Physics 215: Thermodynamics and Modern Physics

 
MTWTh, 3:00 - 3:50 pm

Instructor:
Professor James Linnemann
3245 Biomedical Physical Sciences Building
(517) 884-5565
linnemann (AT) pa.msu.edu

Office Hours:   M 5-6, F 3-4, and after class or by appointment.

Course Information: posted at http://www.pa.msu.edu/courses/PHY215

The weekly homework assignments and class notes from the previous week can be found in the Course Schedule below.
Textbooks:     Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Fishbane, Gasiorowicz, Thornton (Vol 1), 3rd Edition (chapters 17-20 for Thermodynamics); earlier editions OK also.

                        Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Thornton and Rex, 3rd. edition; earlier editions also OK, though the homework problem numbers will be from this edition.

Homework:    There will be a weekly homework assignment.  Homework will be due at the start of class on Tuesdays (for the previous week's assigned material).  Homework problems will be graded on a scale of 2,1,0 points each; to get credit for an answer, show your work. Solutions to the homework problems will be put in a notebook at the reserve desk of the BPS Library after they have been turned in. Therefore, late homework will not be accepted. 

Exams:           There will be six Midterm exams (25 minutes each, on Thursdays of (odd-numbered weeks) and one Final exam. Practice exams (but these are 50 minute exams): practice exam 1, 2, 3.

Grades:          The final grades will be calculated from the homework assignments (25%), the midterms (45%) and the final exam (30%). In the table below I give the grade assignment scale. For final grade assignment, these minima may be lowered, but will not be raised. Latest Grades

Minimum Score Grade
92% 4.0
84% 3.5
76% 3.0
68% 2.5
60% 2.0
52% 1.5
44% 1.0

Plan to spend about 12 hours per week on Physics 215:
Lectures 4h/week
Homework 4h/week
Readings 4h/week

All exams are closed book, except for a 3x5 index card of hand-written notes (8 1/2 x 11 paper for final). All absences from midterm exams require a written excuse from your doctor, Dean, etc.  The MSU Code of Teaching Responsibilities states that any student not taking the Final Exam will not be permitted to pass the course.

Prerequisites:
•PHY 184 or PHY 184B or PHY 294H or PHY 234B orLBS 272 (LBS 267) or concurrently
•MTH 234 or MTH 254H or LBS 220 or concurrently

Coverage: Themodynamics, relativity, atomic physics, quantized systems, nuclear physics, elementary particles, and possibly special topics from modern physics.

Additional materials

Some books you (here I'm assuming you're a physics major) might find useful for further study:

It’s about Time, Mermin ($19 list price) The fruit of teaching special relativity to non-majors for many years: very careful pedagogy on the conceptual foundations, using a minimum of mathematics.

Feynman's Lectures ($101 list price) on Physics are full of insights from a deeper point of view; for this course, Volume I contains discussions of relativity and thermodynamics, while Volume 3 covers quantum mechanics, starting with a masterful discussion of photon interference. I also found inspiring his book The Character of Physical Law (list price $17) for more general discussions; videos of the original Feynman Messenger Lectures (on which this book is based) are now available on the web, so you can see him in action.

In addition, there are interesting web sites about pioneers of physics, including both history and biography. Here are some collected by Professor Brock of MSU. And here is an interesting article on the interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Course Schedule

Week Monday Date Topics Chapters in Book Homework
        Assignment
1 Wed 9/2 Introduction, Heat (pdf) Fishbane 17, 18 Set 1 (pdf), Due Wed 9/9
  Monday, Sept 7 No class (Labor Day)    
2 Tue 9/8 Kinetic Theory Fishbane 19 Set 2, Due Tue 9/15
3 Mon 9/14 ThermoDynamics Fishbane 20 Set 3, Due Tue 9/22
  Thu 9/17 First Exam    
4 Mon 9/21 The Birth of Modern Physics Thornton & Rex 1,2 Set 4, Due Tue 9/29
5 Mon 9/28 Special Relativity Thornton & Rex 2

Set 5, Due Tue 10/06 #2.23, 24, 25, 28, 31, 48, 51, 54, 66, 92
6 Mon 10/5 Photons Thornton & Rex 3

Set 6, Due Tue 10/13 #3.17, 18, 27, 33, 35, 39, 43, 47, 48
7 Mon 10/12 Atomic Structure Thornton & Rex 4

Set 7, Due Tue 10/20 #4.5, 8, 11, 22, 23, 24, 30
8 Mon 10/19 Waves Thornton & Rex 5

Set 8, Due Tue 10/27 #5.1, 3, 5, 15, 18, 19, 26, 42
9 Mon 10/26 Quantum Theory Thornton & Rex 6 Set 9, Due Tue 11/03 #6.5, 11, 17, 21, 35, 37, 39,.43
10 Mon 11/2 The Hydrogen Atom Thornton & Rex 7 Set 10, Due Tue 11/10 #7.3, 10, 20, 23, 24, 29, 30
11 Mon 11/9 Many-Electron Atoms Thornton & Rex 8 Set 11, Due Tue 11/17 #8.8, 21, 24, 26, 32, 37
12 Mon 11/16 Nuclear Properties Thornton & Rex 12

Set 12, Due Tue 12/1 # 12.4, 8, 13, 17, 26, 30, 50, 51
13 Mon 11/23 Nuclear Interactions Thornton & Rex 13 Set 13, Due Tue 12/08 #13.1, 8, 14, 26, 30, 43
14 Mon 11/30 Elementary Particles Thornton & Rex 14  
  Thursday, 11/26 No Class (Thanksgiving)    
15 Mon 12/7 Cosmology/Review Thornton & Rex 16  
16 Monday, December 14

Final Exam, 3:00 - 5:00 pm

Rm 1415 BPS

 Covers entire course Practice Final Exam