Modern Physics

Instructor: Mark Taylor

Office: Gerstacker 118
Phone: 569-5241
email: taylormp@hiram.edu

Office Hours:

MWF 4:15-6:00; Tues. 2:00-6:00; Thurs. 6:30-9:30; Sunday 3:00-6:00

Also, feel free to stop by at other times, call me, or send me email.

Physics Study Session:

Thurs. 6:30-9:30 in Gerstacker 123

Meeting Times:

MWF 8:30-9:50; Colton 15

Textbook:

Modern Physics, second edition, by Randy Harris

Course Overview:

This course will provide an introduction to the fundamental concepts of “modern” physics. In particular we will study the theories of special relativity, quantum mechanics, and statistical mechanics. These new theories, developed primarily in the 20^th century, are conceptually more difficult to grasp than those of classical physics since they are not in accord with our everyday physical intuition. Thus we must develop a new intuition based on the equations of this new physics. In the laboratory part of this course you will have the opportunity to carry out some of the classic experiments that stymied the “old physics” and demanded the invention of a “new physics”.

Links to pdf Files

Problem Sets

Experiments:

Downloadable Software: