PH 429/529: Syllabus
Spring 2013

Day Topic:
  Subtopic
Reading
  (Main, Alternate, Deep)
Assignments
 (Due Dates)
1
Mon
3/28
Special Relativity:
  Einstein's Postulates
  Time Dilation
  Length Contraction
 
GE §12.1.1–12.1.2
GSR §2
 
 HW 1
(due 4/1)
 
2
Tue
3/29
Special Relativity:
  Applications
  Paradoxes
 
Taylor & Wheeler
  (Ch. 3, L, 4)
 WS 1
 
3
Wed
3/30
Special Relativity:
  Spacetime
  Hyperbola Geometry
 
GSR §4
GSR §5
   
4
Thu
3/31
Special Relativity:
  Spacetime Diagrams
  Adding Velocities
  More Paradoxes
 
GE §12.1.4
Taylor & Wheeler
  (Ch. 5, 6)
  WS 2
 
5
Fri
4/1
Special Relativity:
  More Spacetime Diagrams
  Lorentz Transformations
 
GSR §6
GE §12.2.1–12.2.2
  HW 1 due
6
Mon
4/4
Relativistic Mechanics:
  Proper Time
  Energy & Momentum
 
GSR §9
GE §12.2.3–12.2.4
HW 1 due
HW 2
(due 4/8)
7
Tue
4/5
Relativistic Dynamics:
  Conservation of Momentum
  Conservation of Energy
  Collisions & Scattering
  Relativistic Particles
 
GSR §9
GE §12.2.3–12.2.4
 
 
    WS 3
8
Wed
4/6
Relativistic Dynamics:
  Mass, Energy, Momentum
 
GSR §7
 WS 4
9
Thu
4/7
Relativistic E & M:
  Magnetism via SR
  Tensors
  Lorentz Transformations III
  E&M via Tensors
 
GSR §11
GE §12.3.1–12.3.5
 
 
   WS EM
 
10
Fri
4/8
Topics in Relativity:
  Doppler Effect
  Uniform Acceleration
  General Relativity
 
GSR §13
 
 
  HW 2 due
 
11
Mon
4/11
Reference Frames:
  Inertial Frames
  Galilean Transformations
  Linear Acceleration
 
T §9.1
 
 
 HW 3
(due 4/15)
 
12
Tue
4/12
2-D Rotations:
  Rotating Coordinate Systems
  Centrifugal & Coriolis Forces
  Turntable Hockey
 
T §9.3–9.5
Notes: 2D
 
  WS 5
 
13
Wed
4/13
3-D Rotations:
  Rotating Coordinate Systems
  Centrifugal & Coriolis Forces
 
T §9.6–9.7
Notes: 3D
  WS B
14
Thu
4/14
Motion Relative to Earth:
  Earth Hockey I
  Earth Hockey II
 
McDonald
 
 WS 6
 
15
Fri
4/15
Motion Relative to Earth:
  Ocean & Air Currents
  Missiles
  Foucault Pendulum
 
T §9.8–9.9
Notes: Foucault
 
   HW 3 due