Syllabus-PHYSICS 51A

PHYSICS 51A: Modern Physics

Spring 2014

Instructor: Prof. Clare Yu
Office: 210E RH
Phone: 949-824-6216
E-mail: cyu@uci.edu
Office Hours:

Tuesday 2:15-3:15 pm (Problem solving session)
Thursday 2:15-3:15 pm (Administrative matters and problem solving)
Or send email to Prof. Yu to make an appointment.

TA: Andrew Graus
Office: 2142 FRH
E-mail: agraus@uci.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday 3:15 - 4:15 pm

Lecture: 12:30 pm-1:50 pm Tues-Thurs RH 104

Discussion: Wednesday

Grading :

5% Lecture Participation (with clickers)
15% Homework
10% Discussion (in-class) Problems
30% Midterm Exam
40% Final Exam

Lecture notes are posted on the web.

Goals: To understand the concepts and the equations that describe the theory of special relativity and introductory quantum mechanics.

Huh? Please feel free to ask questions in class. If you don't understand something, it's probably because I'm not explaining things well and therefore lots of other people are confused as well. So if you ask questions, you'll be doing everyone a favor.

Required Textbook:

Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Taylor, Zafinratos and Dubson, Second Edition, Published by Prentice Hall (Pearson Education). The textbook is out of print but you can obtain an electronic version from scribd.com or from online booksellers, e.g., amazon.com. We will cover Chapters 1-8.3.

Course Web Page: Course materials such as the syllabus, homework assignments, and lecture notes are available on the course web page. There is a link from eee.uci.edu

Lecture Participation and Clickers: We will use clickers during lecture. This will contribute 5% of your grade. To receive full credit starting with week 2, you are required to answer at least 75% of the questions asked in lecture using clickers. You will not be penalized for incorrect answers. You may purchase clickers at the UCI Bookstore. Batteries are not included, so you will need to purchase those as well. You will need to register your clicker at http://www.iclicker.com/support/registeryourclicker/ in order to associate your clicker number to your ID number. If you registered your clicker last quarter, you will need to register it again since information from previous quarters is not saved.

Lecture Courtesy: Please show basic respect and courtesy to others during lecture. Cell phones should be turned off during lecture. Idle conversation, eating, reading the newspaper, text messaging, or using your laptop for any purpose other than taking notes is distracting and discourteous. If you arrive late or must leave early, please take a seat on the aisle near the door to avoid disturbing others.

Administrative Matters: Most administrative matters such as enrollment can be handled by going to 4109D FRH which is open Monday through Friday from 9 am - 12:00 pm, and 1:00 - 4:00 pm.

Enrollment: You must be enrolled in a discussion section and attend that section for the entire quarter. If you are not enrolled in a section that you can attend, make the necessary add/drop using WebReg or StudentAccess on the www.reg.uci.edu website. The deadline for dropping a section or lecture is Friday, April 11, 2014. The deadline for adding a section or lecture is Friday, April 18, 2014. No adds will be allowed after April 18, 2014. Students who have enrollment problems should go to the Physics Undergraduate Affairs Office in 4109D Frederick Reines Hall. Extension (ACCESS UCI) students should see Eileen Powell in 4109D FRH on Thursday April 17 to sign up for the course.

Homework: Homework problems are assigned for each chapter. All homework assignments must be completed and turned in at the beginning of your discussion section. No credit will be given for late homework assignments. The maximum score for each problem set is 10 points.

Physics involves problem solving. The best way to learn physics is by doing problems, not by memorizing formulas or reading the book over and over without thinking. LeBron James did not become a great basketball player by reading more basketball books than anyone else. He did it by practicing basketball. Same with physics. You have to learn by practicing solving problems.

Discussion section in-class problems: Each week in your discussion section you will be given 2 problems to solve in class. A preview of one of the problems will be posted on the course website earlier in the week. Each problem will be scored with a 0, 1, or 2, depending on the level of comprehension of the solution. So the maximum score each week is 4 points. You are strongly encouraged to work in groups, and may refer to your textbook and notes. Your TA will be available to provide help. In-class problems will be collected and graded. No make-up in-class problems will be given. A score of zero will be given for a missed discussion section. Your lowest score will not count. You must work on the problems and given them to your TA in your assigned discussion section; otherwise you will receive a score of zero. Graded problems will be returned in discussion section.

Scores: Scores will be available on the internet (http://e3.uci.edu/toolbox/gradebook). You should check to make sure these have been correctly recorded.

Answers and Solutions: Solutions to the homework and discussion problems will be posted on the web by Thursday of the week when they are due.

Exams: The Midterm exam will be given in class on Thursday, May 1 (RH 104). The Midterm will cover chapters 1 through 4. The 2-hour Final exam will be given on Monday, June 9 from 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm in RH 104. The Final will be comprehensive and cover chapters 1-8.3. All exams will be closed book, but a formula sheet will be provided. The formula sheet is posted on the course website. Calculators are allowed but you are not allowed to store any information in electronic media such as calculators. (See below for the list of allowed calculators.) You must bring picture identification to both exams. No cell phones or backpacks are allowed; failure to comply will result in a score of zero on the exam. If you bring these items to the exam, they must be deposited at the front of the room during the exam.

Seat assignments and seating charts will be posted on the course website prior to the exam. Left-handed seating will be available to those who request it ahead of time by email the professor your name and student ID number. You must use your assigned seat, since are handed out by row. Your exam will have your name, ID number, and seat number printed on the cover sheet.

