Introduction to Quantum Physics
PHY B56 - LEC 01 - Fall 2012
Lecture Tuesday 10:00 am - 12:00 pm MW 264
Tutorial Thursday 10:00 am - 12:00 pm MW 262
"I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics"
– Richard Feynman
"If you are not confused by quantum physics then you haven’t really understood it"
– Niehls Bohr
"There is no general consensus as to what its fundamental principles are, how it should
be taught, or what it really "means". Every competent physicist can "do" quantum
mechanics, but the stories we tell ourselves about what we are doing are as various as
the tales of Scheherazade, and almost as implausible."
– David Griffiths
Office: SW 503B
Phone Number: 416-287-7327 Course Website: portal.utoronto.ca
Office Hours
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11:30 am - 1:30 pm 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Tuesday, Thursday 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
or by Appointment (call or email to schedule)
Course Description
We will start the course with an introduction to the experimental basis of Quantum Mechanics and the
properties of the wave function. Schrödinger’s equation will be introduced with some applications in
one dimension. Topics will include square potential wells, the quantum harmonic oscillator, uncertainty
principles, delta potential, scattering, and tunnelling.
By the end of the course you will be able to:
• Identify and define the basic vocabulary used in Quantum Physics.
• Recognize the experimental evidence that led to the revision of Classical Physics.
• Illustrate conceptually and with experimental examples, the main differences between the quantum
paradigm and the classical paradigm.
• Apply the fundamental ideas of Quantum Mechanics to simple one-dimensional models.
• Continue the development and application of the mathematical tools useful in the study of Physics.
Corequisite: Techniques of the Calculus of Several Variables I (MATB41)
Pre-Requisites: Introduction to Physics IIA (PHYA21); Calculus II for Physical Sciences (MATA36)
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Required Materials
• Textbook: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics by David J. Griffiths (Pearson, 2nd Ed.)
ISBN# 9780131118928; U of T Bookstore SKU# 10878835
The schedule provided at the end of this document indicates the chapters and sections you must read
before each lecture. The textbook also provides the conceptual questions and detailed problems that
will be the subject of the weekly problem sets, reading quizzes, and tutorial quizzes.
• Textbook: Quantum Mechanics by Robert Scherrer (Pearson, 1st Ed.)
A handout of Chapter 1: The Origins of Quantum Mechanics will be provided.
• Calculator: A scientific and non-programmable calculator is required.
Grading Scheme
Component Points Due Date
Reading Quizzes 5 Ongoing (Weekly)
Tutorial Quizzes 10 Ongoing (TUT Session)
Reading Project 20 Weeks 3, 6, 10, 11-12
Test #1 15 Week 5
Test #2 15 Week 9
Final Examination 35 Exam Period (December 07 - 21)
Grade Components
Reading Quizzes (5%)
Each week on the course website you will be asked a set of questions from the assigned readings for the
upcoming week. You will have until 11:55 pm on Monday to submit your answer. Each quiz is worth
5 points, and your final grade is the total sum of all quizzes up to a maximum of 50 points. Use the
Class Schedule found at the end of this document to prepare for the lectures and reading quizzes.
Tutorial Quizzes (10%)
During our tutorial sessions we will work on questions you might have from the assigned problem sets.
Please note that the problem sets will not be collected or graded and it is your responsibility to make
sure you understand the discussions presented in these problems. During the tutorials we will discuss
the most important points in the problem sets as well as difficult points you may have encountered in
your readings. At the end of the tutorial session we will have a quiz on the assigned material.
Reading Project (20%)
Students will work in pairs on a topic that is an extension or application of one of the subjects of
the course. The topic will be stated in the form of a pre-proposal submitted to the course instruc-
tor no later than the start of Week 3. Failing to submit an adequate pre-proposal by the deadline
will result in a deduction of 2 points to the grade. By the start of Week 6 each pair will submit a
proposal worth 5 points. The proposal will include the abstract and annotated bibliography with a
minimum of one peer-reviewed primary source. The report paper on the selected topic is due at the
start of Week 10 and will be worth 10 points. The report should be 10-12 double-spaced pages in
length not counting cover page, major illustrations, or references. A presentation worth 5 points
summarizing the material in the report will be prepared by each pair and delivered during Week 11-12.
