Classical and Quantum Oscillations and Waves - PHYS201
Harmonic oscillation and wave motion are central to many areas of physics, ranging from the mechanical vibrations of machinery and nanoscale springs, to the propagation of sound and light waves, and the probability-amplitude waves encountered in quantum mechanics. This unit is concerned with describing the properties of harmonic oscillations and wave motion. The first half of the unit covers such topics as resonance, transients, coupled oscillators, transverse and longitudinal waves. The second half looks at interference and diffraction, firstly as important properties of waves in general, and then using the interference of matter waves as the starting point in studying the dual wave-particle nature of matter and the wave mechanics of Schrodinger, the basis of modern quantum mechanics. The laboratory program combines development of experimental skills such as problem solving, data analysis and report writing with a first course in computational physics (conducted in the python programming language) as well as techniques in electronic data acquisition widely used in industry and research.
| Credit Points: | 3 |
| When Offered: | S1 Day - Session 1, North Ryde, Day |
| Staff Contact(s): | Associate Professor David Spence |
| Prerequisites: |
((PHYS106 and PHYS107) or (PHYS140 and PHYS143)) and (MATH133 or MATH136) |
| Corequisites: | |
| NCCW(s): | |
| Unit Designation(s): | |
| Unit Type: | |
| Assessed As: | Graded |
| Offered By: | Department of Physics and Astronomy Faculty of Science and Engineering |
Course structures, including unit offerings, are subject to change.
Need help? Ask us.