PHYS 3700 Modern Physics
The
Fall 2006
Times and Locations:
Lecture: TuTh
Period 3 (
Office Hours: M
Instructor:
Prof. Phillip C. Stancil
Phone: (706) 583-8226
Fax: (706) 542-2492
E-mail: stancil@physast.uga.edu
WWW: www.physast.uga.edu/people/fac-pcs.html
Course Materials:
1. Non-Classical Physics, R. Harris, Addison Wesley Longman Inc., 1999.
2. A scientific calculator, non-programmable
Required Resources:
Course Webpage: http://ww.physast.uga.edu/classes/phys3700/stancil/ .
Other Resources:
1. Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 6th ed., Serway
and Jewett (used for PHYS 1211/1212), Chapters 39-46.
2. Physical Review Focus: http://focus.aps.org/
. Descriptions of hot topics from
Physical Review and Physical Review
Letters for physics majors.
3. Any other modern physics
textbook.
Grading Policy:
Your
final score will be determined from your overall performance in the class
including tests, final exam, homework, and a research paper with the following
weights:
60% Three in-class tests (20% each)
20% Final
exam score
10% Homework
10% Research
paper
Final
letter grades will be based on the class statistical distribution of total
composite scores with the mean score corresponding to a middle-C. However, the
lower range of the grade distributions will be no higher than 90.00 A-, 80.00 B-,
70.00 C-, and 60.00 D.
Exam Policy:
There
will be three in-class tests and a final exam. All tests and exams are closed
book and closed notes. You can only bring pencil and calculator to the tests
and exam. Calculators must be non-programmable, i.e. no formulae can be stored. Equation sheets will be provided.
The
tests and exam will consist of problems and conceptual questions. You must show all work on problems to
receive full or partial credit. A correct final answer for a problem without
a solution, or with an unintelligible solution, gets zero points. Please
attempt all problems, as partial credit will be given. Further details about
each test and the exam will be given in class.
The
test make-up policy is as follows: 1) Make-up
tests will be given only in rare circumstances, e.g., serious illness, religious reasons, etc. 2) If you miss one test, your final exam can
count 40% of your total grade, with the final exam score replacing the score
for the missed test. 3) In order to be eligible for your final exam grade to
replace the missed test, you must have a documented excuse for missing the test
(e.g., doctor’s note for a serious illness) and you must contact me (via telephone, fax, e-mail, …) before
the test. An unexcused missed test results in an automatic zero. 4) If you miss
a second test or the final exam, regardless of excuse, the maximum grade you
can receive in the course is an Incomplete. 5) A missed final exam can only be
made-up under extreme circumstances. In order to be eligible for a make-up
final exam you must follow the same procedures as outlined in 3). 6) If you
have a scheduling conflict with the final exam, you must inform me at least two
weeks before, so arrangements can be made. The anticipated test schedule is
attached, though it may be possible that the dates of the in-class tests can
change. Announcements of the fact will be made in class. ‘I did not know we had
a test today’ is an unacceptable excuse.
Homework
Policy:
Homework
assignments will include two parts. The first part will consist generally of
two problems which will be due weekly for a grade. The second part will be the End
of Chapter (EOC) problems from Harris, but which will not be collected for
grading. Assignments will generally be made by Tuesday of each week. While you
receive no grade for the EOC portion of the homework, it is one of the most
important things you can do in this class to learn physics as the concepts you
learn in class and in the graded homework problems are applied to more complex problems.
I suggest you do all of the assigned problems as carefully as you can. It is
highly likely that one or more of the homework problems will appear, in some
form, on the tests and the final exam. You are encouraged to work with your
fellow classmates on the EOC portion of the homework assignments, but the problems
collected for a grade must be your own work. There will be about 12 assignments
with your homework average determined from the 10 highest scores.
Research Paper:
Each
student will prepare a research paper on a current topic in physics and/or
astronomy. The paper should be about 3-5 typed pages in length and will be due
October 24. However, the research for the paper will be done in groups of two
or three students. I will provide you with a list of topics and starting
references (which may be advanced sections of the text that we skip in class).
The groups should meet a number of times to form a strategy for the research
and discuss the issues. However, each person must prepare their own report. I would like you to follow the style of Physical Review Letters. You may use any
word processor or LaTeX style files. More details
will be given in class and on the website.
