Physics 313
Quantum Theory
Syllabus, Spring 2020-2021
- 11:00 am, MWF in SC 203
Catalog description
A study of the quantum theory in the vector formalism of Dirac, Schroedinger and Heisenberg representations are considered. Applications to scattering, atomic physics and magnetism. Prerequisites: Phys 203-204, Math 213 or consent of instructor.
On the web
You can find the syllabus and other materials related to
this course on the web at:
Grades will be available on moodle.goshen.edu, or use tiny.cc/moodle313
I use your "goshen.edu" e-mail address for class communications. Some of you may use other e-mail services. If you do use some other service, make sure your goshen.edu e-mail account is set up to forward e-mail to the account you read most often.
Instructor
Sci 011 · x7318 · e-mail: paulmr@goshen.edu
Overview
A study of the quantum theory in the vector formalism of Dirac. Schrödinger and Heisenberg representations are considered. We begin with 1-dimensional problems with the Schrödinger equation. We treat the full hydrogen atom problem, and angular momentum.
Prerequisites: Prerequisites: Phys 203-204 (General Physics); Math 213 (Calculus
III)
Texts and Tools
Required
David
J. Griffiths, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, 2nd edition, 2004 (Prentice Hall). To reduce costs, this is one edition older than the most recent edition available. Avoid the "international" edition. The print quality is lower, and has resulted in occasional confusion when small symbols cannot be read.
- CoCalc / Jupyter notebooks:
Sign up for a (free) account using your GC e-mail address as your username. Use your GC username so I can easily add you to our class project.
- Desmos is a cloud-based graphing calculator. Sign up for an account. You can access it online or through their iPad app. There are straightforward ways to create graphs, fit functions, and save and share your work.
Grading
| homework & quizzes | 30% |
| problem writeups | 15% |
| midterm exam | 23% |
| final exam | 30% |
| participation | 2% |
Total grade outcomes:
- A/A- > 93/90%
B's 87/83/80%
C's 77/73/70%
D's 67/60%
F < 60%
I may adjust this scheme down a bit (e.g. 89% might end up being good
enough for an A-), but I certainly won't adjust it up.
Homework
Working through the homework is perhaps more important for your learning than anything we do in class.
You will always write up the homework problems yourself. But please do work together with others in the class on the assignments. You may also consult other textbooks and the web.
You may even find a solution to some of the very problems in our textbook. But just as in a more writing-oriented class, * woe be unto you if you simply copy a solution that you find on the web, giving the appearance of it being your own work, when it's not.
Problem writeups
You will write up one problem. These should be ** or *** problems. Here is more information on the problem write-ups.
Disability accommodations
Goshen College wants to help all students be as academically successful as possible. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor or Director of the Academic Resource and Writing Center, Lois Martin, early in the semester so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. In order to receive accommodations, documentation concerning your disability must be on file with the Academic Resource and Writing Center, GL113, 535-7576, lmartin@goshen.edu. All information will be held in the strictest confidence. The Academic Resource and Writing Center offers tutoring and writing assistance for all students. For further information please see www.goshen.edu/studentlife/arwc/.
* Dean's Office statement on plagiarism
Papers you submit in this course will be checked for plagiarized material copied from the web, other student papers, and selected on-line databases. Cases of plagiarism are reported to the Associate Dean. Penalties for plagiarism are listed in the college catalog and range from redoing the assignment to dismissal from the college.