PARADIGMS IN PHYSICS PH424/524:
1-Dimensional Waves
http://www.physics.oregonstate.edu/ph424

MWF 1-2pm, TTh 12-2pm, WGR 304

Syllabus for Winter 2010
 Last Update: 02/08/2010

 General Information

Writing Guide

External Links

Paradigms homepage

Grades on Blackboard

Instructor: Janet Tate, WGR 485, 737-1700
tate_at_physics.oregonstate.edu
Office Hours: Wed, Fri 2-3 (304F or 485),
or by appointment.

TA: Alex Brummer
brummera_at_onid.orst.edu
Office Hours: Wormhole Tue 5-6; 304F Thu 3-4

 

 

 

Date
Room

Notes

Topics

Reading
Required before class;
Recommended (old textbook)
Link to texts

Homework

M 2/1
pdf

Introduction

Basic vocabulary & concepts
Functions of 2 variables
Traveling & standing waves
Phase, group, and material velocity

Main 9.1, 9.3
Griffiths EM
9.1.1, 9.1.2

HW 1 (posted 1/31)
HW 2
HW 3

T 2/2

pdf

Non dispersive wave equation

Initial conditions, boundary conditions
Wave eqn worksheet

Standing wave demo/lab

Traveling & standing waves
Dispersion relation
Newton's law: Waves in a rope

Main 9.0
GEM 9.1.1
Taylor 16.1, 16.2, 16.3
)

Standing wave worksheet

 

W 2/3
pdf

Reflection & Transmission

Impedance
Reflection and transmission

Main 9.2

GEM 9.1.3

HW 1W due
Solution 1W

Th 2/4

304F

Propagation of waves in a coaxial cable (lab)

Reflection, transmission, attenuation
Analysis

Main 10.3
Lab assignment
GEM 9.2.1
Main 9.5

 

F 2/5
pdf

Propagation of waves in a coaxial cable (analysis)

Reflection, transmission, attenuation

GEM 9.2.1
Main 9.5

 

HW 1F due
Solution 1F

M 2/8
pdf

 Energy

Kinetic, potential and total energy
Energy worksheet

Main 9.4

 

 

 

T 2/9
pdf

Fourier analysis

Superposition & Fourier analysis
Group velocity

Main 11.1-11.3
Main p. 217-220
PH421 notes

 

W 2/10
pdf

Wave equation in quantum mechanics

Position, momentum & energy operators
The wave function
Operator worksheet
Eigenvalues & eigenvalue equations

McIntyre QM 5.1-5.3

 

HW 2W (Lab Report) Due
Sample grading rubric (.xlsx sheet)
Solution 2W

Th 2/11
pdf

Wave equation in quantum mechanics

Probability density, expectation values, normalization

The finite well potential

Bound states of a finite well potential
Eigenvalues, eigenfunctions
Infinite well as a limit of the finite well

McIntyre QM 5.3
Krane Modern Ph

 

 

 

McIntyre QM 5.4-5.5
Krane Modern Ph

 

F 2/12

pdf

Quantum states

Superposition & measurement – square well examples

McIntyre QM 5.1-5.6

HW 2F due
Solution 2F

M 2/15

pdf

Quantum states

More examples from the square wells

 McIntyre QM 5.1-5.6

 

T 2/16

pdf

Schroedinger wave equation & time development

SWE & Separation of variables
Time development of eigenstates
Time development of arbitrary states
TDev worksheet

Unbound states & wave packets

Wave packets & group velocity
Heisenberg uncertainty principle
Dispersion of the wave packet

McIntyre QM 5.7







McIntyre QM 6.1-6.3

 

 

W 2/17
pdf

Unbound states & wave packets (cont'd)

Barriers, scattering and tunneling

Unbound states of the finite well (and barrier)
Reflection, transmission, tunneling

McIntyre QM 6.1-6.3

McIntyre QM 6.4-6.5

HW 3W due
Solution 3W

Th 2/18

pdf

Barriers, scattering and tunneling (cont'd)

Unbound states of the finite well (and barrier)
Reflection, transmission, tunneling

McIntyre QM 6.4-6.5

 

F 2/19
pdf

Review

Concepts & connections

 

HW 3F Due
Solution 3F

M 2/22
WGR 304

Final Exam 7:00 - 9:00
Exam solution

Practice Final

Equation sheet

 

 

 

 

Maple worksheets:  These may be useful.  Some have been used in class.  Most were written on early versions of Maple.  They all run on Maple 9.5, and probably on later versions, too.

mat_vel.mws explores concept of material velocity introduced in L1

initial_conditions.mw animates functions in L2 worksheet

reflection_trans.mw animates reflection at boundary between different media L3

complex_R.mw looks at consequences for R of complex k L5

energy.mw animates the energy density functions for traveling & standing waves L6

point_mass_string.mw (Hwk2)

animate_triangle.mw  (Hwk 2)

animate_superposition.mw animates superposition of infinite sq well potential solutions Lxx

Potential Wavefunctions 1_5.mw  KC Walsh's potential well/step/barrier animation Lxx