Most difficult part of the material
Using Ampere's Law, and thinking about the orbit of the electron as a current loop? I don't understand how this gives us the actual magnetic field (if it does). I thought that the electrons did not orbit the nucleus in perfect circles. I guess this is just a different way of looking at it.
Most interesting part of the material
Looking at the Hydrogen energy level predictions, and how they are split and the errors that Bohr, Sommerfield and Dirac made in their work. they seem to represent the energy levels quite well, even though they are just very approximate values.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Reading Assignment 7
Most difficult part of the material
I am not sure how the torque associated with the dipole moment works. I have studied torque in other systems, but it would be good to go through it more closely in class, possibly covering the basics of torque again to see how it applies to the one electron atom.
Most interesting part of the material
From the studies of plasma physics, I found it easier to understand section 8.2 and the magnetic dipole moment, due to the mention of the Larmour radius, which I also used in one of my lab experiments.
I am not sure how the torque associated with the dipole moment works. I have studied torque in other systems, but it would be good to go through it more closely in class, possibly covering the basics of torque again to see how it applies to the one electron atom.
Most interesting part of the material
From the studies of plasma physics, I found it easier to understand section 8.2 and the magnetic dipole moment, due to the mention of the Larmour radius, which I also used in one of my lab experiments.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Reading Assignment 6
Most difficult part of the material
Branching the Schroedinger equation out from one dimension to three, so that we may include angular momentum. I'm not sure how to incorporate it yet, whether we completely reinvent the equation, or if we are simply adding on an extra term that we did not have before. The maths in 7.8 wasn't very easy to follow...actually alot of the maths up to now hasn't been that simple.
Most interesting part of the material
The quantisation of angular momentum and how it is represented with no definite x or y coordinate ie the vector model. I'm not really sure how this corresponds to reality, nor how this behaves with the classical prediction.
Branching the Schroedinger equation out from one dimension to three, so that we may include angular momentum. I'm not sure how to incorporate it yet, whether we completely reinvent the equation, or if we are simply adding on an extra term that we did not have before. The maths in 7.8 wasn't very easy to follow...actually alot of the maths up to now hasn't been that simple.
Most interesting part of the material
The quantisation of angular momentum and how it is represented with no definite x or y coordinate ie the vector model. I'm not really sure how this corresponds to reality, nor how this behaves with the classical prediction.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Reading Assignment 5
Most difficult part of the material
Section 7.6 on eigenfunctions I found to be difficult. Books always talk about 'extracting' information out of them, or from equations, and I don't completely understand how this works (using operators perhaps?). It will be useful to slowly go through the maths involved, and exactly what an eigenfunction is (in physics).
Most interesting part of the material
Definitely the probability densities in section 7.7. These I find more tolerable and easier to understand, since some of it is similiar to work from second year chemistry. The graphs I could understand, though I fear I may have trouble once we start looking at multielection atoms instead of the much easier hydrogen atom.
Section 7.6 on eigenfunctions I found to be difficult. Books always talk about 'extracting' information out of them, or from equations, and I don't completely understand how this works (using operators perhaps?). It will be useful to slowly go through the maths involved, and exactly what an eigenfunction is (in physics).
Most interesting part of the material
Definitely the probability densities in section 7.7. These I find more tolerable and easier to understand, since some of it is similiar to work from second year chemistry. The graphs I could understand, though I fear I may have trouble once we start looking at multielection atoms instead of the much easier hydrogen atom.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Reading Assignment 4
Most difficult part of the material
Applying the separation of variables multiple times in order to solve the the time-independent Schroedinger equation. I understood it to an extent when we did it last lecture, however I am still not sure how to apply it multiple times. This is made more complicated with the introduction of spherical polar coords into the mix, it would be good if these were explained a bit slower in the lecture so that I do not get lost when we go over them.
Most interesting part of the material
I much prefer to look at one dimensional atoms and their potentials. I recognise the coulomb potential equation but am still not 100% sure on how to apply it. It is good to finally see what the solutions to the Schroe eqn look like, as seen with eqn 7-24.
Applying the separation of variables multiple times in order to solve the the time-independent Schroedinger equation. I understood it to an extent when we did it last lecture, however I am still not sure how to apply it multiple times. This is made more complicated with the introduction of spherical polar coords into the mix, it would be good if these were explained a bit slower in the lecture so that I do not get lost when we go over them.
Most interesting part of the material
I much prefer to look at one dimensional atoms and their potentials. I recognise the coulomb potential equation but am still not 100% sure on how to apply it. It is good to finally see what the solutions to the Schroe eqn look like, as seen with eqn 7-24.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Reading Assignment 3
Most difficult part of the material
Some of the reading reminded me of finding solutions to the Schroe eqn in computation lab last year. I had found this difficult, since I did not understand the maths involved at the time. Section 5.7 was long and very difficult to read without getting confused, since they keep swapping between the derivative explanation and the geometric side of it.
Most interesting part of the material
The probability density functions for the SH oscillators were easier to understand and the way they related it to classical mechanics was interesting, particularly how the probability for classical is very large at the edges of the osciallator - hopefully this is will be covered in lectures.
Some of the reading reminded me of finding solutions to the Schroe eqn in computation lab last year. I had found this difficult, since I did not understand the maths involved at the time. Section 5.7 was long and very difficult to read without getting confused, since they keep swapping between the derivative explanation and the geometric side of it.
Most interesting part of the material
The probability density functions for the SH oscillators were easier to understand and the way they related it to classical mechanics was interesting, particularly how the probability for classical is very large at the edges of the osciallator - hopefully this is will be covered in lectures.
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