What are the laws that govern the smallest constituents of matter? In this course we will explore the development of the modern quantum theory of the atom.
Topics include: heat diffusion and radiation, the kinetic theory of gasses, Bohr’s semi-classical model of the atom, the periodic table of the elements, radioactivity, elementary nuclear physics, wave mechanics and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.
This course is based on Volume IV of A Student's Guide Through the Great Physics Texts; this website will lead you, week-by-week, through this text using short videos and homework assignments. Each video has a code (in parentheses) that indicates the book volume, chapter, and lecture number.