SEMESTER I CORE COURSE METHODOLOGY IN PHYSICS (PH1B01U) Module I Historical perspective on Physics and its method (12 hrs) Ancient perspectives on the universe - Geocentric model of Ptolemy Copernican Revolution. – Galileo, and his emphasis on experiments and observations. Kepler's laws. Newton and the deterministic universe - Maxwell and the unification of electricity, magnetism and optics. Planck’s hypothesis of quantum. Quantum mechanics. Einstein and his theories of relativity. Contributions by S. N. Bose, M. N. Saha, C. V. Raman and S. Chandrasekhar. Emergence of modern physics and technology - Semiconductor revolution - nanotechnology. Contemporary worldview - the expanding universe fundamental particles and the unification of all forces of – nature. (All from a historical perspective and derivations not required) Physics, and its –details relation to other branches of Science. Hypotheses; theories and laws in science- verification (proving), corroboration and falsification (disproving), Revision of scientific theories and laws. Significance of Peer Review. Publications and patents. Module II Measuring instruments (12 Hours) Measurement of time water clocks sun dials pendulum clocks digital clocks atomic – – – – – clocks. Length measurement rulers standard metre micrometers screw gauges- travelling – – – – microscope laser range finder- sonar GPS. Angle measurement spectrometer verniers - – – – scale and telescope - measurement of stellar parallaxes. Electrical measurement - Working principle of galvanometer, voltmeter, ammeter and digital multimeters. Module III Error Analysis (12 Hours) ideas uncertainties of measurement importance of estimating errors errors – – –dominant – random errors systematic errors - rejection of spurious measurements.Estimating and reporting – errors errors with reading scales, errors of digital instruments number of significant digits – – and relative errors standard deviation error bars and graphical representation. – – Propagation of errors sum and differences products and quotients multiplying by constants – – – powers Calibration need for calibration methods of calibration. – – –
SEMESTER I CORE COURSE METHODOLOGY IN PHYSICS (PH1B01U) Module I Historical perspective on Physics and its method (12 hrs) Ancient perspectives on the universe - Geocentric model of Ptolemy – Copernican Revolution. Galileo, and his emphasis on experiments and observations. Kepler's laws. Newton and the deterministic universe - Maxwell and the unification of electricity, magnetism and optics. Planck’s hypothesis of quantum. Quantum mechanics. Einstein and his theories of relativity. Contributions by S. N. Bose, M. N. Saha, C. V. Raman and S. Chandrasekhar. Emergence of modern physics and technology - Semiconductor revolution - nanotechnology. Contemporary worldview - the expanding universe – fundamental particles and the unification of all forces of nature. (All from a historical perspective –details and derivations not required) Physics, and its relation to other branches of Science. Hypotheses; theories and laws in science- verification (proving), corroboration and falsification (disproving), Revision of scientific theories and laws. Significance of Peer Review. Publications and patents. Module II Measuring instruments (12 Hours) Measurement of time – water clocks – sun dials – pendulum clocks – digital clocks – atomic clocks. Length measurement – rulers – standard metre – micrometers – screw gauges- travelling microscope – laser range finder- sonar – GPS. Angle measurement – spectrometer verniers - scale and telescope - measurement of stellar parallaxes. Electrical measurement - Working principle of galvanometer, voltmeter, ammeter and digital multimeters. Module III Error Analysis (12 Hours) ideas – uncertainties of measurement – importance of estimating errors –dominant errors – random errors – systematic errors - rejection of spurious measurements.Estimating and reporting errors – errors with reading scales, errors of digital instruments – number of significant digits and relative errors – standard deviation – error bars and graphical representation. Propagation of errors – sum and differences – products and quotients – multiplying by constants – powers Calibration – need for calibration – methods of calibration.
Semester-I-2.docx