Course Material/Syllabus

We will not follow Hobson's book closely, but rather will use it as a reference. You will be responsible for material in the assigned readings and the lectures. This course will emphasize the physics of the 20$^{th}$ Century and will not be a general overview or introduction to physics. We will cover:

• What is the Scientific Method and How Does it Work? (3.5 lectures)
  • Early Astronomy: Ptolemy and Copernicus
  • Gravity and Mechanics: Aristotle, Galileo and Einstein
• Mathematical Necessities (1.5 lectures)
  • A brief Math Review
  • Estimating and Exponents
  • Probability and Statistical Interpretation of Data
  • Risk Analysis from a Scientific Perspective
• Classical Physics: Physics before 1904 (6 lectures)
  • Classical Mechanics: Projectile Motion, Energy, Momentum
  • Electricity and Magnetism; Light.
• Special and General Relativity (4 lectures)
  • Understanding Einstein
  • Black holes, falling elevators, and the evolution of the universe
• Quantum Mechanics (4 lectures)
  • Particles as Waves
  • Waves as Particles
  • The Uncertainty Principle
• The Modern Theory of Matter (5 lectures)
  • Atoms: protons, neutrons and electrons
  • Nuclei, strong and weak nuclear forces, radioactivity
  • Fission and Fusion
  • Quarks and leptons
  • Particle Physics and the Big Bang: Cosmology
• Special Topic (TBC): The Physics of Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism (4 lectures)
  • Radioactive and Nuclear Weapons Proliferation
  • Detection and Analysis of Terrorist Threats