Calculators: Only the following nonprogrammable/ nongraphing calculators will be allowed during exams. Note that solar powered calculators may not work in the lecture hall which is quite dark in some places. No other electronic devices of any kind (cell-phones, pagers, PDAs, etc.) are permitted. Use of any electronic device other than an approved calculator model during an exam is cheating.

Cheating and Academic Dishonesty: Anyone caught cheating on an exam or in any other aspect of the course will automatically fail the course. In addition, the appropriate deans will be notified. Cheating includes giving or receiving assistance on an exam. If you are caught in possession of another student's iclicker, or if you are caught with more than one iclicker, or if someone else is caught in possession of your iclicker, your actions will be considered cheating.

More generally, anyone involved in academic dishonesty will automatically fail the course. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, copying or providing answers on exams, use of unauthorized notes or other materials on exams, altering graded problems or exams before requesting regrading, obtaining unauthorized copies of problems or exams, lying to excuse an absence, or any other form of dishonesty or cheating intended to unfairly improve your grade. If you have any doubt about whether some behavior constitutes academic dishonesty, first, assume it does, and then ask the instructor or your TA to be sure. Please see the University's official policy at http://www.editor.uci.edu/catalogue/appx/appx.2.htm for more details. If you become aware of cheating, please contact the professor or the TA as soon as possible, and we will follow-up while ensuring your anonymity.

Makeup Policy: No makeup exams, homework problems, or discussion section (in-class) problems will be given. Absence from the Midterm or the Final will be accepted for the following three reasons only:

a serious personal illness documented by a typed and signed letter from a licensed physician on his/her own office stationary with the doctor's address and phone number stating the illness and need for your absence, or
death in your immendiate family documented by a death certificate, or
mandatory military service documented by signed orders from your commanding officer.

Regrades: Any request to have an exam or in-class problem regraded must be made in writing and include an explanation of the believed grading error. In-class problems should be turned in to the TA, and exams should be given to the instructor. On exams turned in for regrades, the entire exam may be considered, and the instructor reserves the right to raise or lower the grade as appropriate. Written requests for regrading of the midterm must be turned in by the end of the discussion section in which the midterms or in-class problems are returned.

Homework Assignments and Course Outline: The only way to really learn physics is by doing problems (not memorizing the book). The following reading and homework assignments refer to Modern Physics, Taylor, Zafiratos, and Dubson, Second Edition.

Week of March. 31: Chapter 1: Relativity

Reading: Chapter 1
Problems from Ch. 1: 1.1, 1.6, 1.8, 1.9, 1.15, 1.20, 1.26, 1.33, 1.40, 1.46
Problems due at the beginning of discussion section on Wednesday April 9.
Week of April 7: Chapter 2: Relativistic Mechanics

Reading: Chapter 2
Problems from Ch. 2: 2.2, 2.13, 2.17, 2.19, 2.20, 2.21, 2.27, 2.34, 2.38, 2.42
Problems due at the beginning of discussion section on Wednesday April 16.
Week of April 14: Chapter 3: Atoms

Reading: Chapter 3
Problems from Ch. 3: 3.3, 3.8, 3.12, 3.18, 3.20, 3.24, 3.28, 3.33, 3.34, 3.39
Problems due at the beginning of discussion section on Wednesday April 23.
Week of April 21: Chapter 4: Quantization of Light

Reading: Chapter 4
Problems from Ch. 4: 4.1, 4.4, 4.8, 4.9, 4.17, 4.18, 4.20, 4.24, 4.26, 4.29
Problems due at the beginning of discussion section on Wednesday April 30.
Week of April 28: Chapter 5: Quantization of Atomic Energy Levels

Reading: Chapter 5
Problems from Chapter 5: 5.4, 5.6, 5.7, 5.9, 5.13, 5.16, 5.17, 5.18, 5.20, 5.24
Problems due at the beginning of discussion section on Wednesday May 14.
Midterm on Thursday May 1 will cover chapters 1-4
Homework problems from previous week are due as usual on Wednesday April 30. There will be in-class discussion problems. Discussion section meeting on Wednesday Feb. 6 will review for the midterm.
Week of May 5: Finish Chapter 5 and start Chapter 6: Matter Waves

Reading: Chapter 6
Problems from Ch. 6: 6.2, 6.8, 6.11, 6.14, 6.19, 6.25, 6.29, 6.39, 6.42, 6.48
Problems due at the beginning of discussion section on Wednesday May 21.
Week of May 12: Finish Chapter 6 and start Chapter 7: The Schroedinger Equation in One Dimension

Reading: Chapter 7
Problems from Ch. 7: 7.9, 7.11, 7.17, 7.20, 7.21, 7.23, 7.30, 7.32
Problems due at the beginning of discussion section on Wednesday May 28.
Week of May 19: Finish Chapter 7

Reading: Chapter 7
Week of May 26: Chapter 8: The Three Dimensional Schroedinger Equation

Reading: Chapter 8
Problems from Chs. 7 and 8: 7.36, 7.39, 7.49, 7.55, 8.1, 8.4, 8.5, 8.8, 8.9, 8.10
Problems due at the beginning of discussion section on Wednesday June 4.
Week of June 2: Continue in Chapter 8
Week of June 9: Final Exam covering chapters 1-8.3 on Monday June 9, 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm, RH 104