PHYSICS 205 HOME PAGE
The final is on Friday at 12:25 in 1313 Sterling Hall (the regular lecture room). You can access the formula sheet from here: FORMULA SHEET
The first hour exam will be held on Tuesday October 12 during the normal class period. The exam will cover Chapters 1-4 plus Section 1 of Chapter 10, corresponding to the material covered on the first 5 homework sets. The exam will include a formula sheet which you can access from here: FORMULA SHEET
Exam will be held on Thursday November 18. This exam covers Chapters 5-8 of the text corresponding to the material covered on homework sets 6-9. The exam will include a formula sheet which you can access from here: FORMULA SHEET
Modern Physics (Third Edition) by R. Serway, C. Moses and C. MoyerOther useful texts:
GENERAL INFO: Physics 205 is a course in Modern Physics designed primarily for students in Engineering. The course will cover a wide variety of topics including the theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, and atomic physics. Here is a more detailed list of topics: The theory of special relativity
How to work with probability distributions
Quantization of electromagnetic waves (photons)
Electrons and the structure of atoms
deBroglie waves
Motion of wave packets
The Schrodinger equation
Bound states and energy quantization
Barrier penetration
The hydrogen atom
Electron spin
Pauli principle and the periodic table
Quantum effects in diatomic molecules
Emission and absorption of light, with application to lasers
Conduction by electrons in solids
Energy bands
Properties of atomic nucleiHOMEWORK: Homework problems will normally be assigned every week, and homework papers will be collected in class on Thursday. Students are permitted and encouraged to work together on homework assignments with the goal of learning from each other. However, the homework paper you hand in must represent your own work. Copying someone else's solution is not permitted. Late homework will generally not be accepted. Homework papers will be graded, and solutions to the homework problems will be available on the web. EXAMS: We will have two hour exams during the semester. The exams will be held during the normal class period on October 7and November 18. The final exam will be held on Friday December 17. Anyone requiring special arrangements for exams should contact Prof. Knutson at the earliest possible opportunity. GRADING: The final course grade will be based on the total number of points accumulated during the semester with 100 points for each of the midterm exams, 200 points for the final, and 100 points for homework.
| DATE | LECTURE TOPICS | READING |
| Sept. 2 | Introduction -- Principle of Relativity | 1: 1, 2 |
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Simultaneity -- Lorentz Transformation | 1: 6, 7 |
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| Sept. 16 | Probability Distributions -- The Maxwell Distribution | 10: 1 |
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Light -- Blackbody Radiation | 3: 1-3 |
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| Sept. 28 | Electrons and Atoms | 4: 1, 2 |
| Sept. 30 | Bohr's Model of Hydrogen | 4: 3, 4 |
| Oct. 5 | deBroglie Waves | 5: 1-3 |
| Oct. 7 | Uncertainty Principle -- Wave-Particle Duality | 5: 4-8 |
| Oct. 12 | **** EXAM 1 **** | |
| Oct. 14 | Wave Mechanics -- Schrodinger's Equation | 6: 1-3 |
| Oct. 19 | Square Well -- Harmonic Oscillator | 6: 4-8 |
| Oct. 21 | Reflection and Transmission of Waves -- Tunneling | 7: 1, 2 |
| Oct. 26 | Central forces and angular momentum | 8: 1-3 |
| Oct. 28 | Quantum numbers -- Hydrogen atom | 8: 4, 5 |
| Nov. 2 | Magnetic Effects | 9: 1, 2 |
| Nov. 4 | Electron spin -- Pauli Principle | 9: 3, 4 |
| Nov. 9 | Multi-electron systems and the periodic table | 9: 5, 6 |
| Nov. 11 | Molecules | 11: 1-3 |
| Nov. 16 | Solids -- Free electron model | 12: 1, 2 |
| Nov. 18 | **** EXAM 2 **** | |
| Nov. 23 | Quantum theory of conduction -- Fermi energy | 10: 5 |
| Nov. 25 | THANKSGIVING BREAK | |
| Nov. 30 | Band Theory -- Semiconductors | 12: 3-5 |
| Dec. 2 | Emission and Absorption of Light -- LASERS | 12: 7 |
| Dec. 7 | Properties of Atomic Nuclei | 13: 1, 2 |
| Dec. 9 | Radioactivity | 13: 4-6 |
| Dec. 14 | Fission and fusion | 14: 1-6 |
| Dec. 17 | **** FINAL EXAM **** |
Homework Assignments:
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