A New Course Phys 211 Modern Physics
A new course, Phys-211 will begin as of this semester, Spring-2009. The
registration to the course will be done during the add-drop period. The
course schedule yet to be be determined. If interested please attend the
first meeting on Tuesday February 17, at 9:40 at FENS-L061.
The aim of the course is to provide introduction to the core concepts of
modern physics that have extensive applications in science and
engineering. Topics listed below will be covered through simple,
intuitive explanations and uncomplicated mathematics.
Special relativity. Historical experiments and theoretical foundations
in quantum mechanics. Quantum theory of light, blackbody radiation,
photoelectric effect, Compton effect. Bohr model of atoms, Frank Hertz
experiment. De Broglie waves, the wave particle duality, uncertainty
principle. The Schrödinger equation. Tunneling phenomena. Quantization
of angular momentum, electron spin. Pauli exclusion principle.
Fundamentals of statistical physics, Maxwell Boltzmann distribution,
indistinguishability and quantum statistics. Selected topics from atomic
and solid state physics, complex systems. The course includes
demonstration experiments in which the students are involved in
performing as well the data analysis.