Quantum I

Catalog description

First of two courses aimed at providing students with a solid grounding in quantum mechanics. Follows a historical approach to the development of QM at the beginning of the 20th century. Topics include: Blackbody Radiation: classical and Plank’s law; waves as particles: photoelectric effect, particle nature of wave; particles as waves: electron diffraction, deBroglie’s relation; Bohr model; Schrodinger’s equation and simple potentials, including tunneling; Nuclear physics and nuclear decays; fission and fusion reaction; Overview of elementary particles. Three hours lecture/week, two hours lab/biweekly. Recommended co-requisite for physics and applied physics majors: PHYS 301