Physics content: Experimental foundations of quantum physics, such as blackbody radiation, the photoelectric effect, and wave-particle duality.

Philosophy and History of Physics: An investigation of Millikan’s oil drop experiment; development of quantum physics.

Physics Education Research: Misconceptions about atomic structure.

Course Schedule (.pdf)

Course Link

NS 546 Concepts in Modern Physics I: Quantum Physics

Course Schedule

N.B.: The schedule below has not yet been adapted to the blended schedule of online and in-class meetings. Course readings may vary between course offerings.

Reading assignment for first session:

• Niaz, M. & Rodrigues, M.A. (2002) Improving learning by discussing controversies in 20th century physics. Physics Education 37(1) 59 – 63.

Session 1: The Electron; Blackbody Radiation.
            Active Physics CoreSelect: Atoms on Display 2 – Tiny and Indivisible
            Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 29.1 – 29.2
            Laboratory experiment: “The Millikan oil-drop experiment”
Philosophy/History/Education Research: Overview of scientific revolutions. Overview of the conundrums facing physicists in 1900.
Reading assignment for next Friday:

• Toulmin, S. and Goodfield, J. (1962). Entering the Quantum World (Ch. 12) and Sharpening the Focus (Ch. 13). The architecture of matter. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Holton, G. (1978). The scientific imagination: case studies. (pp. 25-83). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Session 2: Rutherford and the Nucleus.
            Active Physics CoreSelect: Atoms on Display 3 – How Big is Small?
            Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 30.1
Web assignment 1

Session 3: Atomic Spectra; Models of the Atom.
            Active Physics: Atoms on Display 4 – Hydrogen Spectra/Bohr’s Model
            Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 30.2 – 30.3
      Applications: Spectroscopy.

Session 4: Atomic Spectra lab experiment
            Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 30.2 – 30.3
            Laboratory experiment: “Atomic Spectra”
            Web assignment 2
            Philosophy/History/Education Research: Millikan and Ehrenfast controversy.
Reading assignment for next Friday:

• Bohr, N. (1913). On the Constitution of Atoms and Molecules. Philosophical Magazine, 26, 1-25.
• Romer, A. (1997). Proton or prouton?: Rutherford and the depths of the atom. American Journal of Physics, 65, 707-716.

Session 5: Test 1; Matter Waves; Photoelectric effect.
            Active Physics: Atoms on Display 5 – Extending and Amending the Model
            Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 29.3, 29.5.
Test 1: 1-hour test on sessions 1 – 4.

Session 6: Photoelectric effect lab experiment.
            Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 29.3, 29.7
            Laboratory experiment: “Photoelectric Effect”
Web assignment 3
Reading assignment for next Friday:

• L. Bao and E. Redish (2002) Understanding Probabilistic Interpretations of Physical Systems: A Prerequisite to Learning Quantum Physics. Am. J. Phys, 70, 210-217.

Session 7: Classical and Quantum-mechanical Probability.
            Chapter 6 from Physlet Quantum Physics
            Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 29.6
            Philosophy/History/Education Research: Bohr’s development of a quantum atom model and Rutherford’s experimental verification of the structure of the nucleus. 
            Reading assignment for next Friday:

• Articles from Selections from Physics Education Research Literature as listed in the bibliography.

Session 8: The Schrödinger Equation
            Chapter 7 from Physlet Quantum Physics
            Web assignment 4      
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 30.5 – 30.6

Session 9: The Strong Nuclear Force.
            Active Physics CoreSelect: Atoms on Display 6 – Inside the Nucleus
            Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 31.1 – 31.3
Philosophy/History/Education Research: Group work to discuss and prepare students’ projects.

Session 10: Test 2; Nuclear Decay and Radioactivity.
            Test2: 1-hour test on sessions 5 – 9.
            Active Physics: Atoms on Display 7 – Radioactive Decay and the Nucleus
            Web assignment 5
Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 31.4 – 31.7

Session 11: Nuclear Binding Energy.
            Active Physics: Atoms on Display 8 – Holding the Nucleus Together
            Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 32.5
Philosophy/History/Education Research: The pedagogical development of the Exploring Quantum Concepts curriculum.

Session 12: Nuclear Fission.
            Active Physics: Atoms on Display 9 – Breaking Up Is Hard to Do
Web assignment 6
            Sections from Cutnell & Johnson: 32.3 – 32.4

Session 13: Presentations.
Philosophy/History/Education Research: Students’ presentations
Test 3: Take-home test.

Bibliography

Selections from primary sources

Bohr, N. (1913). On the Constitution of Atoms and Molecules. Philosophical Magazine, 26, 1-25.

Selections from secondary sources

Toulmin, S. and Goodfield, J. (1962). Entering the Quantum World (Ch. 12) and Sharpening the Focus (Ch. 13). The architecture of matter. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Holton, G. (1978). The scientific imagination: case studies. (pp. 25-83). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Romer, A. (1997). Proton or prouton? Rutherford and the depths of the atom. American Journal of Physics, 65, 707-716.

Selections from Physics Education Research Literature

Niaz, M. & Rodrigues, M.A. (2002) Improving learning by discussing controversies in 20th century physics. Physics Education 37(1) 59 – 63.
Bao, L. and Redish, E.F. (2002). Understanding probabilistic interpretations of physical systems: A prerequisite to learning quantum physics. American Journal of Physics, 70, 210-217.

Budde, M., Niedderer, H., Scott, P., and Leach, J. (2002). ‘Electronium’: a quantum atomic teaching model. Phys. Educ, 37, 197-203.

Budde, M., Niedderer, H., Scott, P., and Leach, J. (2002). The quantum atomic model 'Electronium': a successful teaching tool. Phys. Educ. 37, 204-210

Gillespie, R.J., Spencer, J.N., and Moog, R.S. (1996). Demsytifying Introductory Chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 73, 617-622.

Niedderer, H., Bethge, Th., and Cassens, H. (1990). A simplified quantum model: A teaching approach and evaluation of understanding In P. L. Lijuse et al. (Eds.), Relating Macroscopic Phenomena to Microscopic Particles - A Central Problem in Secondary Science Education (pp. 67-80) Utrecht: CD-§ Press.

Petri, J. and Niedderer, H. (1998). A learning pathway in high-school level quantum atomic physics. International Journal of Science Education, 20, 1075-1088.