NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY KARNATAKA, SURATHKAL

Department of Physics
Revised Course and Evaluation Plan 2018

PH110 - One Semester Course

a) Objective of the Course:

To expose the students to:
1. The basics of classical physics: mechanics and electromagnetism
2. The basics of modern physics: special relativity and quantum mechanics
3. An understanding of the logical structure of physics.
b) Skill Development of the student expected from the course:
1. Analyze rectilinear and rotational motion; Conservation Laws and Simple Harmonic
Motion.
2. Work with vector notation for mechanics and electromagnetism.
3. Stokes theorem, divergence, gradient, curl.
4. Understand wave equation and solutions
5. Use relativistic units, understand relativistic phenomena, mass-energy relation,
transformation of length and time.
6. Solve simple quantum mechanical problems: 1d trapped particle, tunneling through
barriers, probabilities and interference from wavefunctions.
c) Outcomes:
1. Provide a foundation for application of physics in engineering.
2. Equip students with skill to construct mathematical models of physical phenomena.
d) References:
1. [Kp] Kleppner & Kolenkow, An Introduction to Mechanics, 1st edition, 1973
2. [HBA] Hayt, Buck & Akhtar, Engineering Electromagnetics, 8th special Indian edition,
2014
3. [KK] Kenneth Krane, Modern Physics, 3rd edition, 2012
4. [AB] Arthur Beiser, Concepts of Modern Physics
5. [MIT OCW] MIT OpenCourseWare, freely available online
6. [DSM] D. S. Mathur, Mechanics

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 PH110 Course Contents

Module Title Module Contents Lectures References

No.
1. Mechanics a) Review of Newton's laws and vector notation 3 Kp, Ch 1.1 -
1.6, 2.1 - 2.4
b) Conservation laws: energy, momentum; Sim- 4 Kp 3.1, 3.2,
ple Harmonic Oscillator - equations of motion and 3.3,, 4.1 - 4.7
potential energy.
c) Angular momentum, torque, moment of iner- 4 Kp, Ch 6.1 -
tia, conservation of angular momentum 6.4, 6.7
(Work-en-
ergy theo-
rem),
Ch 7.1, 7.2,
7.5
d) Non-inertial frames of reference. Pseudo- 3 Kp, Ch 8.1,
forces 8.2, 8.3, 8.5
Total hours 14
2. E&M a) Electric flux, Gauss' Law, divergence operator 2 HBA Ch 3.1,
and divergence theorem. 3.2, 3.4, 3.5,
3.6, 3.7
b) Biot-Savart Law - Definition + Field of infinite 3 HBA Ch 8.1
wire; Ampere's Law - Statement, upto co-ax 8.3, 8.4
cable field only (pg 194, middle); Curl (only in
Cartesian co-ordinates), Stokes' theorem
(without Eg 8.3)
c) Faraday's law, displacement current, Max- 3 HBA Ch
well's equations in differential (point) and inte- 10.1, 10.2,
gral (volume) form 10.3, 10.4
d) Electromagnetic wave propagation in free 2 HBA Ch 12.1
space, speed of light
Total hours 10
3. Special Relativity a) Swimmers in a river, Michelson-Morley experi- 1 KK Eg 2.3,
ment Ch 2.2
b) (Lack of) invariance of Maxwell's wave equa- 1 KK Ch 2.3
tion under Galilean transformation, Einstein's
postulates
c) Consequences of Einstein's postulates - 2 KK Ch 2.4
length contraction, time dilation, velocity addi-
tion
d) Lorentz transformations (w/o derivation), 3 KK Ch 2.5
spacetime intervals, simultaneity. Length con-
traction, time dilation, velocity addition from
Lorentz transformations

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 e) Relativistic energy, momentum, mass-energy 2 KK, Ch 2.7,
relationship, relativistic system of units 2.8
Total hours 9
4a. Prerequisites for a) Review of EM waves, Poynting vector, inter- 1 KK Ch 3.1
QM ference, diffraction.
b) Photoelectric effect 1 KK Ch 3.2
c) Wien's law, Rayleigh Jeans, Planck's quantum 2 KK Ch 3.3
hypothesis and radiation law (w/o derivation)
d) Compton effect 1 KK Ch 3.4
e) de Broglie hypothesis, Davisson-Germer ex- 3 KK Ch 4.1 -
periment, uncertainty relationship for classical 4.7
waves, Heisenberg uncertainty principle, wave
packets, phase and group velocity, probability
and randomness
Total hours 8
4b. Quantum Mechan- a) Properties of waves at boundaries, standing 1 KK, Ch 5.1,
ics waves in a box 5.2
b) Schrodinger equation, probabilities, normal- 2 KK 5.3
ization
c) Infinite potential well, finite potential well (only 2 KK 5.4
in 1D)
d) Tunneling through barriers, reflection from 2 KK 5.6
steps
Total hours 7
Total 48

Evaluation Scheme

Total Weightage
Component Number Weightage per unit
(%)

Quizzes - two 2 15 30

Weekly Assignments 4 2.5 10

Mid-Sem
1 20 20
Examination

End-Sem
1 20 40
Examination

Total 100

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