CORE 010: The Physics of Matter
Syllabus

The topic list for this project is: optics, thermodynamics, continuum physics and acoustics, quantum mechanics, atomic and molecular phsyics, nuclear and particle physics, and kinetic theory and statistical mechanics.

Prerequisite: CORE 007 or the equivalent and CORE 005 or the equivalent.

Instructor: George E. Hrabovsky, george@madscitech.org, 608-276-6832.

Task #1: Start and keep a notebook for your study. This should be bound and have at least 300 sheets. You may need more than one notebook of this size. Smaller notebooks than 300-sheets can be used, but the total number of sheets should be at least 300. Each set of 300 pages started and completed is worth a point towards your final total of 4. To begin your notebook you will need a list of topics. The one listed below is only one possible choice. This choice is the default. Any choice other than this one must be approved by your instructor.

Procedure for the Course

If a topic from the list below is underscored that means there is some resource material for it. If there is no resource material for it then you must develop that for yourself.

It is expected that you will develop one or more questions for each topic. Questions can be of the form who, what, when, where, why, and how.

Once you have written down a set of questions for a topic, you either answer each of these qurestions or you explain how you attempted to answer the question and failed. Don't be alarmed; even some elementary questions resist answering. You can learn a lot just by making the effort.

The next step is to ask a set of new questions based on your previous attempts at answering your first set of questions (this can include those questions you were unable to answer before). Answer each of those questions as best you can and create another set of questions for each answer. Answer each of those to the best of your ability and ask another set of questios for each, but do not answer them right away. If you are really interested in one or more of these questions attempt to answer them in a, "topic of personal interest," session; or you may answer them in a personal research project.

Wherever possible give at least three examples of any definition, principle, or procedure.

This course will require three pages of notes for each topic to fill a 300 page notebook.

  1. The nature of the physics of matter
  2. Experimental physics of matter
  3. Theoretical physics of matter
  4. Computational physics of matter
  5. The wave equation
  6. Light
  7. Propagation of light
  8. Geometrical optics
  9. Optical instruments
  10. Interference
  11. Diffraction
  12. Coherence
  13. Relativistic effects in optics
  14. Optics in Mathematica
  15. Topic of personal interest (including, but not limited to total internal reflection, dispersion, polarization, light scattering, Huygen's principle, aberrations, the Michelson interferometer, Fermat's principle of least time, the dipole radiator, the refractive index)
  16. Topic of personal interest.
  17. Topic of personal interest.
  18. Review of topics to date
  19. Temperature
  20. Heat
  21. Thermal properties of matter
  22. The first law of thermodynamics
  23. The second law
  24. Phase changes
  25. Thermodynamics in Mathematica
  26. Topic of personal interest (including, but not limited to thermometers, thermal expansion, heat capacity, calorimetery, heat conduction, cinvection, thermal radiation, equations of state, ideal gases, entropy)
  27. Topic of personal interest.
  28. Topic of personal interest.
  29. Review of topics 19-28
  30. Review of topics to date
  31. Deformation
  32. Stress and strain
  33. Elasticity
  34. Fluid dynamics
  35. Viscous flow
  36. Continuum mechanics in Mathematica
  37. Topic of personal interest (including, but not limited to density, pressure, surface tension, turbulence, beam bending, torsion, circulation and vorticity, Reynold's number)
  38. Topic of personal interest.
  39. Topic of personal interest.
  40. Review of topics 31-39
  41. Review of topics to date
  42. Mechanical waves
  43. Wave interference
  44. Waves in elastic media
  45. Acoustics
  46. Acoustics in Mathematica
  47. Topic of personal interest (including, but not limited to wave speed, speed of sound, wave energy, the string model, wave interference, resonance, beats, the Doppler effect, shock waves)
  48. Topic of personal interest.
  49. Topic of personal interest.
  50. Review of topics 42-49
  51. Review of topics to date
  52. Early quantum theory
  53. Probability amplitudes
  54. The Schrödinger equation
  55. The hamiltonian matrix
  56. Fermions and bosons
  57. Spin
  58. Angular momentum
  59. Operators in quantum mechanics
  60. Quantum mechanics in Mathematica
  61. Topic of personal interest (including, but not limited to lasers, wave functions, potential wells, the quantum oscillator)
  62. Topic of personal interest.
  63. Topic of personal interest.
  64. Review of topics 52-63
  65. Review of topics to date
  66. Properties of atoms
  67. Atomic structure
  68. Atomic physics
  69. The periodic table of elements
  70. Molecular physics
  71. Condensed matter physics
  72. Atomic and molecular physics in Mathematica
  73. Topic of personal interest (including, but not limited to Zeeman effect, many-electron atoms, atomic spectra, molecular spectra, energy bands, free-electron model of metals, semiconductors, semiconductor devices, superconductivity, crystal structure, Stern-Gerlach experiment, spin-orbit coupling)
  74. Topic of personal interest.
  75. Topic of personal interest.
  76. Review of topics 66-75
  77. Review of topics to date
  78. Properties of nuclei
  79. Radioactivity
  80. Nuclear structure
  81. Nuclear reactions
  82. Particle physics
  83. Nuclear and particle physics in Mathematica
  84. Topic of personal interest (including, but not limited to alpha decay, beta decay, gamma decay, fission, fusion, particle accelerators, particle detectors, nuclear reactors)
  85. Topic of personal interest.
  86. Topic of personal interest.
  87. Review of topics 78-86
  88. Review of topics to date
  89. Kinetic theory
  90. Classical statistical mechanics
  91. Brownian motion
  92. Diffusion
  93. Quantum statistical mechanics
  94. Phase changes
  95. Kinetic theory and statistical mechanics in Mathematica
  96. Topic of personal interest (including, but not limited to heat capacity, compression, equipartition of energy, random walks, thermal ionization)
  97. Topic of personal interest.
  98. Topic of personal interest.
  99. Review of topics 89-98
  100. Review of topics to date

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