Bonus Points:
About
four or five times throughout the semester, a pop quiz will be given in class.
Each quiz will consist of one multiple-choice question. The average of all
quizzes is worth a maximum of 2 points which will be added to your total course
score. If you took all of the quizzes, a 1-point minimum bonus will be given.
For example, if the lowest total course score for a B-
turned-out to be 80.00 while your average was 78.50, you will receive a B- if
your quiz average is 1.50 or higher. Otherwise, if you failed to take the
quizzes or your quiz average was 1.49 or lower, you will receive a C+. Therefore,
unless there is a numerical error in your scores, there will be no basis to
discuss a letter grade adjustment.
Student Responsibilities:
1. You are responsible for all
material (a) given in the homework problems, (b) discussed in class, and (c) in
the assigned reading.
2. You are responsible for all
announcements made in class, whether you are present or not, and on the class
website.
3. Read the assigned portions
of the textbook before class.
4. Do all homework assignments.
5. Know the University’s
policies concerning withdrawals and incompletes.
6. Ask me if you do not
understand anything.
Academic Honesty:
Be aware of the University’s policy on academic honesty. It is described in the pamphlet A Culture of Honesty: Policies and Procedures on Academic Honesty. Anyone caught cheating on a test or exam will receive a failing grade for the course.
PHYS 3700 Class Schedule, Fall 2006, Tu(T)Th(H), Period 3, Prof. Stancil
|
Class |
Date |
Chapter |
|
Topic |
|
1 |
H 8/17 |
1 |
1.1-1.4 |
Introduction, Lorentz Transformation |
|
2 3 |
T 8/22 H 8/24 |
1 1 |
1.5,1.6 1.7-1.9 |
Twin Paradox, Doppler Effect Relativistic Momentum and Energy |
|
4 5 |
T 8/29 H 8/31 |
1 1, 2 |
1.10, 1.12 2.1, 2.2 |
The Light Cone Particle Behavior of Radiation |
|
6 7 |
T 9/5 H 9/7 |
2 and Review TEST #1 |
2.3 |
Black-body Radiation Chapter 1 |
|
8 9 |
T 9/12 H 9/14 |
2 3 |
2.4 3.1, 3.2 |
Particle Behavior of Radiation Wave Behavior of Matter |
|
10 11 |
T 9/19 H 9/21 |
3 3 |
3.3 3.4, 3.5 |
The Wave Equation The Uncertainty Principle |
|
12 13 |
T 9/26 H 9/28 |
4 and Review TEST #2 |
4.1-4.2 |
Schroedinger Equation for Bound States Chapters 2 and 3 |
|
14 15 |
T 10/3 H 10/5 |
4 4 |
4.3, 4.4 4.5, 4.6 |
1D Finite Well, Expectation Values Expect. Values (midterm
withdraw. 10/9) |
|
16 17 |
T 10/10 H 10/12 |
4 5 |
4.7, 4.8 5.1 |
Finite Well, Harmonic Oscillator Obstacles and Tunneling |
|
18 19 |
T 10/17 H 10/19 |
5 5 |
5.1 5.2 |
Tunneling Applications |
|
20 |
T 10/24 H 10/26 |
6 No class |
3.7, 6.1, 6.3 |
The Hydrogen Atom (Research Paper due) Fall Break |
|
21 22 |
T 10/31 H 11/2 |
6 6 |
6.4-6.7 6.8-6.11 |
The Hydrogen Atom The Hydrogen Atom |
|
23 24 |
T 11/7 H 11/9 |
7 7 and Review |
7.1-7.3 7.4 |
Spin and Symmetrization The Exclusion Principle and Exchange |
|
25 26 |
T 11/14 H 11/16 |
TEST #3 7 |
7.6, 7.7 |
Chapters 4, 5, and
6 Spin-orbit, Momentum Addition |
|
27 |
T 11/21 H 11/23 |
8 No class |
8.1, 8.4, 8.5 |
The Boltzmann and Classical Distributions Thanksgiving break |
|
28 29 |
T 11/28 H 11/30 |
8 9 |
8.6-8.8 9.1-9.3 |
Quantum Distributions Molecules |
|
30 |
T 12/5 H 12/7 |
Review No class |
|
Reading Day |
|
31 |
T 12/12 |
FINAL EXAM |
|
Comprehensive, |