| Dr. Dan Boye | Fall 2002 | |||
| Office: Dana 134 | ||||
| Phone: 894-2394 daboye@davidson.edu |
PHYSICS 320 | |||
| Modern Physics |
Text: Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Thornton & Rex, 2nd ed.
Lecture: MWF 12:30-1:20, Dana 153
Lab: MWF 2:30-5:30
Office Hours: MWF 9:30-11:20 and 1:30-2:30, and by appointment
nearly any other time. If my office door is unlocked and I'm not there, check in the Dana
basement or in the Physics Office.
Course Objectives:
An investigation of 20th century physics including the atomic view of matter, electricity and radiation. Relativity, x-rays, waves and particles,
wave mechanics and radioactivity and nuclear processes.
Course Requirements:
Attendance: Attendance at class follows the College's 25% rule. You are strongly
encouraged to attend all lectures since helpful, time-saving hints not to be found in the
text will be presented. Each student is responsible for the material discussed in class
and the announcements made in class. Absence from class does not relieve one from this
responsibility. Attendance at all labs and reviews is mandatory.
Homework: The homework problems will come from the text. Some of the assigned problems will be solely the work of an individual student and will be honor pledged. The rest of the assigned problems may be worked with the help of other students. Please come see me if you need assistance.
Grades: There will be two reviews and a self-scheduled final exam. The first review will occur at the end of September and the second at the end of October. Grades will be comprised of the following contributions:
| Homework | 25% |
| Lab Exercises | 20% |
| Reviews | 30% |
| Final Exam | 25% |
Course Outline
| Topic | Chapter | Omit Sections |
| Historical Perspective | 1 | |
| Special Relativity | 2 | |
| Early Quantum Experiments | 3 | |
| Atomic Structure | 4 | 2 |
| Wave/Particle Duality | 5 | |
| Simple Wave Equation Problems | 6 | 6,7 |
| Hydrogen Atom | 7 | |
| Many-Electron Atoms | 8 | 3 |
| Particle Statistics | 9 | |
| Molecules and Solids | 10 | 6 |
| Semiconductor Theory and Devices | 11 | |
| Atomic Nuclei | 12 | |
| Nuclear Interactions | 13 |
Lab Schedule
| # |
Week |
Title |
| 1 | 8/26 | Intro to MathCAD, Special Relativity |
| 2 | 9/2 - 9/9 | Franck-Hertz Experiment |
| 3 | 9/2 - 9/9 | Photoelectric Effect |
| 4 | 9/2 - 9/9 | Blackbody Radiation |
| 5 | 9/2 - 9/9 | Electron Diffraction |
| 6 | 9/16 - 9/23 | X-Ray Spectroscopy |
| 7 | 9/16 - 9/23 | Schroedinger Equation Simulations |
| 8 | 9/30-10/16 | Spectrometers |
| 9 | 9/30-10/16 | Hydrogen Atom Wave Functions |
| 10 | 10/21 | Rare Earths in Solution |
| 11 | 10/28-11/4 | Er3+ Spectra and Up Conversion |
| 12 | 10/28-11/4 | Magnetic Materials and Electromagnets |
| 13 | 11/18 | Nuclear Radiation |
| 14 | 12/2 | g - Ray Spectroscopy |