PHY2004W - Intermediate Physics

Course Outline:

PHY2004W develops the foundations of a major in Physics and allows continuation to third-year Physics. The theory component features a set of intermediate topics, and the laboratory component develops both experimental and computational skills. The course includes the following topics: Mechanics: Review of Newton’s Laws, inertial and non-inertial frames, transformations, equations of motion for 1D systems, oscillations, resonance, non-linear systems, Euler’s equation, Lagrange’s equation, generalized co-ordinates and constrained systems, Hamiltonian formalism, phase space and Liouville’s theorem, effective potentials, planetary motion, systems of particles, angular momentum, collisions, rigid bodies, simple harmonic motion, resonance, coupled oscillators, wave equation, special relativity, relativistic mechanics. Electromagnetism: Vector calculus (div, grad, curl), electrostatics, special techniques for potentials, electric fields in matter, magnetostatics, magnetic fields in matter, current, Ohm’s law, circuits, electromagnetic induction, electrodynamics, Maxwell’s equations. Quantum Mechanics: The basic assumptions of quantum mechanics, solutions of Schrödinger's equation, properties of wave functions and operators, one-dimensional applications, angular momentum in quantum mechanics, three-dimensional applications, the hydrogen atom, approximate methods. Laboratory: Practical and computational tasks designed to develop advanced skills of experimentation and problem solving within the context of Mechanics, Electromagnetism and Quantum Mechanics.