Class: MWF 10-10:50 am, F 11-11:50 am, Darwin 107

Instructor: Hongtao Shi

Phone: 664-2013

Email: hongtao.shi@sonoma.edu

Office: Darwin 300J

Office Hours: Tuesdays 11-11:50 am, or by appointment

Learning Objectives

Course description: Modern physics often refers to work done in physics in the years 1890-1930. These were years of a great revolution in physics and most of the work done today directly descends from that period. In this course you will learn about special relativity, the quantization of radiation and matter, quantum mechanics, the uncertainty principle, and both classical and quantum statistical mechanics. You will also encounter many applications of these theories.

Prerequisite: You should have completed one year of calculus-based physics and you should be enrolled in or have completed third-semester calculus.

Text: Randy Harris, Modern Physics, 2nd edition, published by Addison Wesley Pearson, ISBN-10: 0805303081 | ISBN-13: 9780805303087.

Other Sources: It is often helpful to read difficult new material from several viewpoints. Other, comparable texts include the 3rd edition of Modern Physics by Paul Tipler and Ralph Llewelyn (W.H. Freeman, 1999); Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 2nd edition, by John R. Taylor, Chris D. Zafiratos, and Michael A. Dubson. A preliminary version of Modern Physics, 3rd edition, by Kenneth Krane, is also available in pdf format at no charge for enrolled students only.

Course Schedule

Grading Policy:

Computer use: You are encouraged to use Mathematica or similar software in doing your homework.

Important University policies, such as add/drop classes, cheating and plagiarism, grade appeal procedures, can be found at

http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/policies/studentinfo.shtml.

Email me if you have questions or comments.