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Module

PHY1025 : Introductory Quantum Mechanics

  • Offered for Year: 2023/24
  • Module Leader(s): Dr Paul Branch
  • Owning School: Mathematics, Statistics and Physics
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 2 Credit Value: 10
ECTS Credits: 5.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

To introduce the principals of the quantum behaviour of particles and form a basis for a formal instruction of quantum mechanics at later stages.

Outline Of Syllabus

Black body radiation; the photoelectric effect; the instability of the atom; the Compton effect.
Discovery of Planck’s constant and quantization of energy.
Wave-particle duality. de Broglie waves, electron diffraction.
Spectra of hydrogen and other one-electron atoms.
The Rutherford and Bohr models of the atom.
Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.
The Schrödinger equation (non-relativistic).
Bound states and the potential well problem including the infinite square potential well.
Atomic structure: quantum numbers of hydrogen including spin.
Quantum tunnelling.
Applications of quantum mechanics in atomic physics.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion301:0030:00Preparation time for lectures, background reading, coursework review
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion381:0038:00Completion of in course assignments/ examination revision
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture21:002:00Revision Lectures
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture201:0020:00Formal Lectures
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesWorkshops101:0010:00Problem-solving classes
Total100:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures are used for the delivery of theory and explanation of methods, illustrated with examples, and for giving general feedback on marked work.

The teaching methods are appropriate to allow students to develop a wide range of skills, from understanding basic concepts and facts to higher-order thinking.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Exams
Description Length Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Written Examination1202A60N/A
Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Prob solv exercises2M10Problem-solving exercises assessment
Prob solv exercises2M10Problem-solving exercises assessment
Prob solv exercises2M10Problem-solving exercises assessment
Prob solv exercises2M10Problem-solving exercises assessment
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

A substantial formal unseen examination is appropriate for the assessment of the material in this module. The format of the examination will enable students to reliably demonstrate their own knowledge, understanding and application of learning outcomes. The assurance of academic integrity forms a necessary part of programme accreditation.

Exam problems may require a synthesis of concepts and strategies from different sections, while they may have more than one ways for solution. The examination time allows the students to test different strategies, work out examples and gather evidence for deciding on an effective strategy, while carefully articulating their ideas and explicitly citing the theory they are using.

The coursework assignments allow the students to develop their problem solving techniques, to practise the methods learnt in the module, to allow the students to tackle more complex (or longer) problems that would not be suitable for and examination and to assess their progress and to receive feedback; these assessments have a secondary formative purpose as well as their primary summative purpose.

Reading Lists

Timetable