Physics 3305 (Section 001)

Modern Physics - Fall 1996

Course Information

• Lecturer: Professor Randall J. Scalise
• Lecture Time: MWF 3:00-3:50pm
• Lecture Room: 116 Fondren Science
• Office hours: Thursdays 2:00-4:00pm in 104 Fondren Science and by appointment
• Contact:
  • Call or leave a message at 768-2504, or
  • Leave a note in the Physics Department Office - 106 Fondren Science, or
  • send me e-mail: <scalise@mail.physics.smu.edu>
• Text: Thornton & Rex Modern Physics, Chapters 1-10, 15, (others if time permits)
• Lecture Notes: on reserve at the Science Information Center
• Practice Exams: Distributed in lecture prior to real exams
• Review Sessions: Scheduled the night before all exams
• Exam Dates: (Still tentative - check here for updates)
  • Midterm 1 - Tuesday 17 September 6:00-8:00pm in 11 FS
  • Midterm 2 - Tuesday 22 October 6:00-8:00pm in 11 FS
  • Midterm 3 - Tuesday 26 November 6:00-8:00pm in 11 FS
  • Final Exam - Cumulative, Monday 9 December 1996 11:30am-2:30pm in 116 FS (Note change in date and time!)
• Homework Quizzes: 20 minutes long, every Friday at the beginning of lecture, closed book, based strongly on the homework.
• Reading Quizzes: Unannounced, based on the assigned reading, very short, very easy (if you have done the reading)
• Grading: (Absolute) Letter Grade Break Points
  • Midterm 1 - 20%
  • Midterm 2 - 20%
  • Midterm 3 - 20%
  • Final Exam - 20%
  • Homework Quizzes - 10%
  • Homework - 5%
  • Reading Quizzes - 5%
• Grade Summary: - All the individual test grades arranged by last four digits of student ID number
• Announcements: Here and in the glass case outside 123 Fondren Science
• University Holidays: 2 September (Labor Day), 28-29 November (Thanksgiving)
• Syllabus
• Homework Assignments (with answers)
  • Assignment #1 : Chapters 1 and 2
  • Assignment #2 : Chapter 3
  • Assignment #3 : Chapter 4
  • Assignment #4 : Chapter 5
  • Assignment #5 : Chapter 6
  • Assignment #6 : Chapter 7, Sections 1-5
  • Assignment #7 : Chapter 7
  • Assignment #8 : Mathematica
  • Assignment #9 : Chapter 8
  • Assignment #10 : Chapter 15
• Special:
  • Laboratory Experiments
  • Mathematica for symbolic and numerical problem solving
  • tours of the SMU Physics Department
  • Video Tapes: Einstein's Universe, The Mechanical Universe
• Extracurricular Activities:
  • SPS - The Society of Physics Students
  • Undergraduate Physics Research Positions
• Relevant Web Sites:
  • C-ship - explore special relativity through starship flight simulation.
  • - Relativity Links: Sites, movies, and literature.
  • Fermilab or Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory - home of the world's most powerful particle accelerator, the Tevatron. Scientists from across the U.S. and around the world use Fermilab's resources in experiments to explore the most fundamental particles and forces of nature.
  • The Particle Adventure - introduces the theory of fundamental particles and forces, called the Standard Model. It explores the experimental evidence and the reasons physicists want to go beyond this theory. In addition, it provides information on particle decay and a brief history section.
  • More On Science at SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center) Questions and Answers.
  • Nobel Laureates in Physics 1901 - 1996 - contains a list in reverse chronological order of the award winners with brief biographical information and a description of the discovery taken from the Nobel Foundation's text describing each Laureate's discovery and other sources.
  • JAVA Applet for Quantum Mechanical Scattering

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