Lesson 0:

Modern Physics
Course Outline & Grading
March 25, 2019

Muhammad Usama
 ● m.usama@gift.edu.pk

● Office # 3 (Electrical
Engineering Dept.)

● Office Hours (Tentative)

Contact ○ MON 12:00 - 15:00 (Zuhr Break)

○ TUE 12:00 - 15:00 (Zuhr Break)

● Walk in office policy

 ● nameeqa@gift.edu.pk
Course Head ● Business and Management
Sciences Faculty block
Dr. Nameeqa Firdous
Course Outline

An overview of Modern Physics which includes the following

● Failure of Classical Mechanics

● Special Relativity
● Quantum Theory of Light
● Quantum Mechanics and Atomic Structure
● Solids
● Nuclear Physics
● Particle Physics
 ● Modern Physics by
Kenneth Krane (3rd
edition)
References ● Concepts of modern
Physics by Arthur
Beiser (5th edition)
 General Lecture Outline
Settling Down New Content

5 mins 10 mins 50 mins 10 mins

Overview of Today’s
Recap of Previous Lecture
Lecture, Assignment
or Quiz
Homeworks & Quizes

● 1 graded homework in a week

● 1 quiz in 2 weeks
● Plagiarism will be dealt with severely
● Unannounced quizzes are also possible
● 80% attendance is mandatory to appear in Exams
General Conduct Guidelines

● You are adults. I will treat you as such

● Adults bear responsibility of their actions
● Working with peers is appreciated
● But everybody should write their own solutions
alone
Lesson 1:
Modern Physics
Classical Physics Overview

Muhammad Usama
 ● Newton’s Law of Motion

● Energy and Momentum

Content: ● Gravity
Classical ● Electricity and Magnetism

Physics ● Electromagnetic Waves

Overview ● Thermodynamics

● Failure of Classical Physics

Newton’s Law
of Motion
● Law of Inertia
● F=ma
● Action has equal
and opposite
reaction
NEWTON’s LAW of GRAVITY
Maxwell’s Electromagnetic Theory
Maxwell’s Equations
Conservation of Energy
Conservation of Momentum
Electromagnetic Wave Theory
● Initial Momentum = Final Momentum
● Momentum is a vector

p_x_initial = p_x_final
p_y_initial = p_y_final
p_x_initial = p_x_He_initial
p_y_initial = p_y_He_initial
p_x_final = p_x_He_final + p_x_N_final
p_y_initial = p_y_He_final + p_y_N_final
Practice Problem

An atom of uranium (m = 3.9529 × 10−25 kg) at rest

decays spontaneously into an atom of helium (m = 6.6465
× 10−27 kg) and an atom of thorium (m = 3.8864 × 10−25
kg). The helium atom is observed to move in the positive
x direction with a velocity of 1.423 × 107 m/s. (a) Find the
velocity (magnitude and direction) of the thorium atom.
(b) Find the total kinetic energy of the two atoms after the
decay.