and snowflakes

April 27
40. Structure of solids
Reading: Chapter 38

May 1 (2:50 - 5:40 pm)
Final exam

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