This course may be considered to be a continuation of the Physics 5/6 series. It is taught at the introductory level and does not assume pre-existing mathematical sophistication beyond that needed for Physics 5. Some methods for solving second-order linear differential equations (the Schrödinger equation, in particular) will be developed in class. Emphasis will be placed on the physics concepts, the connections with historical experiments, and solving problems related to very simple, idealized systems. Formal theory and the use of more advanced mathematical methods will be left to Physics 110 (Electricity and Magnetism, which includes a treatment of Special Relativity) and 139 (Quantum Mechanics).

The first 1/3 of the course will be concerned with Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity, plus just a brief discussion of the ideas behind his theory of General Relativity. The remainder will be an introduction to quantum physics, beginning with a historical introduction, followed by applications of the Schrödinger equation to simple systems. Physics 101B, offered the following quarter, will treat further applications of quantum theory to various fields of physics (atoms, solids, nuclei, and particles).

I will maintain a web page for this course, where you will be able to find course information, homework assignments, homework and exam solutions, and so forth. The address (URL) is given on the first page of the syllabus. Hard copies of the handouts and solution sets will also be kept in the reserves of the science library.

The required textbook includes, in an appendix, a short introduction to Special Relativity, including all that we will cover in this course. The recommended text on relativity, however, goes to much greater length to explain the history and ideas behind the theory. I strongly encourage you to make at least a first pass at the required reading assignment before the relevant lecture. If you follow that practice and in class concentrate on understanding the material and asking questions, then you will get much more out of the lectures than if you are just concentrating on writing down everything on the blackboard, upon seeing it for the first time.

A set of homework problems will be given out each week, usually due on Thursday, as indicated in the syllabus. You are welcome to collaborate on the homework, but your final solutions should be written up by yourself (I don’t want to see multiple exact copies of the same solution). You are also encouraged to seek help on the homework, whenever necessary, from the TA and myself. While my office hours are the most convenient time for me to meet with you, if you have an urgent question that cannot wait or a conflict with my office hours, please feel free to drop in at any time during the workday. If I am not in my office, then I can usually be found around the SCIPP area in Nat. Sci. II. For example, be sure to check my lab in Room 369.

In a class of this size, I usually find that my office hours are underutilized. Please do not be reluctant to come and ask questions or discuss anything even remotely related to the subject material. My office hours are set aside specifically for you, and I want to spend that time working with you on an individual basis or in small groups. Such interaction is not only helpful to you, but also to myself, as I simply cannot during the lectures get a good feeling for how much of the information is being understood, what misconceptions have arisen, and so forth. Furthermore, in general it can be beneficial to you to spend some time making sure that your professors get to know you, especially the professors in your major. That will pay dividends when it comes time to look for a senior thesis project, request letters for summer internships, graduate schools, or job applications, and so forth. (It should be expected that such letters generally will be much better for you if the professor knows you and is not just writing words based on your course grades.)

Grades and evaluations for this course will be determined from the homework, the midterm exam, and the final exam, with the following approximate weights:

• Homework: 25%
• Midterm exam: 30%
• Final exam: 45%

I give a relatively heavy weight to the homework, in spite of the fact that students may collaborate and otherwise obtain assistance, because I believe that it is crucial that you work the problems in order to become proficient with the material. I expect you to make a serious attempt at all of the assigned problems.

In addition to the textbooks, a few other books have been placed on 1-day reserve at the Science Library for your reference:

• Feynman, Leighton, Sands, The Feynman Lectures on Physics. This series is always highly recommended to physics majors. I will try to recommend particular sections during the quarter from which I think you can especially profit.
• David Griffiths, Introduction to Electrodynamics. Chapter 10, Sections 1 and 2, is a particularly nice introduction to Special Relativity, which I highly recommend. This is the textbook used in Physics 110A and 110B, but those two sections of Chapter 10 do not require any knowledge of earlier parts of the book.
• Hans Ohanian, Modern Physics, 2^nd Edition. This is the textbook that I used last year. In general students did not like it, partly because of numerous typos. Nevertheless, I think it can be useful reading. The discussions are much less long-winded and the mathematical level is somewhat lower than in Eisberg and Resnick.