Mechanical Waves

Objectives:

• After completing this module you will be able to mathematically describe a sinusoidal wave and know the relationships between wavelength, frequency, and speed.  You will have explored interference and will be able to describe a standing wave and a wave packet.

Web Material:

June 4

• Introduction: What is Modern Physics?
• In-class activity: Traveling wave simulation
• Read: Traveling Mechanical Waves  (Harmonic Waves) 
• In-class activity: Standing wave simulation
• Read: Standing Mechanical Waves
• In-class activity: Exploring interference in one dimension

June 5

• Read: Wave Packets
• n-class activity:  Synthesizing a square pulse
• In-class activity: Fourier series simulation
• In-class activity: The Fourier transform of a wave pulse
• Remember!

Textbook:

• Chapters 6.6, 6.7, 7.2

Laboratory:

• Standing waves  (June 5)

Electromagnetic Waves

Objectives:

• After completing this module, you will be able to qualitatively describe electromagnetic waves and to identify different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.  You will be able to calculate diffraction patterns produced by a single slit, two slits, and a diffraction grating.

Web Material:

June 6

• Read: EM waves
• Read: Diffraction and interference
• Remember!

Photons

Objectives:

• After completing this module you will be able to calculate the energy and momentum of the photons associated with an electromagnetic wave of a given frequency.  You will have explored various interpretations of single photon interference.

Web Material:

June 7

• In class activity: Radio Wave and EM Fields Simulation
• Read: Radiation laws
• Read: Photons
• Read: What is light?
• Remember!

Textbook:

• Chapter 4
• QED, chapters 1 and 2 (Optional Extra Credit)

Laboratory:

• The photoelectric effect  (June 7)