Course Materials
The archived modern physics materials are available together as a package in the Download All Materials tab. At left are links to a sample syllabus from the FA10 semester; a list of learning goals (quantum only) for the SP11 semester; and course calendars for various incarnations of the course running from FA05-SP11 - also, a list of quantum learning goals (2006); and an overview of the 2006 materials and observations of student difficulties (by Sam McKagan). The best way to distinguish between the various courses (in terms of content, emphasis, etc.) is to compare their calendars. Here, as in the course description, INT = "with modern experiments"; SR = "special relativity"; PHYS = "for physics majors"; ENG = "for engineering majors"; UBC = "University of British Columbia". Any password-protected links can be accessed by contacting Charles.Baily "at" Colorado.EDU.
The course calendar below (for SP11 - with SR) is the simplest way to browse the most current materials - clicking on the links in the calendar leads to the actual lecture slides, clicker responses, PhET simulations, and homework assignments for that week. There are also lists of learning goals for Exams 2 & 3 (quantum only). CU-FA10 was a very similar course, but without SR, so there is more end-material on bonding, semiconductors, diodes, etc. UBC-SM09 would be most similar to the original 2006 materials described in the first part of the course description.
Modern Physics - CSM - Spring 2011 |
| Written homework was assigned on Tuesdays, and due at the beginning of class on the Thursday in the following week (i.e., 10 days later). Students were expected to complete the readings before the lecture. |
| WEEK |
Tuesday Lecture |
Thursday Lecture |
Homework due next Thursday! |
Week 1 |
No Class |
||
Week 2 |
2. E&M review, waves & wave equations |
3. Interference, polarization, |
|
Week 3 |
4. Michelson-Morley experiment, |
5. Time dilation, length contraction |
|
Week 4 |
6. Lorentz transformations, spacetime, |
7. Relativistic momentum, energy |
No new homework |
Week 5 |
8. Modeling in physics, intro to quantum |
Exam 1 |
|
Week 6 |
9. Photoelectric effect 1 |
10. Photoelectric effect 2, photons |
|
Week 7 |
11. Photons, atomic spectra |
12. Lasers |
|
Week 8 |
13. Bohr model, de Broglie waves |
14. Stern-Gerlach experiments |
|
Week 9 |
15. Repeated spin measurements, probability |
16. Entanglement, EPR, quantum cryptography |
|
Week 10 |
17. Single-photon experiments, complementarity |
18. Electron diffraction, matter waves, |
|
Week 11 |
19. Matter waves, Review for Exam 2 |
No New Homework |
|
Week 12 |
20. Wave equations, Schrodinger equation, |
21. Infinite/finite square well, tunneling |
|
Week 13 |
22. Tunneling, alpha-decay |
23. Radioactivity, STM's |
|
Week 14 |
24. Hydrogen atom 1 |
25. Hydrogen atom 2 |
|
Week 14 |
26. Multi-electron atoms, periodic table, |
No New Homework |
|
Week 15 |
27. Molecular bonding, Bose-Einstein |
Review for final exam |
Final Exam |