| hsg@phy.duke.edu | 660-2548 | Physics 047 |
|---|
[ Grading | References ]
There will be a few extra optional classes, e.g., to learn how to simulate quantum mechanical problems on a computer and to visit some Duke laboratories using quantum mechanics in interesting ways. The times and places for these extra meetings will be sent by e-mail and also posted on the course web page.
To set up a meeting, send e-mail to hsg@phy.duke.edu or call my office phone at 660-2658.
Please feel free to send me e-mail at any time. I am often logged on in the evenings and on the weekends and will be glad to talk about the course or homework.
| Activity | Percent of Total Grade |
| Class participation | 15% |
| Homeworks | 25% |
| Quizzes | 10% |
| First midterm exam | 15% |
| Second midterm exam | 15% |
| Final project and paper | 20% |
The following are more detailed comments about these different components:
Your main two goals in writing up your homework will be to be clear (so that I can understand what you have written) and to demonstrate insight. Writing clearly means using readable handwriting. You should avoid tiny script and avoid trying to cram many sentences and equations onto a single page. Leave plenty of space between symbols and between lines of equations and leave plenty of space between the ending of one homework problem and the beginning of the next. Spread your answer out over many pages if necessary; paper is cheap compared to the time of working on or grading your homework.
Demonstrating insight means using complete sentences that explain what you are doing and why (e.g., as you proceed with some mathematical derivation). Cryptic brief answers like "yes", "no", "24" or "f(x)" will not be given credit. Your homework must show that you understand how you got your answer and the significance of your answer. A simple criterion for a well-written complete answer is that you will be able to understand it yourself a month after you have written your answer, even without remembering what the original question was.
In writing your homeworks, you should also pay attention to details. All symbols should be given names the first time you introduce them (say "the momentum p" or "the flux F" instead of just using the symbols p and F). Physical units should be given for any answer that is a physical quantity ("the angular momentum was A=0.02 J-sec", "the angle was µ=0.32 radians"). Graphs should have their axes clearly labeled by symbol and units, and should have a title explaining the purpose of the graph. To learn how to write in an effective scientific style, try reading research articles such as those published in Physical Review Letters .
Late homeworks are not accepted. If you think you will not be able to hand in your homework by its due date, please get in touch with me as soon as possible (at least three days before the due date) and explain what the situation is.
Possible topics might include: the recent experimental advance of Bose-Einstein condensation, Hawking's theory of black hole evaporation by quantum tunneling, the quantum mechanics of a simple chemical reaction, quantum chaos in nuclei, quantum cryptography, quantum computing, quantum measurement theory, interstellar chemistry, the predicted high-pressure transition of hydrogen to the metallic superconducting state in the cores of big planets, the Berkeley prediction of a crystal harder than diamond (not yet synthesized), the quantized Hall effect, superfluidity, superconductivity, Josephson junctions, recent advances in medical magnetic resonance imaging, a physical origin for the chirality of biological molecules, nanotubules, and evidence for internal structure of quarks.
There will also be journal articles handed out from time to time. The following books will be on reserve in the Math-Physics library and should be helpful for supplementary browsing and reading: