| Final Exam scores and course grades | Syllabus | Class Information | Assignments | Homework and Exam Solutions | Pulses, Wave and Group Velocity |
| Instructor: | D. W. Storm | |
| Office: | North Physics Laboratory (CENPA) Map showing NPL |
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| Office hours: | After class at h-Bar, and by appointment See note below about "by appointment." |
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| Phone: | 543-4085 | |
| TA: | Dmytro Pesin | |
| Office: | Physics & Astronomy Building B427 | |
| Phone: | 543-3904 | |
| Textbook: | J. R. Taylor, C. D. Zafiratos and M. A. Dubson Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers |
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| Supplemental references: | P. A. Tipler and R. A. Llewellyn, Modern Physics |
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| R. Harris,
Nonclassical Physics |
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| R. P. Feynman, R. B. Leighton, and M. L. Sands, The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Vol 3 (on reserve in the Physics & Astronomy and the Odegaard Libraries) |
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We will study the physics of the very fast and the very small. We will start with a study of Special Relativity, and continue with the study of photons, the wave nature of particles, and simple quantum mechanics as applied to an atom.
The physics you have learned so far was mainly developed before the beginning of the 20th century, and explained the observed motion of the planets and of macroscopic objects, as well as the behavior of electromagnetic fields and waves. Atoms were known to be very small and statistical mechanics explained (most of) the behavior of assemblies of many atoms.
"Modern Physics" is the study of the problems that develop when we try to understand atomic motion and structure in some detail and also when we try to understand the motion of things with speeds that are not negligible when compared to the speed of light. For practical reasons, such speedy things are of atomic sizes or smaller when observed in the laboratory. In the cosmos, however, there are very fast and large things, but they are far away from us.
Prerequisite: Physics 123.
If you want more information, please send email to: storm@npl.washington.edu
