DAY 2- FEBRUARY 4, 2023

MAED GEN SCI 7:30 AM - 11:00 AM

INTRODUCTION TO MODERN PHYSICS
TOPIC DISTRIBUTION/REPORT
SYLLABUS
SCHEDULE
CONCEPTS OF MODERN PHYSICS

Modern physics started to develop at the beginning

of the 20th century. In the late 19th century,
many physicists thought that almost everything
was known and that all that was left to do was to
calculate the physical constants to more decimal
places. This is illustrated by the famous quote by
Albert Michelson at around this time:
While it is never safe to affirm that the future of Physical Science has
no marvels in store even more astonishing than those of the past,
it seems probable that most of the grand underlying principles
have been firmly established … the future truths of physical
science are to be looked for in the sixth place of decimals.
Little did he know that brand new branches of physics would be
established in the coming years that would drastically change
the way we look at the world.
Modern physics attempts to understand
the interaction of matter on the most
extreme scales, where it has been found
that the world behaves very differently
from what had been predicted by
classical physics and from what is
witnessed in everyday life.
‘Modern’ is not used in this case in the normal sense of the word because many
current topics in classical physics would then also be considered modern physics.
‘Modern’ actually refers to physics that includes parts of quantum mechanics or
relativity, which are theories that came into fruition at the start of the
20th century. They were used to explain experimental results that classical
physics could not explain. These theories led to many counterintuitive and
seemingly ridiculous predictions, which, however, were slowly proven again and
again as technology advanced. They completely revolutionized science and made
Michelson’s statement look absurd.
EXAMPLES OF MODERN PHYSICS

