Other links:
Other links:
This gateway course will provide a panorama of physics including both classical and modern topics. An appreciation that Physics involves understanding the dynamics of systems and the forces which govern these dynamics will be developed. Dimensional analysis and order of magnitude estimates will also be used, where possible, to build intuition for thinking physically, doing “back of envelope” calculations and making informed guesses. By the end of the course the student will have an exposure to a broad spectrum of basic Physics and develop appreciation of the unifying principles in how Physical laws are formulated.
Outline:
Overview, Newton’s Laws and classical physics, Simple pendulum, Waves, Kepler’s laws, Action principle, Symmetry and conservation laws, Energy released in nuclear detonation.
Electromagnetism: EM waves, Radiated power, Special theory of relativity basics.
Quantum physics: Observational introduction, Double slit experiment, Waves and particles, Uncertainty principle, The wave function, tunnelling, Bohr model H-atom, Concepts of spin and qubits, black body radiation
Statistical Physics: Einstein diffusion and thermal physics, Entropy, Ideal and van Der Waals gases, Fermi and Bose gases, applications
Black Holes and the Universe.
Prerequisites: The course will assume familiarity with calculus, algebra and trigonometry at an elementary level.
References:
Fundamentals of Physics I and II by R. Shankar
Fly by night physics by A. Zee
Back–of–the–Envelope Physics by C. Swartz
