This course will be a panorama of physics, both classical and modern.
We will use illustrative examples to explore the four major domains of
physics — classical mechanics, electricity & magnetism, quantum
mechanics, and statistical mechanics — and examine the space-time in
which physical phenomena unfold. We will also learn how physicists use
dimensional analysis and order-of-magnitude estimates to build
intuition, make informed guesses, and think physically.
Course Content
Space and time: Symmetries of and principle of relativity. Galilean
and Lorentz transformations. Special theory of relativity.
Classical mechanics: Newton’s Laws. Simple pendulum. Coupled
pendulums. Waves. Kepler’s laws and planetary motion. Action
principle. Symmetry and conservation laws.
Electricity and magnetism: Charges and fields. Transformation of
electric and magnetic fields. Maxwell’s equations. Infinite L-C
circuits. Electromagnetic waves in waveguides, from current sheet, and
from accelerating charge. Power radiated.
Quantum mechanics: Observational introduction. Double slit experiment.
Waves and particles. Uncertainty principle. The wave function.
Tunnelling. Bohr model of the hydrogen atom. Concepts of spin and
qubits. Black body radiation.
Statistical mechanics: Einstein diffusion and thermal physics.
Entropy. Ideal and van Der Waals gases. Fermi and Bose gases,
applications
Black holes. The universe.
Prerequisites
Familiarity with calculus, graphing, algebra, and trigonometry at an
elementary level.
References
Fundamentals of Physics I and II, by R Shankar (lectures available on Youtube)
Fly-by-night Physics, by A Zee
Back–of–the–Envelope Physics, by C Swartz
The Art of Insight in Science and Engineering: Mastering Complexity,
by S Majahan
Learning Outcome
By the end of the course the student will be exposed to a wide
spectrum of physics, and is expected to develop a working knowledge of
the way physicists think and work.
