Syllabus for Physics 153: Relativity and Quantum Mechanics

Fall 2016

Reading assignments are to be completed before the lecture.

• Lecture 1: August 31, 2016. Course Introduction, Spacetime I.
• Reading: Spacetime Physics, Chapter 1.
• Laboratory 0 and Tutorial 1: September 1, 2016. Estimation (lab) Relative Motion (tutorial). Meet in lab as scheduled; we will do a mini lab and a tutorial!
• Lecture 2: September 2, 2016. Spacetime II, Floating Free I.
• Reading: Spacetime Physics, Chapter 2.


• Labor day holiday (no class): September 5, 2016.
• Tutorial 2: September 6, 2016. Events and Reference Frames
• Lecture 3: September 7, 2016. Floating Free II.
• Laboratory 1: September 8, 2016. Estimation and Error Analysis.
• Lecture 4: September 9, 2016. Floating Free III.
• Last day for schedule changes. September 9, 2016.


• Lecture 5: September 12, 2016. Floating Free IV, Same Laws for All I.
• Reading: Spacetime Physics, Chapter 3.
• Tutorial 3: September 13, 2016. Measurement.
• Lecture 6: September 14, 2016. Same Laws for All II
• Laboratory 2: September 15, 2016. Introduction to the Oscilloscope.
• Lecture 7: September 16, 2016. Lorentz Transformation I
• Reading: Spacetime Physics, Special Topic: Lorentz Transformation.


• Lecture 8: September 19, 2016. Lorentz Transformation II, Trip to Canopus I
• Reading: Spacetime Physics, Chapter 4.
• Tutorial 4: September 20, 2016. Simultaneity.
• Lecture 9: September 21, 2016. Trip to Canopus II.
• Laboratory 3: September 22, 2016. Speed of light/Voltage dividers.
• Lecture 10: September 23, 2016. Trekking through spacetime I.
• Reading: Spacetime Physics, Chapter 5.


• Lecture 11: September 26, 2016. Trekking through Spacetime II, Regions of spacetime I.
  • Reading: Spacetime Physics, Chapter 6.
• Tutorial 5: September 27, 2016. Synchronization and causality
• Lecture 12: September 28, 2016. Regions of spacetime II.
• Laboratory 4: September 29. Voltage dividers/Speed of light.
• Lecture 13: September 30, 2016. Momenergy I.
• Reading: Spacetime Physics, Chapter 7.


• Lecture 14: October 3, 2016. Momenergy II
• Tutorial 6: October 4, 2016. Twin Paradox.
• Lecture 15: October 5, 2016. Momenergy III
• Exam 1: October 6, 2016. Held during lab period. Covers through Chapter 6.
• Lecture 16: October 7, 2016. Collide. Create. Annihilate. I
• Reading: Spacetime Physics, Chapter 8.


• Columbus Day Holiday. October 10, 2016. No class.
• Tutorial 7: October 11, 2016. Regions of Spacetime
• Lecture 17: October 12, 2016. Collide. Create. Annihilate II
• Laboratory 5:October 13, 2016. Muon Lifetimes
• Lecture 18: October 14, 2016. Collide. Create. Annihilate. III


• Lecture 19: October 17, 2016. Gravity: Curved spacetime in action.
• Reading: Spacetime Physics, Chapter 9.
• Tutorial 8: October 18, 2016. Energy-momentum
• Lecture 20: October 19, 2016. General Relativity I
• Reading: Supplemental chapter Curving from Taylor and Wheeler's book on Black Holes
• Laboratory 6: October 20, 2016. Interferometer: Michelson.
• Lecture 21: October 21, 2016. General Relativity II.


• Lecture 22: October 24, 2016. Introduction to quantum mechanics I
• Reading: Modern Physics, Chapter 3, p. 73--79
• Tutorial 9: October 25, 2016. The Global Positioning System.
• Lecture 23: October 26, 2016. Introduction to quantum mechanics II
• Reading: Modern Physics, Chapter 3, p. 80-92
• Laboratory 7: October 27, 2016. Optical interference and diffraction
• Lecture 24: October 28, 2016. Introduction to quantum mechanics III.


• Lecture 25: October 31, 2016. The two-slit experiment I.
• Reading: Modern Physics, Chapter 4, p. 97-112
• Tutorial 10: November 1, 2016. Photoelectric effect.
• Lecture 26: November 2, 2016. Two-slit experiment II.
• Exam 2: November 3, 2016. No laboratory. Exam covers chapter 7-9 plus General relativity plus chapter 3 of Harris.
• Lecture 27: November 4, 2016. Two slit experiment III


• Lecture 28: November 7, 2016. Free particle Schroedinger equation and uncertainty I
• Reading: Modern Physics, Chapter 4, p. 113-133
• Last day to withdraw from class: November 7, 2016.
• Tutorial 11: November 8, 2016. Wave-particle duality.
• Lecture 29: November 9, 2016. Free particle Schroedinger equation and uncertainty II and The Bohr atom I
• Reading: An introduction to quantum physics, Chapter 1, p. 11-30
• Laboratory 8: November 10, 2016. The Photoelectric effect.
• Lecture 30:November 11, 2016. The Bohr atom II


• Lecture 31: November 14, 2016. Particle in an infinite box I
• Reading: Modern Physics, Chapter 5, p. 141-157
• Tutorial 12: November 15, 2016. Classical Probability.
• Lecture 32: November 16, 2016. Particle in an infinite box II and Qualitative methods for the Schroedinger equation I
• Reading: An introduction to quantum physics, Chapter 3, p. 131-145
• Laboratory 9: November 17, 2016. Spectroscopy.
• Lecture 33: November 18, 2016. Qualitative methods for the Schroedinger equation II


• Lecture 34: November 21, 2016. Particle in a leaky box I
• Reading: Modern Physics, Chapter 5, p. 158-164
• Tutorial 13: November 22, 2016. Relating classical mechanics to quantum mechanics.
• Thanksgiving Holiday: November 23-25, 2016. No class.


• Lecture 35: November 28, 2016. Particle in a leaky box II and Simple harmonic oscillator I
• Reading: Modern Physics, Chapter 5, p. 164-185
• Tutorial 14: November 29, 2016. Energy Measurements.
• Lecture 36: November 30, 2016. Simple Harmonic Oscillator II and Measurement and time dependence I
• Exam 3: December 1, 2016, No Laboratory. Covers Chapters 4-5.7 of Harris.
• Lecture 37: December 2, 2016. Mesurement and time dependence II.


• Lecture 38: December 5, 2016. Three dimensions I
  • Reading: Modern Physics, Chapter 7, p. 231-244
• Lecture 39: December 6, 2016. Three dimensions II and Hydrogen I
• Reading: Modern Physics, Chapter 7, p. 245-260
• Lecture 40: December 7, 2016. Hydrogen II
• Reading: Modern Physics, Chapter 7, p. 261-278



• Final Exam: Monday, December 12, 2016, 4:00--6:00 pm (place to be announced).