Untitled document
Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:
1. State the Einstein postulates of special relativity.
2. Transform coordinates in space & time between a moving system & a
fixed system; give equations for length contraction & time dilation
& apply them to transform lengths & time intervals between a fixed
& moving system; solve problems involving lack of agreement on
simultaneity of events.
3. Write equations for relativistic momentum & energy & use them in
problem solving; explain the relationship between mass & energy in
special relativity.
4. Solve problems involving the relativistic addition of velocities.
5. Sketch the spectral distribution curve for black body radiation &
describe Planck's role in introducing quantrum theory through finding
an equation for the curve.
6. Describe the photoelectric effect, the failure of classical physics
to explain the effect, & its explanation by Einstein using the
concept of the photon; write equations for the energy of a photon &
the photoelectric effect & use them in problem solving.
7. Solve problems involving the Compton scattering of photons.
8. State the postulates made by Bohr in developing the Bohr model of the
atom; draw energy level diagrams for hydrogen-like atoms; calculate
electron energy levels & energies, wavelengths & frequencies of
emitted or absorbed photons.
9. Explain the relationship between electron energy levels in atoms &
emission & absorption spectra.
10. Describe the subshell & shell structure of orbital electrons in atoms;
indicate how many electrons occupy each shell & subshell; & explain
the relationship between electron shell structure & the periodic table
of elements.
11. Give the deBroglie relationship between the wavelength & momentum of
a particle; cite experimental evidence for the existence of matter
waves; & explain what is meant by wave-particle duality.
12. Write 2 expressions of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle & apply
them in problem solving.
13. Write the one-dimensional nonrelativistic Schroedinger wave equation;
prove that given wave functions are solutions to the wave equations
for particular potential energy functions & find the energy associated
with the wave function: use the wave function to determine the
probability of finding a particle in a particular region of space;
use wave functions to find expectation values of physically measurable
quantities.
14. Define terms involving atomic nuclei such as atomic number, mass
number, nucleon, isotope & atomic weight; calculate nuclear binding
energies.
15. Explain the concepts of the decay constant & half-life in radioactive
decay & use these concepts in problem solving.
16. Write equations for radioactive decay by alpha emission, negatron
emission, positron emission, electron capture & spontaneous fission,
& calculate Q values for the decay processes.
17. Explain the concept of a cross-section as it applies to nuclear
interactions & use the concept in problem solving; calculate threshold
energies & Q values for nuclear interactions.
18. Sketch the curve of binding energy per nucleon versus mass number &
explain the significance of this curve for nuclear fission & fusion.
19. Write equations for nuclear fission processes & calculate the energy
released in the process.
20. List the components of a nuclear reactor & describe the
characteristics of materials used for each of the components.
21. Write equations for nuclear fusion reactions; calculate the energy
released in fusion processes; & explain the processes of magnetic
confinement & inertial confinement.
22. Indicate the properties (spin, lepton number, baryon number, number
of constituent quarks) of leptons, mesons & baryons; identify
conservation laws which apply in interactions or decays of each of
these classes of particles.
23. List the fundamental forces in nature; indicate their relative
strength, the field particles associated with each of the forces, &
the types of particles which can be involved in each of these
interactions.
Untitled document
1. Special Relativity.
a. transformation of space and time coordinates
b. length contraction and time dilation
c. relativistic momentum and energy
d. relativistic addition of velocities
2. Early Quantum Physics.
a. black body radiation and Max Planck
b. the photoelectric effect and the photon
c. Compton scattering
3. The Bohr Model of the Atom.
a. quantization of angular momentum
b. energy levels and spectra
c. the periodic table and electron shells and subshells
4. Early Wave Mechanics.
a. DeBroglie hypothesis and electron diffraction
b. Heisenberg uncertainty principle
c. wave-particle duality
5. The Schroedinger Wave Equation.
a. solution of infinite square well potential
b. probability and expectation values (square well, quantum
oscillator)
c. barrier penetration
6. Radioactive Decay.
a. decay constant and half-life
b. modes of decay and Q values
7. Nuclear Interactions.
a. cross-sections
b. Q values
8. Nuclear Fission and Fussion.
a. energy released
b. nuclear reactors
9. Elementary Particles.
a. accelerators and detectors
b. leptons, quarks, mesons and baryons
10. Other Topics as Time Allows (Solid State Intro, Lasers,
Superconductivity, etc.).
