Introduction

Objectives:

• After completing this module you will be able to mathematically describe a sinusoidal wave and know the relationships between wavelength, frequency, and speed.  You will have explored interference and will be able to describe a standing wave and a wave packet.

January 9

• Read: Traveling Mechanical Waves  (Harmonic Waves)
• Read: Standing Mechanical Waves
• Read: Wave Packets
• In-class activity: Traveling wave simulation
• In-class activity: Standing wave simulation
• In-class activity: Exploring interference in one dimension
• In-class activity:  Synthesizing a square pulse
• In-class activity: Fourier series simulation
• In-class activity: The Fourier transform of a wave pulse

Textbook:

• Chapter 1
  

Laboratory:

• Standing Waves  January 14
  

Electromagnetic Waves

Objectives:

• After completing this module, you will be able to qualitatively describe electromagnetic waves and to identify different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.  You will be able to calculate diffraction patterns produced by a single slit, two slits, and a diffraction grating.

Web Material:

January 16

• Read: EM waves
• Read: Diffraction and interference
• Explore this PHET simulation of waves
• Explore this PHET simulation of interference
• Explore this PHET simulation of Fourier Series
  
• Remember!

Photons

Objectives:

• After completing this module you will be able to calculate the energy and momentum of the photons associated with an electromagnetic wave of a given frequency.  You will have explored various interpretations of single photon interference.

Web Material:

January 21

• Read: Radiation laws
• Read: Photons
• Read: What is light?
• In class activities
• Remember!

See also unit 2 reading!

Laboratory:

• Diffraction  (January 23)

Laboratory:

• The Photoelectric Effect  (January 28)