Each pair will have 35 minutes to present their findings and take up questions from the rest of the class.
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Test #1 (15%)
Our first test will be tentatively scheduled during Week 5. This test includes all materials discussed up
to and including the tutorial session of Thursday, October 04.
Test #2 (15%)
Our second test will be tentatively scheduled during Week 9. This test includes all materials discussed
up to and including the tutorial session of Thursday, November 01.
Both tests will be 90 minutes long and the format includes conceptual questions in multiple-choice or
short-answer format, and detailed problems. The only aids allowed are your non-programmable scientific
calculator, and a hand-written, double-sided, and letter-sized equation sheet. Please note that photo-
copies or computer printouts are not allowed.
Final Examination (35%)
The final examination will be scheduled during the exam period of December 07 - 21. Material for
the final examination will include all the topics discussed in the assigned textbook readings, lecture
presentations, problem sets, tutorial quizzes, and student presentations. The final examination will be
3 hours long and the format includes conceptual questions in multiple-choice or short-answer format,
and detailed problems. The only aids allowed are your non-programmable scientific calculator, and a
hand-written, double-sided, and letter-sized equation sheet. Please note that photocopies or computer
printouts are not allowed.
Class Policies
Absences
There will be no makeup options for tutorial quizzes or the tests. In the case of a valid and documented
problem that supports an absence to a quiz, the grade will be calculated on the basis of all other quizzes.
In the case of a valid and documented problem that supports an absence to the first test, the second
test will have its weight increased accordingly. In the case of a valid and documented problem that
supports an absence to the second test, the final examination will have its weight increased accordingly.
Name and Student Number
Any work you hand in must clearly indicate your name and student number, this includes tutorial quizzes,
materials for the reading project, tests, and the final exam. Any work you submit that fails to meet this
requirement will be penalized with a 10% deduction, provided we are able to identify the work as yours.
If we are unable to identify the work as yours, a grade of zero will be awarded.
e-mail
If you want to ask a question via e-mail, please first check the electronic forums in the Discussion
Board of the course website. Quite likely, you are not the only person with that same question, and
if that question has already been asked, you will find the answer there. If the question has not been
asked, go ahead and post it yourself instead of sending it by e-mail. This way you will also help other
students facing the same issue. The forums in the discussion board are monitored regularly by the course
instructor and your peers, making it the best way of communicating for various queries of diverse nature.
However, if the electronic forums are not the best place for your query, make sure you send your e-mail
from an official utoronto.ca address (e.g., your UTmail+ account), as all other addresses will be fil-
tered out automatically. Furthermore, include the code PHYB56 somewhere in the subject line of your
message, to ensure a quicker response time. I reply to e-mails within a period of 24 hours and I rarely
reply to e-mails during weekends.
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In-class Conduct
• Please turn off all cellphones, laptop computers, and tablets when you come into the class.
• Lectures and tutorials start at 10:10 am and end at 12:00 pm. Late arrival or early departure from
class is inappropriate and disruptive so please be considerate.
• Do not bring food into the classroom as this creates unwanted distractions that will affect the
learning environment.
• Regarding anything that you might want to use in the classroom: if you are not using it to per-
form a task specifically related to what we are doing in class at that very moment, please put it away.
