Modern Physics II (Physics 304) Fall 2009

Physics 304 is the second semester of a course in modern or quantum physics for students of physics, math, sciences and engineering. Basic principles mastered in Physics 303 will be applied to the physics of atoms, molecules, solids, nuclei and elementary particles. The course will closely follow the second half of the text by Eisberg and Resnick. Physics 303 and 304 are required for physics majors but provide an excellent introduction to quantum physics and applications for other students. Feel free to contact me for more information.

In brief

Instructor:          Gary S. Collins, Webster 554, 335-1354, course email address: mailto:phys304@gmail.com, You can learn more about me here.
Office hours:      whenever my door is open, or by appointment. Preferably ask questions in the discussion threads, but feel free to contact me by email.
Meeting times: MWF, 12:10-13:00 pm, Webster B11.
Required text:    Robert Eisberg and Robert Resnick, Quantum physics of atoms, molecules, solids, nuclei and ... (John Wiley, 2nd edition, 1985).
Syllabus:              http://www.wsu.edu/~collins/304-09/syllabus.pdf
Schedule:             http://www.wsu.edu/~collins/304-09/schedule.pdf

Blackboard web site for enrolled students (warm-up questions, homework, exams, solutions, discussion threads, class notes)

Wikipedia

Modern Physics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_physics
Quantum Mechanics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mechanics
Periodic tables: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodic_table
Atomic Physics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_physics
Bose-Einstein condensates: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bose-Einstein_condensate
Molecular Physics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_physics
Solid State Physics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid-state_physics
Nuclear Physics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_physics
Particle Physics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particle_physics

External resources (Let me know of good sites that you find)

Hyperphysics Quantum Physics (Georgia State U): http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/quacon.html
Virtual Bookshelf for Quantum Mechanics (U Toronto): http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/GeneralInterest/QM.html
Virtual Bookshelf for Modern Physics (U Toronto): http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/GeneralInterest/MiscModern.html
Course in Quantum Physics (MIT): semesters I , II , III (higher level than Phys 303-304)
Physics News Graphics (Quantum Mechanics): http://www.aip.org/png/cat12.html
Quantum physics java applets: http://www.quantum-physics.polytechnique.fr/en/
Bose-Einstein condensation tutorial with lots of Java animations: http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/bec/
Special relativity notes (David Mermin, Cornell): http://www.lassp.cornell.edu/~cew2/P209/P209_home.html
Table of isotopes (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory): http://ie.lbl.gov/education/isotopes.htm
Table of nuclides: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_nuclides, http://atom.kaeri.re.kr/
Particle adventure (elementary tutorial, Lawrence Berkeley Lab): http://particleadventure.org/
Elementary particle data (Lawrence Berkeley Lab): http://pdg.lbl.gov/

Fine print

Academic honesty. You are encouraged to study with fellow students, but simple copying of homework and exam solutions is plagiarism and is forbidden. University definitions of academic dishonesty can be found at http://www.conduct.wsu.edu/AI. Work through homework problems without help of solution sheets that defeats the hard work of learning and constitutes dishonesty.
Students with disabilities. If you have a disability recognized by the Disability Resource Center, http://www.drc.wsu.edu/, please see me during the first week of classes so that we can make arrangements to accommodate your disability.
Safety. The campus safety plan is at http://safetyplan.wsu.edu/. Emergency information is at http://oem.wsu.edu/emergencies. The campus alert system is at http://alert.wsu.edu/.

20 September 2009 This page is http://www.wsu.edu/~collins/304-09. You are visitor since the last reset. Please send additions and corrections to Gary S. Collins. Jump to Gary Collins's instruction home page.