Objectives and Homework for September 10, 2004.
[1] Be able to explain how a diffraction grating works.
[2] Understand the implications of Wien's Displacement Law and the Stefan-Boltzmann Law.
[3] Know why and how the classical derivation of blackbody radiation fails, and understand what is meant by the "Ultraviolet Catastrophe".
[4] Know the key assumption that Planck made in the derivation of his blackbody radiation law, and be able to explain how this assumption prevents the "Ultraviolet Catastrophe".
[5] Understand the photoelectric effect, and be able to explain what it implies about light.
[6] Understand the phenomenon of Compton scattering, and be able to explain what it suggests about the nature of light.
[7] Know what Bremsstrahlung is.
[8] Understand the kinematics and dynamics of pair production and annihilation, and be able to explain how these phenomena are used in PET scans.
[9] Know what an antiparticle is, and realize that all particles observed thus far have associated antiparticles. Realize that a particle may be its own antiparticle, but recognize that this puts serious constraints on its quantum numbers.
Homework due Tuesday, September 14, 2004
[1] Read through to the end of Section 3.5 in Thornton & Rex.
[2] Do Problems 2, 3, 7, 11, 15, 18, and 22 (pp. 115-116) at the end of Chapter 3 in Thornton and Rex.