Feb. 17, 2006

Physics 261, General Physics III

Instructor: A. Dinsmore

Lectures and Reading assignments

 

·Class lectures: M, W, F from 12:20-1:10 pm, Hasbrouck 124.

·Mid-term exams:

        Wed, March 15, 2006, 7:00-9:00 pm (location TBA)

        Wed, April 26, 2006, 7:00-9:00 pm (location TBA)

·Wed, May 17: Last lecture (exam review)

·Final Exam (date TBA)

 

Please do the ‘quick quizzes’ in the text.  Solutions are given at the end of each chapter.

 

Class No.

Date

Topic

Reading

(Serway & Jewett)

#1

W

Feb. 2

Introduction

(handouts)

#2

F

        3

Wave anatomy; the wave equation

16.1-3,5,9 (see note a)

#3

M

        6

Mechanical, energy

16.4,7,8 (see note b)

#4

W

        8

Superposition, Standing waves

18.1-3  (see note c)

#5

F

       10

Standing waves

18.1-3  (see note c)

#6

M

       13

Maxwell’s equations and EM waves

34.1-2,6

#7

W

       15

EM Waves

 

#8

F

       17

EM waves: energy and pressure

34.3-4

 

M

       20

Holiday – Presidents’ Day

 

#9

Tu

       21

Ray optics, refraction, reflection

35.1-5

#10

W

       22

Dispersion, total internal reflection

35.7,8

#11

F

       24

Interference, Young’s 2-slit experiment

37.1-3

#12

M

       27

Thin films and Newton’s rings

37.5-6

#13

W

Mar. 1     

Michelson interferometer, FTIR

37.7

#14

F

        3

Diffraction from a slit

38.1-2 & 35.6 (1st part)

#15

M

        6

Resolution in microscopy

38.3

#16

W

        8

Diffraction from gratings and crystals

38.4-5

#17

F

       10

Polarization of light; scattering

38.6

#18

M

       13

Special Relativity, Einstein’s postulates

39.1-3

#19

W

       15

Time dilation and length contraction

39.4

 

W

Mar.15

Midterm #1, 7-9 pm (location TBA)

 

#20

F

       17

Lorenz transformations

39.5-6

 

M-F

  20-24

Spring Recess; no classes

 

 

For those of you who do not have Serway and Jewett chapters 16-18, you can find information at the class website or read this material in other books on mechanical physics.  Here are the topics:

Note a: Topics included are: l, T, f, amplitude, and phase of waves; traveling waves in one dimension, wave speed, a derivation of the wave equation, sines & cosines.  

Note b: Topics included are: introduction to superposition and interference, sinusoidal waves, and energy transfer.

Note c: Topics included are: Superposition of waves, water waves, standing waves, standing waves on string with both ends fixed.