Table of Contents Undergraduate Courses in Physics ................................................. 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 PHYSICS COURSES IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2013-14 .................................................................. 1 1.2.1 The First Year (Part IA) .......................................................................................................... 1 1.2.2 The Second Year (Part IB) ..................................................................................................... 2 1.2.3 The Third Year (Part II) - Physics ....................................................................................... 2 1.2.4 The Fourth Year (Part III) - Physics .................................................................................... 3 1.2.5 Master of Advanced Studies (MASt) in Physics .................................................................... 3 1.3 MATHEMATICS AND THE PHYSICS COURSES .............................................................................. 3 Aims and Objectives of the Physics Teaching ................................ 4 Programme ................................................................................... 4 2.1 THE UNIVERSITY’S AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................ 4 2.2 COURSE AIMS .................................................................................................................................... 4 2.3 COURSE OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................................................... 4 Part IA Physics .............................................................................. 6 3.1 AIMS OF THE COURSE ...................................................................................................................... 6 3.2 THE LECTURE COURSES .................................................................................................................. 6 3.3 PRACTICALS ....................................................................................................................................... 6 3.4 THE EXAMINATION .......................................................................................................................... 6 3.4.1 Examiners’ Notices ................................................................................................................ 6 3.4.2 The Written Paper for Part IA................................................................................................ 6 3.5 BOOKS ................................................................................................................................................. 6 3.6 SOME IMPORTANT DATES .............................................................................................................. 8 3.7 LECTURE LIST ................................................................................................................................... 9 PRINCIPLES OF CLASSICAL PHYSICS, QUANTUM PHYSICS & RELATIVITY .................... 10 IA PRACTICAL CLASS ................................................................................................................ 13 Part IB Physics A .......................................................................... 15 4.1 INTRODUCTION AND COURSE AIMS ............................................................................................ 15 4.2 THE CONTENT OF THE COURSE ...................................................................................................15 4.3 THE EXAMINATION ......................................................................................................................... 15 4.4 SOME IMPORTANT DATES .............................................................................................................16 4.5 LECTURE LIST .................................................................................................................................. 17 EXPERIMENTAL METHODS .................................................................................................... 18 OSCILLATIONS, WAVES AND OPTICS .....................................................................................19 QUANTUM PHYSICS ................................................................................................................. 20 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS ............................................................................................. 22 MATHEMATICAL METHODS ................................................................................................... 23 GREAT EXPERIMENTS............................................................................................................. 24 IB PRACTICAL CLASS – PHYSICS A ........................................................................................ 25 Part IB Physics B .......................................................................... 26 5.1 INTRODUCTION AND COURSE AIMS ........................................................................................... 26 5.2 COURSE CONTENT .......................................................................................................................... 26 5.3 THE EXAMINATION ........................................................................................................................ 26 5.4 SOME IMPORTANT DATES ............................................................................................................. 27 5.5 LECTURE LIST .................................................................................................................................. 28 ELECTROMAGNETISM ............................................................................................................. 29 CLASSICAL DYNAMICS ............................................................................................................. 31 THERMODYNAMICS ................................................................................................................. 32 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING .......................................................................................... 33 MATHEMATICAL METHODS ................................................................................................... 35 GREAT EXPERIMENTS ............................................................................................................. 36 IB PRACTICAL CLASS – PHYSICS B ......................................................................................... 37 IB PRACTICAL CLASS – PHYSICS A and B .............................................................................. 38 Part II Physics ..............................................................................42 6.1 THE THREE- AND FOUR-YEAR COURSES IN PHYSICS .............................................................. 42 6.2 OUTLINE OF THE COURSES .......................................................................................................... 42 6.3 FURTHER WORK ............................................................................................................................. 43 6.3.1 Computing ............................................................................................................................ 43 6.3.2 Experimental Investigations ................................................................................................ 43 6.3.3 Courses in Theoretical Physics ............................................................................................. 43 6.3.4 Research Review ................................................................................................................... 45 6.3.5 Long-Vacation Work ............................................................................................................ 45 6.3.6 Physics Education................................................................................................................. 45 6.4 SUPERVISIONS AND EXAMPLES CLASSES .................................................................................. 45 6.5 NON-EXAMINED WORK ................................................................................................................. 46 6.6 THE EXAMINATION ........................................................................................................................ 46 6.6.1 Examiners’ Notices ............................................................................................................... 46 6.6.2 The Written Papers for Part II ............................................................................................. 46 6.6.3 Requirements ....................................................................................................................... 46 6.6.4 Examination Entries............................................................................................................. 46 6.6.5 Submission of Further Work ................................................................................................ 46 6.7 HALF SUBJECT PHYSICS ................................................................................................................ 47 6.8 SOME IMPORTANT DATES ............................................................................................................. 48 6.9 LECTURE LIST .................................................................................................................................