Modern Physics

Semester 2

This is a calculus-based physics course covering the basic laws and phenomena in Modern Physics.

Syllabus:

Modern Physics (18 Lectures):

Bohr Atom:
- Spectral series for hydrogen, Bohr’s postulates, derivation of energy levels, blackbody radiation and quantized energy levels (qualitative)
Waves & Corpuscles:
- Wave-particle duality; photo-electric effect; Compton-effect; energy, momentum and wavelength of a photon, deBroglie’s equation, wave function, particle in a box.
Special Relativity:
- Galilean relativity; Einstein postulates;
- Lorentz transformation; simultaneity; time dilation; length contraction; derivation of velocity transformations, the equation E²= p²c² + m_o²c⁴ and its applications.
Particle Physics and the Big Bang: Elementary particles;
- Three groups; Conservation Laws;
- Eightfold way; Quarks;
- Fundamental interactions and their unification;
- The standard model;
- The history of the universe.

Evaluation:

One 2-hour theory examination paper 60%

Two 1-hour in-course tests - (15% each) 30%

Laboratory Report (Averaged of 6 labs at 10% each) 10%

Learning Objectives:

After completing this course, students should be able to:

Apply Lorentz transform to physically and quantitatively interpret concepts of time-dilation and length-contraction in Relativity Theory.
Explain the wave-particle duality of the photon.
Apply concepts of 20^th Century Modern Physics to deduce the structure of atoms.
Analyze the structure of matter at its most fundamental.
Describe the evolution of the Universe and explain the ideas of the Big Bang theory.
Perform and interpret the results of simple experiments and demonstrations of physical principles.

CAPE/A-Level Physics or PHYS0411 and PHYS0412 and PHYS 0421 and PHYS 0422 or CSEC Physics with CAPE/A-Level Math

Required Textbook:

Halliday, Resnick, and Walker; “Fundamentals of Physics Extended”; 8^th Edition, 2007; ISBN 978-0-471-75801-3

Reference Textbook:

Serway Moses and Moyer, “Modern Physics”, 3^rd Edition, 2004.ISBN-10: 0534493394

Internet Sources:

Online Vides/Simulations: