What's New (as of December 22, 2002):
1. The Final Exam and its solution are now posted below. The mean score on the exam was 26.3 points out of 35 possible.
2. Course grades are now posted outside Prof. Marston's office.
Please come to the Monday colloquia -- it is a good way to be exposed to the wide world of physics. The colloquia are held each Monday at 4:30 pm in Barus & Holley 168. Cookies, tea, and coffee are available at 4:00 pm in the same room. Click here for the Colloquia Calendar.
Material covered: Wave description of particles. Wave mechanics and the Schrodinger equation. Fundamental principles and postulates. Symmetry transformations. Time evolution and stationary states. Theory of angular momentum.
Prerequisites: Knowledge of basic undergraduate Hamiltonian Mechanics and Electromagnetism as well as a comfortable familiarity with standard Modern Physics, e.g., the Photo-electric Effect, the Franck-Hertz experiment, the Balmer Formula, the Pauli Principle, X-Rays, the Chemical Bond, the Schrodinger Equation and some applications such as one-dimensional binding and the problem of reflection and transmission through potential walls and barriers.
The course will emphasize two areas: (1) Basic principles of quantum mechanics. (2) How to calculate things. I've noticed that many students seem reluctant to calculate real, actual, numbers. We will strive to overcome this reluctance in discussion during lectures, and in homework problems. The use of proper dimensional analysis will be required for all problems that call for it.
Class meets: in Barus & Holley 158 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00 to 10:50 am.
Required Texts:
G. Baym,
"Lectures
in Quantum Mechanics."
R. Shankar,
"Principles of Quantum Mechanics" (2nd Edition).
Homework: About 1 set per week.
Course graders: Ms. Madhavi Chand.
Tests and Exams: Two midterm tests plus a final exam. The final exam will be held on Wednesday, December 18, from 9:00 am to noon in Barus & Holley 160.
Grading scheme:
Classroom Participation ................................... 10%
Homework ..................................................... 15%
Midterms ....................................... 2 x 20% = 40%
Final Exam ..................................................... 35%.
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Total ..............................................................100%
e-mail Prof. Brad Marston: marston@physics.brown.edu
Prof. Marston's telephone
extension:
x32061
Prof. Marston's Office Hours:
Tuesdays
and Wednesdays 1:30 to 2:30 in B&H 339.
Prof. Marston's Web
Page