Download Syllabus, Physics 315, Modern Physics, 3 credits Designation

Syllabus, Physics 315, Modern Physics, 3 credits
Designation: Required for Engineering Physics majors.
Course Description: An introduction to relativity and quantum mechanics, with applications
to atoms, molecules, solids, nuclei, and elementary particles.
Prerequisites: Mathematics 291, Physics 214; or equivalent. Corequisite: Physics 315L
Required Text: Young and Freedman, University Physics with Modern Physics, 12th ed.
Class Web Pages: A class web page with the syllabus and other information maintained at
http://zeppo.nmsu.edu/~pvs/teaching/phys315/
Course Objectives: Students should become familiar with the principles and basic equations
of the special theory of relativity and quantum mechanics and their applications in simple
problems in various fields of physics. This knowledge will be applied in more advanced and
specialized topics to be studied in later years.
Topics Covered: Special relativity; quantum theory of light; atomic structure of matter; matter waves and wave-particle duality; the Schrödinger equation in one and three dimensions;
quantum tunneling; atomic structure and the periodic table; quantum statistics; and selected
applications in molecular, solid state, nuclear, and/or particle physics.
Class Schedule: Three 50-minute classes or two 75-minute classes per week; two-hour final
exam during exam week.
Contribution of Course to Professional Component: This course provides the foundations for
upper-division physics core courses; in particular, Physics 454-455 and Physics 480. The
course provides three credits of physics.
Relation of Course to Program Outcomes: This course teaches students to:
Apply knowledge of math, science, and engineering.
Identify, formulate, and solve engineering and physics problems.
Use techniques, skills, and modern tools necessary for engineering and physics practice.
Understand physical models based on first principles, experiment, and abstraction.
Perform conceptual, theoretical, and critical thinking.
Prepared by Dr. Vassili Papavassiliou, Spring 2011.
Course Information
P HYSICS 315
Spring 2011
Schedule: 10:20 – 11:35 am T/TH
Instructor: V. Papavassiliou
Office: Gardiner Hall 355
Office Phone: 646-1310
E-mail Address: [email protected]
Office Hours: Tuesday 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Text: University Physics with Modern Physics, by H.D. Young and R.A. Freedman; Addison
Wesley, 12th Edition (2007)
Physics 315 is a calculus-based Modern Physics course for science and engineering majors. Its goal is to provide a foundation in the concepts and methods of the physics that was
developed around the turn of the twentieth century: the special theory of relativity, the atomic
theory of matter, quantum mechanics, and statistical thermodynamics. These theories provide
the basis for the development of almost all areas in science and engineering today: atomic
and molecular physics and chemistry, condensed matter and in particular semiconductors and
superconductors, nuclear physics and technology, advances in medical physics, and the latest
research in high-energy particle physics, among others. Students enrolled in this course are
expected to be familiar with the basics of classical physics, such as mechanics and electromagnetism, and must have mastered the necessary mathematical tools, especially vector algebra,
differential and integral calculus, Taylor series, and differential equations. PHYS 214 and
MATH 291 are prerequisites; a companion lab course, PHYS 315L, is corequisite for many
students, depending on major.
For the major part of the semester, the course will follow chapters 37 through 41 of the
textbook, more-or-less in order, covering most of the material there, with some additional material from the remaining chapters being covered during the later part of the semester. Chapter
37 presents an introduction to Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity, which supersedes Newtonian mechanics whenever the velocities involved are large, comparable to the speed to light.
Chapters 38 introduces Quantum Physics, by showing why a quantum theory is necessary for
a correct description of electromagnetic radiation; summarizes the atomic theory of matter,
examining the composition of all matter in terms of atoms and their constituents; and provides a look into early attempts to apply quantum principles in an effort to explain the atomic
structure.
The idea of particles of matter as waves, with a summary of the relevant experimental
evidence, is introduced in Chapter 39; the Heisenberg uncertainty principle is presented here.
The concept of the wavefunction and its physical interpretation is introduced later in this
chapter; there the Schrödinger equation appears, for a proper treatment of quantum dynamics.
Some simple, one-dimensional cases are examined, with more complex examples following in
Chapter 40, including the phenomenon of quantum tunneling, important for semiconductors.
Three-dimensional problems are tackled for the first time in Chapter 41, where the energy
levels of the simplest atom, hydrogen, are obtained, and the quantum theory of angular momentum is introduced. Additional aspects of atomic physics and the quantum concept of spin
are then introduced and the theoretical basis for the periodic table is presented.
The remaining chapters present applications of the concepts learned in the first ten. Depending on interest (and time permitting), some of these applications will be covered near the
end of the semester. Possibilities include molecular physics; the study of various aspects of
solids, including conductors, semiconductors, and superconductors; and the nuclear properties
of matter and technological applications. Students are encouraged to provide some input on
which of those topics they would like to see covered.
Homework problems will be assigned on a regular basis, approximately six-to-eight per
week. There will be due in general one week later, at the start of the lecture, and solutions will
be provided. Late homework can be accepted infrequently if there is a good reason, but it may
delay the distribution of solutions for everybody. The homework grades will count as part of
the final grade. You are encouraged to collaborate and discuss the homework and exchange
ideas with your classmates, although you should keep in mind that relying too heavily on
others for your homework always results in poor performance in the exams.
In addition, students will be asked to write one two-page essay some time during the
semester on a topic to be announced, but relevant to the class. Students must work on the
essay independently and it must not contain material taken directly from other sources. The
essay will be judged on ideas, originality, clarity, and language, and will count as one of the
homework assignments in the grade.
There will be two mid-term exams, during regular class periods. The exact dates will
be announced later; the first one will be before the deadline for withdrawal on March 8 and
the second after the spring break. A two-hour comprehensive final exam will be given during
finals week, on Thursday, May 5, 2011, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm; please consult the official
final-exam schedule at http://www.nmsu.edu/~registra/final_examination.html
Students with disabilities: If you have or believe you have a disability and would benefit from
any accommodations, you may wish to self-identify by contacting the Services for Students
with Disabilities (SSD) Office located at Garcia Annex (phone: 646-6840). If you have already
registered, please make sure that your instructor receives a copy of the accommodation memorandum from SSD within the first two weeks of classes. It is your responsibility to inform
either your instructor or SSD representative in a timely manner if services/accommodations
provided are not meeting your needs.
If you have a condition which may affect your ability to exit safely from the premises in an
emergency or which may cause an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss any
concerns with the instructor and/or Ms. Jane Spinti, SSD Coordinator. Feel free to call Ms.
Elva Telles (EEO/ADA and Employee Relations Director) at 646-3333 with any questions
about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973. All medical information will be treated confidentially.