Notable fields of modern physics include

special relativity, general relativity, and
quantum mechanics. These are the
main three theories that sparked so
much scientific work in many different
areas throughout the 20th century.
Special relativity
Special relativity is a theory credited mainly to Albert Einstein, who published his
ideas in 1905, although there was also lots of great work done on the subject by
physicist Hendrik Lorentz and by Henri Poincaré shortly before him.
Special relativity deals with situations when objects move at extremely high
velocities that are not experienced in normal life. When these velocities reach
close to the speed of light, the equations of classical mechanics become invalid,
and new ones have to be used. At high velocities, phenomena called time dilation
and length contraction become significant. As the speed of an object increases,
the time taken for it to move a certain distance will increase for an outside
observer. On the other hand, an object moving close to the speed of light will
become shorter in the direction of motion – its length will be contracted.
An example that illustrates time dilation is found in cosmic rays, which consist of
high-energy particles traveling through outer space. When they travel through
the atmosphere, they can cause particles called muons to be created, which are
sometimes sent down towards the Earth.
A muon has a short lifetime, so it should not be able to reach the Earth’s surface and
be detected. However, these particles travel at speeds close to that of light and
thus experience relativistic effects. Their lifetime appears to be much longer
from our perspective, and they can reach our detectors on Earth.
General relativity
General relativity was an extension of Einstein’s special theory that he presented to
the physics community in 1915. Special relativity applies to objects moving at
constant velocity. After he finished this theory, Einstein worked furiously to
extend it to incidents with acceleration, which is why it is called ‘general’ as it
applies to all situations. This required a much more advanced and in-depth
theory.
At the time, there was a well-known problem with the orbit of the planet Mercury
around the sun. It had been observed that the perihelion (the point of the orbit
closest to the sun) shifted each orbit, and this shift was not correctly predicted by
the use of Newton’s law of gravitation. Some suggestions were made as to why
there was a deviation from the law, such as another planet even closer to the sun,
but none of them solved the issue.
To the amazement of physicists around the world, Einstein found the correct results
by showing that Newton’s law was just an approximation and that general
relativity effects from the sun needed to be taken into account to get the actual
perihelion shift.
Einstein worked on general relativity largely on his own, and he was very much
ahead of his time. The theory was not used much for scientific work until it came
into the mainstream of physics at the start of the 1960s, when it was used to
arrive at some of the concepts that are still active topics of debate in the physics
community today, such as black holes and singularities. These ideas were
thought to be crazy at the time, but they simply came from following the ideas
and mathematics of general relativity through to their logical conclusions.
Quantum mechanics
Quantum physics is the study of matter at the smallest of scales, the atomic and sub-
atomic levels. Quantum mechanics is the mathematics describing the movement
and interaction of particles at this scale. The theory was extremely revolutionary
when it was first introduced because it seemed to go completely against ideas of
classical physics and, at times, even against logic.
As it became more developed, it was found that the theory led to some very
counterintuitive phenomena, such as tunneling (where particles can jump
through a barrier) and the idea of particles being in two places at once. These
seemed to completely contradict everything we see in normal life, but they
simply come from the mathematics of quantum mechanics and were later
proven.
Max Planck is known as the father of quantum mechanics. He did lots of great work
in thermodynamics around the turn of the 20th century. At that time, there was
a problem in thermodynamics called the ‘ultraviolet catastrophe,’ which
described how classical physics predicted black bodies to emit an infinite amount
of radiation at shorter wavelengths (towards the ultraviolet range), which did
not happen.
Planck realized that if energy only came in discrete quantities, in units of a certain
constant h (which is now called the Planck constant), he could solve the problems
and his equations worked. He was very reluctant to take his hypothesis further
and did not truly believe that energy was quantized, just that it was a
mathematical trick that worked in this instance.
It was Einstein again who took Planck’s ideas seriously. He explained the
photoelectric effect (the emission of electrons from a metal when light is shone on
it) by using Planck’s constant and suggesting that energy was discrete. Although
his ideas were met with skepticism at first, more physicists came to realize that
quantum mechanics described the true nature of matter, and huge amounts of
work were done on it in the first half of the century. In the end, it would
completely revolutionize physics.
TYPES OF MODERN PHYSICS
Modern physics can be categorized into two main types:
 Theoretical physics: Theoretical physicists spend their time analyzing
experimental data and observations and formulating consistent mathematical
models which to explain the data and observations. The aim of theoretical
physics is to provide comprehensive frameworks which we can use to
understand the world around us.
 Experimental physics: Experimental physicists spend their time designing and
performing experiments and collecting and analyzing the results. Experimental
physics is an essential component of the scientific method because science relies
on observation and experimental data in order to draw conclusions about the
world.
APPLICATIONS OF MODERN PHYSICS
Applications of modern physics can be seen in lots of different areas in scientific
research and also in daily life. One example of an application of relativity and
one of quantum mechanics are explained below.
Black holes
The effects of general relativity are only noticeable on the largest of scales when
masses are enormous and gravitational fields have incredible strength. One of
these situations is when two black holes collide. Much of what we know about
the universe is through studying the electromagnetic waves that reach the Earth.
However, theoretically, general relativity suggests another way of studying the
universe: gravitational waves.
Gravitational waves are ripples that travel through space-time, the fabric that
pervades all of space. They are normally extremely small and impossible to
detect on Earth, but when there is a cataclysmic event in the universe, such as
two black holes colliding, the gravitational waves may be sent toward us, and
extremely sensitive equipment can be used to detect them.
There is a large-scale experiment called LIGO (laser
interferometer gravitational-wave observatory) that
detects gravitational waves through the use of an
interferometer. This is a special piece of equipment
that can detect distortions of space-time. The masses
of the black holes and the location of the collision can
be found from the experimental readings.
Superconductors
A superconductor is a material that has no resistance at low temperatures, meaning
that an extremely high current can run through it. The phenomenon of
superconductivity can be understood through quantum mechanics. The charge
carriers pair together in what are called “Cooper pairs.”
These pairs formed are bosons, which can all fall into the same quantum state. This
means that they all travel around the material as a coherent wave and pass
through irregularities without construction. Superconductors have many uses.
For instance, they can create very large magnetic fields, which are needed in
applications such as particle accelerators and MRI (magnetic resonance
imaging) scans.
IMPORTANCE OF MODERN PHYSICS
• Modern physics helps us understand the true nature of the universe. It allows us
to probe right to the extremes: from the edges of black holes down to the inner
workings of nuclei. Modern physics has led to many technological advances on
top of the examples mentioned above. But even these statements don't fully point
out the importance of modern physics.
• In order to see the importance of modern physics, we should also remember to
mention that quantum mechanics is the basis for many electrical components
such as diodes and transistors. On the other hand, relativity needs to be taken
into account for satellite-based measurements as the satellites are moving with
respect to Earth. In addition, the different branches of modern physics often
contain the underlying principles for other subjects. For instance, the chemistry
of atoms can be understood through the mathematics behind quantum
mechanics.
MODERN PHYSICS - KEY TAKEAWAYS
• The main theories behind modern physics were introduced at the start of the
20th century.
• Modern physics refers to branches of physics that include quantum mechanics
or relativity.
• Modern physics deals with the extremes of nature.
• Quantum mechanics is the study of matter on the smallest of scales.
• Special relativity must be taken into account when the velocity is very high, and
general relativity is significant when the masses are very great and the
gravitational fields strong
MODERN PHYSICS - KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Quantum mechanics and the theories of relativity completely revolutionized
physics and the way that physicists looked at the world.
• Einstein is credited with both the special and the general theories of relativity.
• Planck was the father of quantum mechanics, but Einstein was the physicist
who took his ideas forward and sparked vast amounts of work on the theory.
• Gravitational waves were predicted by the general theory of relativity and are
frequently detected nowadays.
• Quantum mechanics has had many useful applications since its birth. Notable
examples are superconductors and components in electronic circuits, such as
diodes and thermistors.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MODERN PHYSICS

