modern physics 2008 trimester 3

course expectations            syllabus
      
 
Monday,
April 28
Tuesday,
April 29
Wednesday,
April 30
Thursday,
May 1
Friday,
May 2
class
 
 
  
 
 
what we'll do
in class

finish alpha decay and see how the KE's are apportioned between the alpha and the daughter nucleus
 test on
chapters 1-2
reading
(always done
before class)
 
13(2) particularly mid p.475 - 476 on how the nuclear force works 
the section of alpha decay, which begins on page 484 up to the middle paragraph on page 486
p. 487 - 490,
 about beta decay
p. 491 - 493, top,
gamma decay and decay series

how is beta+ decay different than beta- decay?
in-class
presentation
find momentum
(magnitude and direction) of the neutrino
 if you didnt put up your results yesterday on the board, make sure that you have them for today for some partial credit

find mass of top quark
written
homework
(by 5 pm)

 
problems 8, 13
tan sheet
DUE BY NOON
 
 
lab
 
 
 
 
 top quark mass lab due today
other
 
 
 

 
 
Monday,
April 21
Tuesday,
April  22
Wednesday,
April 23
Thursday,
April 24
Friday,
April 25
class
 
 
  
 
 not
what we'll do
in class		 see if you understand how we know nuclear size, force range,  etc.



reading
(always done
before class)
 chpater 13, up to
"nuclear spin ,,,,"
at bottom of p. 469
reading on the big white handout, up through equation 4.4

know how the author gets each and every equation
 read more from the big white handout, so we can finish Rutherford scattering today

and therefore use all of tomorrow's block to do the lab on the discovery of the top quark

remember that I will ask you HOW and WHY (as in the physics of) the scattering angle depends on the three independent variables:
Z (charge on the foil nucleus), K (the kinetic energy of the alpha), and b (the impact parameter of the alpha-nucleus collision)
 for lab today:

read the top quark mass lab handout

Essay,
pp.  590 - 600,
on how to find a top quark; see comments about this reading in the lab handout above
 



in-class
presentation


finish the problem we started in class friday
(the first from the tan sheet)

find Mo, vf/c

do you have the 4th column of the mass, momentum, energy table filled in for mass-less particles?
fill in the entries for
each of the 4 forces
(each in its own column)
gravity
electric
magnetic
nuclear

for the following rows:
who participates
(i.e., what is the name of the "charge" associated with that force)

range of the force

direction of the force

strength of the force


written
homework
(by 5 pm)

 tan sheet
problems 3, 4

tan 10, 12 
 
lab
 
 
 
 lab E2 due

we do the top quark lab

if you are starting the top quark lab early, you will have to come and get the handouts from me
 
other
is your grade record complete... i will check today

 
 
 

   
 
Monday,
April 14
Tuesday,
April 15
Wednesday,
April 16
Thursday,
April 17
Friday,
April 18
class
 
 
  
 
 
what we'll do
in class		 understand why the Newtonian formulas we learned in first-year physics are wrong.... and how to find the correct formulas



reading
(always done
before class)
chapter 2 up to the top of p.46
 chapter 2, from top of p. 46 up to
top of p.49

(you may NOT do this problem using the doppler effect formula, which applies ONLY to light,
NOT to sound, NOT to events)
 no new textbook reading
because you are preparing at least one problem for show and tell
(and of course are doing more on your own)
 
 
in-class
presentation		 bring a table showing Newtonian (classical physics; stuff you learned in your first physics class) and relativistically-correct formulas for
1) mass
2) momentum
3) kinetic energy


you should have done at least the first two parts of the earth & rocket problem

be ready to present these in class today
(and/or show me that they are done)

have you prepared a problem of your own for show/tell today?

prelab for  lab E2
due at beginning of class
(lab)

web site for finding daughters,
half-lifes, etc
(type the nucleus you're interested in inside the box at upper left corner; for example if you want info about carbon-12,
type C12)
written
homework
(by 5 pm)
1(31), but this is postponable till tomorrow if you are still suffering from prom heat
 

 
 
lab
 
lab E1 due 
 
we do lab E2

find another lab book for that one
(since I will still be grading lab E1)
 
other


Gauging a Collider’s Odds of Creating a Black Hole

Asking a Judge to Save the World, and Maybe a Whole Lot More

[both are from NY Times, which may require a (free) login account]
 

have you kept up your grade record in the back of your note book
(I will check sometime this week!)

have you been doing 4 - 6 problems on your own per week?
 

     
 
Wednesday,
April 9
Thursday,
April 10
Friday,
April 11
class
  
 
 
what we'll do
in class		 the Lorentz transformations
and how to use them

velocity addition problems

reading
(always done
before class)
1(6)

make sure you study the velocity addition examples well
 
 1(7)
in-class
presentation


written
homework
(by 5 pm)

 
1(20,21) 
lab
 
 
 
other
 
 

modern physics pages for march 2008