UCT PHY2004W Information Sheet

7/21/2019 UCT PHY2004W Information Sheet

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Course Information 2015

University of Cape Town

Department of Physics

PHY2004W: Intermediate Physics

Course outline

PHY2004W is a calculus-based courses that aims to develop the foundations of a major in

Physics and allows continuation to third year Physics. The theory component features aset of intermediate topics, and the laboratory component develops both experimental andcomputational skills. The course includes the following theoretical and experimental work:

Mechanics (M): Review of Newton’s laws; inertial and non-inertial frames; transforma-tions; equations of motion for 1D systems; oscillations; resonance; non-linear systems; Eulersequation; Lagranges equation; generalized coordinates and constrained systems, Hamilto-nian formalism, phase space and Liouville’s theorem; effective potentials; planetary motion;systems of particles; angular momentum; collisions; rigid bodies; coupled oscillators; waveequation; special relativity, relativistic mechanics.

Electromagnetism (EM): Vector calculus (div, grad, curl), electrostatics, specialtechniques for potentials, electric fields in matter, magnetostatics, Magnetic fields in mat-ter, current, Ohm’s law, circuits, electromagnetic induction, electrodynamics, Maxwell’sequations.

Quantum mechanics (QM): The basic assumptions of quantum mechanics, solutionsof Schrdinger’s equation, properties of wave functions and operators, one-dimensional ap-plications, angular momentum in quantum mechanics, three-dimensional applications, thehydrogen atom, approximate methods.

Laboratory: Practical and computational tasks designed to develop advanced skills of experimentation and problem solving within the context of Mechanics, Electromagnetismand Quantum Mechanics.

Course schedule

The course consists of:

(i) 120 lectures during 4th period (11H00-11H45) in Lecture Theatre C, RW James Build-ing. The three modules are split according to the following schedule:

(a) M = 50 lectures (15 by Prof A. Peshier; 35 by Dr I. Govender).



(b) EM = 35 lectures (A/Prof M. Blumenthal).

(c) QM = 35 lectures (Dr S.M. Wheaton).

(ii) 24 tutorials (Tuesday afternoons in Room L and/or Physics Course 1 Laboratory).

(iii) 24 laboratory sessions (Monday afternoons; Course 2 Lab) which will comprise in-terwoven “experimental” and “computational” sessions (see Laboratory schedule fordetails).

Prescribed textbooks

The prescribed textbooks for this course are:

1. CLASSICAL DYNAMICS of PARTICLES & SYSTEMS (3rd edition) by Stephen T. Thornton& Jerry B. Marion (THOMSON (BROOKS/COLE), 2003).

2. INTRODUCTION to ELECTROMAGNETISM (4th edition) by D.J. Griffiths (PEARSON, 2013).

3. INTRODUCTION to QUANTUM MECHANICS (2nd edition) by D.J. Griffiths (PEARSON,2005).

(a) Mechanics (b) Electromagnetism (c) Quantum mechanics

Figure 1: Prescribed textbooks for PHY2004W.





Duly Performed (DP) requirement

A student will be regarded as having duly performed the work of the course, and thusqualify to write the final examination, if he/she has:

1. written all class tests and achieved a class record (based on tests and problem sets)of at least 40%.

2. completed all laboratory reports, and obtained a laboratory record of at least 50%.

3. written both of the laboratory tests.

4. attempted at least 75% of all WPS.

5. attended at least 75% of all Tuesday afternoon tutorials.

Administrators & Tutors

1. The course convenor is: Dr I. Govender, room 5.11, RW James Building.

2. The course tutors deal with your weekly problem sets and are available at certaintimes for “hotseat” consultation. Your course tutors are:

(a) Mr Timothy Povall (M).

(b) Ms Marija Ojdanic (EM).

(c) Ms Judith Zelinger & Ms Charlotte Hillebrand (QM).

3. Mr Phil Southey will provide supplementary tutorials for M & EM.

4. Laboratory administration2: A/Prof M. Blumental (room 5.03, RW James Building).

Communication

Notices, schedule changes, and course material will be posted on the PHY2004W coursewebpage: http://www.phy.uct.ac.za/courses/phy2004w/current/index.html.

You will also receive email correspondence from time to time, so check your UCT emailregularly. The Vula chat room may be useful.

2Please refer to laboratory manual for more details



Attendance & exemptions

Attendance at practicals, tutorials, tests and examination is compulsory. Exemption fromclass tests will not be granted; students missing a test due to illness will sit another testas soon as they have recovered, provided that a medical certificate has been produced.Exemption from practicals, tutorials and weekly problem sets will only be considered onmedical or compassionate grounds and normally require a medical certificate or a letter of support. An application for exemption must be submitted on the form available from Mr.Christians in the first-year laboratory.

General communicationThe following relate to general communications from the Department of Physics:

1. http://www.phy.uct.ac.za/physics

2. https://www.facebook.com/uctphysics

3. https://twitter.com/uctphysics

Documents

UCT PHY2004W Information Sheet