Academic Integrity and Respect for the Academic Endeavor
Academic integrity is essential to the pursuit of learning and scholarship in a university, and to ensuring
that a degree from the University of Toronto is a strong signal of each student’s individual academic
achievement. As a result, the University treats cases of cheating and plagiarism very seriously. The
University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters:
http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/policies/behaveac.htm
outlines the behaviours that constitute academic dishonesty and the processes for addressing academic
offences. Potential offences include, but are not limited to:
• In papers and assignments: Using someone else’s ideas or words without appropriate acknowledg-
ment; submitting your own work in more than one course without the permission of the instructor;
making up sources or facts; obtaining or providing unauthorized assistance on any assignment.
• On tests and exams: Using or possessing unauthorized aids; looking at someone else’s answers
during an exam or test; misrepresenting your identity.
• In academic work: Falsifying institutional documents or grades; falsifying or altering any docu-
mentation required by the University, including (but not limited to) doctor’s notes.
All suspected cases of academic dishonesty will be investigated following procedures outlined in the
Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters. If you have questions or concerns about what constitutes
appropriate academic behaviour or appropriate research and citation methods, you are expected to
seek out additional information on academic integrity from your instructor or from other institutional
resources (see http://www.utoronto.ca/academicintegrity/resourcesforstudents.html).
Course Support
AccessAbility
Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you have a
disability/health consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to approach me and/or
the AccessAbility Services Office as soon as possible. I will work with you and AccessAbility Services
to ensure you can achieve your learning goals in this course. Enquiries are confidential. The UTSC
AccessAbility Services staff (located in SW302) are available by appointment to assess specific needs,
provide referrals and arrange appropriate accommodations (416) 287-7560 or [email protected]
Discussion Board
The course website supports boards useful for questions and discussions on course content, conceptual
problems, textbook readings, as well as any issues relating to administrative details of the course such
as deadlines, future topics, and scheduling.
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Class Schedule
This schedule is tentative and might change during the term in order to accommodate for variations in
the lectures in response to student performance and understanding of the various topics.
Please note that it is your responsibility to read the assigned sections and chapters before each lecture.
The lecture discussions will not be a direct repetition of the basic material found in the textbook.
During the lectures we will concentrate on important and difficult aspects of the theories and concepts
from your textbook readings.
Failing to complete the textbook readings before each lecture will significantly affect your ability to un-
derstand the class discussions.
Tuesday Lecture Thursday Tutorial
Dates 10am - 12pm 10am - 12pm
Sep. 11 Blackbody Radiation and Light Matter Waves and Bohr’s Atom
Sep. 13 Scherrer Ch.1: 1 - 3 Scherrer Ch.1: 4 - 6
Sep. 18 Schrödinger’s Equation Problem Set #1
Sep. 20 Griffiths Ch.1: 1 - 4 Quiz #1
Sep. 25 Wave Functions and Uncertainty Problem Set #2
Sep. 27 Griffiths Ch.1: 5 - 6 Quiz #2
Oct. 02 Stationary States Problem Set #3
Oct. 04 Griffiths Ch.2: 1 Quiz #3
Oct. 09 The Particle in a Box Problem Set #4
Oct. 11 Griffiths Ch.2: 2 Quiz #4
Oct. 16 The Free Particle and Momentum Problem Set #5
Oct. 18 Griffiths Ch.2: 4 Quiz #5
Oct. 23 Delta Potential and Scattering Problem Set #6
Oct. 25 Griffiths Ch.2: 5 Quiz #6
Oct. 30 The Finite Square Well Problem Set #7
Nov. 01 Griffiths Ch.2: 6 Quiz #7
Nov. 06 Quantum Harmonic Oscillator I Problem Set #8
Nov. 08 Griffiths Ch.2: 3 Quiz #8
Nov. 13 Quantum Harmonic Oscillator II Problem Set #9
Nov. 15 Griffiths Ch.2: 3 Quiz #9
Nov. 20 Student Presentations Problem Set #10
Nov. 22 Groups: 1, 2, 3 Quiz #10
Nov. 27 Student Presentations Student Presentations
Nov. 29 Groups: 4, 5, 6 Groups: 7, 8, 9