What is modern physics?

Modern physics attempts to understand
the interaction of matter on the most
extreme scales, where it has been found
that the world behaves very differently
to what had been predicted by classical
physics.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MODERN PHYSICS

What is the difference between classical

physics and modern physics?
Classical physics applies to everyday
conditions whereas modern physics is
used for extreme physical situations.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MODERN PHYSICS

Who is the father of modern physics?

Albert Einstein is the father of
modern physics.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MODERN PHYSICS

What is modern physics used for?

Modern physics has many useful
applications. Quantum mechanics is
behind the functioning of
superconductors. Special relativity
needs to be taken into account for
satellite-based measurements.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MODERN PHYSICS

What are the two pillars of

modern physics?
The two pillars of modern
physics are quantum mechanics
and relativity.
TOPICS
1-PHYSICAL QUANTITIES AND VECTORS
2-MOTION ALONG A STRAIGHT LINE
3-MOTION IN TWO OR THREE DIMENSIONS
4-NEWTON”S LAWS OF MOTION
5-APPLYING NEWTON”S LAWS
6-WORK AND KINETIC ENERGY
7-POTENTIAL ENERGY AND ENERGY CONSERVATION
8-MOMENTUM, IMPULSE AND COLLISIONS
9-ROTATION OF RIGID BODIES
10-DYNAMICS OF ROTATIONAL MOTIONS
TOPICS
11-EQUILIBRIUM AND ELASTICITY
12-FLUID MECHANICS
13-GRAVITATION
14-PERIODIC MOTION
15-MECHANICAL WAVES
16-SOUND AND HEARING
17-TEMPERATURE AND HEAT
18-THERMAL PROPERTIES OF MATTER
19-THE FIRST LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS
20-THE SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS
21-ELECTRIC CHARGE AND ELECTRIC FIELD
22-GAUSS”S LAW
23-ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
24-CAPACITANCE AND DIELECTRICS
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE REPORT
LECTURE
SAMPLE PROBLEMS
SAMPLELABORATORY ACTIVITIES/EXPERIMENTS/WORKSHOPS
THANK YOU
AND
KEEP SAFE
EVERYONE