Note: The companion laboratory course has a separate course number PHY252: Modern Physics Lab for one credit. Students majoring in physics are required to register for both PHY251 and PHY252. First meetings of the sections for recitation and laboratory begin after the second lecture.

Instructors

Course Description

Based on the Undergraduate Bulletin: The elements of the special theory of relativity and fundamentals of the quantum theory, including wave-particle duality and wave functions are introduced and applied to nuclei, atomes molecules and solids.

Syllabus:

Course Instructions

Homework assignments, schedules, and other information will be available via this web site as well as in the lecture. This page can be reached from the Physics department home page (http://www.physics.sunysb.edu) and from the university Instructional Computing Course information page.

Supplies

You should own a copy of the textbook, a scientific calculator with trig, log, and exponential functions, and bring it to class and laboratory. In addition, you will need a laboratory notebook.

Homework

Homework will be assigned each week. It will be collected for grading in the following week at the beginning of each recitation session, with the exception that the first and second homeworks will be due for Section 1 at its first meeting, on Monday, February 4. The first and second homeworks will be due for Section 2 at its second meeting, on Wednesday February 6. Homework assignments will be posted on the web. Copied or late homeworks will not be accepted. Excused homeworks will be removed from the average.

Set	due date	problem set (Ch-prob1,prob2,..)	Solutions
1	4-Feb	Chap. 2-1,3,5,9 (Recommended: 4,10,11)
2	11-Feb	Chap. 2-11,15,19,30 (Recommended: 18,21,28)
3	18-Feb	Chap. 2-34, 3-9,19,25 (Recommended: 2-39, 3-20,28)	3
4	25-Feb	Chap. 4-7,11, 6-7,16 (Recommended: 4-5 6-18)	4
5	4-Mar	Chap. 4-15,17,24, 6-19	5
6	11-Mar	Chap. 4-28, 5-2,3,7 (Recommended 5-9,12)	6
7	18-Mar	Chap. 5-25,27,33,34	7
8	1-Apr	Chap. 7-5,7,9,17	8
9	1-Apr	Chap. 7-22,23,24a 8-2c,d	9
10	1-Apr	Chap. 8-3,4,6	10
11	29-Apr	Chap. 7-18 9-3,12,13	11
12	6-May	Chap. 10-9.13.21	12

Recitation

Recitation attendance is required, and a quiz based on the homework will be given at the end of each session. There will be no make-up quizzes. Excused absences will be removed from the average.

Examinations

There will be two mid-term examinations during the semester, and a final 2.5-hour exam during finals week. There will be no make-up exams.

Exam	Date	Material	Solutions
Midterm I	Wed. Feb. 27 in class	Chapters 2,3, Secs. 4.1,6.3,6.4,6.5	1
Midterm II	Wed. Apr. 10 in class	Chapter 5, 7, Sec. 6.5, 8.1, 8.2	2
Final	Mon. May 13 2-4:30	Chapters W-Z
		(Only the sections covered in the lecture)

Short Paper

A short paper reporting on research literature will be assigned in class at a time between the two midterms.

Grading

Your final grade will be determined as follows:
Hour Examinations 20% each; Recitation 25%; short paper 5%; Final Examination 30%

Special Notes:

Any excuses (medical or otherwise) are to be documented, and discussed with the instructors in a timely manner. If you have a physical, psychiatric, medical, or learning disability that may impact on your ability to carry out assigned course work, I urge that you contact the staff in the Disabled Student Services office (DSS), Room 133 Humanities, 632-6748. DSS will review your concerns and determine, with you, what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation of disability is confidential.