^{About the book}

This textbook explains the con­cepts and most important advances of modern physics without resort to higher mathematics. Avoids the traditional division between clas­sical and modern physics and en­deavours to present all material so as to develop quantum mechanical concepts.

The textbook is intended for secon­dary schools and as a teaching aid for physics teachers in general and technical secondary schools. Will be found useful by correspondence students studying ‘A ’ level and first year physics.

CONTENTS

Part Six: Vibrations and Waves

Chapter 49: Harmonic Vibrations

49.1. The Harmonic Oscillator 13

49.2. Frequency and Period of Vibration 15

49.3. Energy of a Harmonic Oscillator 10

49.4. Records of Vibratory Motion 17

49.5. Combining Vibrations Having the Same Frequency 21

49.6. Vector Diagrams 22

Chapter 50: Harmonic Analysis

50.1. Combining Vibrations at Closely Spaced Frequencies 23

50.2. Modulated Vibrations 25

50.3. Combining Vibrations at Multiple Frequencies 26

50.4. Fourier Series. Spectrum 27

Chapter 51: Free Vibrations

51.1. The Spring Pendulum 28

51.2. Damping. Q-factor 30

51.3. The Simple Pendulum 34

51.4. The Physical Pendulum 32

51.5. The Oscillatory Circuit 33

51.6. Energy, Natural Frequency, and Q-factor of an Oscillatory Circuit 35

51.7. A Unified Approach to Vibrations 36

Chapter 52: Self-Sustained Vibrations

52.1. Self-Sustained Oscillatory Systems 37

52.2. The Clock 30

52.3. The Harmonic Valve Oscillator 40

52.4. Build-up of Self-Sustained Oscillations 40

Chapter 53: Forced Vibrations

53.1. Sinusoidal Driving Force 42

53.2. Resonance 43

53.3. Resonance and Harmonic Analysis 44

53.4. Half-power Width of the Resonance Curve. Selectivity 46

53.5. Build-up of Forced Vibrations 46

53.6. Build-up of Vibrations at Resonance 47

53.7. Response to Sinusoidal Pulses 48

53.8. Uncertainty Relations for Frequency and Time 49

Chapter 54: Alternating Current

54.1. The Synchronous Alternator 50

54.2. A.C. Circuits 52

54.3. Resistance 52

54.4. Average and Root-Mean-Square Values of Current and Voltage 53

54.5. Capacitive Reactance 54

54.6. Inductive Reactance 55

54.7. Ohm’s Law for an A.C. Circuit 55

54.8. A.C. Power 56

54.9. The Transformer 57

54.10. Transmission of Electric Power over Distances 59

54.11. The Revolving Magnetic Field 60

54.12. Synchronous and Induction Motors 60

Chapter 55: Elastic Waves

55.1. Transverse and Longitudinal Waves 62

55.2. The Velocity of Elastic Waves 63

55.3. Energy and Intensity of the Wave 64

55.4. Attenuation of Waves 65

Chapter 56: Wave Equation

56.1. Wavelength 67

56.2. Equation of a Plane Wave 69

56.3. Equation of a Spherical Wave 70

56.4. Doppler Effect in Acoustics 71

56.5. Reflection and Refraction of Waves 72

56.6. Reflection and Transmission Coefficients 75

Chapter 57: Interference and Diffraction

57.1. The Principle of Superposition 76

57.2. Stationary Waves 77

57.3. Natural Frequencies 79

57.4. Interference 80

57.5. Interference of Waves from Two Sources 82

57.6. Interference of Waves from Several Sources 84

57.7. Intensity of Principal Maxima 86

57.8. Diffraction 87

57.9. Diffraction through a Rectangular Slit 88

57.10. Wave Refraction and Interference 90

Chapter 58: Fundamentals of Acoustics

58.1. Characteristics of Sound 92

58.2. Sources of Sound 95

58.3. Ultrasonic Transducers 96

58.4. Conversion of Sound to Electric Signals 98

58.5. The Human Ear 99

58.6. Infrasonics and Ultrasonics 101

Chapter 59: Electromagnetic Waves

59.1. Velocity of Electromagnetic Waves 104

59.2. Plane Sinusoidal Wave 104

59.3. Light Pressure 106

59.4. Electromagnetic Waves due to an Accelerated Charge 107

59.5. Electromagnetic Waves due to an Oscillating Charge and a Dipole 108

59.6. Electromagnetic Waves due to a Charge Moving in a Circular Path 110

59.7. Cerenkov Radiation 111

59.8. Doppler Effect in Optics 112

Chapter 60: Elements of Radio Engineering

60.1. Advent of Radio Communication 114

60.2. Transmission and Reception of Radio Signals 115

60.3. Television 117

60.4. The Valve Amplifier 117

60.5. Detection (Demodulation) 119

Chapter 61: Interference of Light

61.1. Electromagnetic Spectrum 120

61.2. Wave Train. Light Vector 122

61.3. Uncertainty Relations for Position and Wave Number 123

61.4. Monochromatic Radiation 125

61.5. Interference of Light 127

61.6. Coherence 128

61.7. Separation between Interference Maxima 130

61.8. The Michelson Interferometer 131

61.9. Application of Optical Interference 133

Chapter 62: Light Diffraction

62.1. Diffraction through a Single Aperture 134

62.2. Diffraction Grating 135

62.3. Angular Width of Principal Maxima 136

62.4. Resolving Power of a Diffraction Grating 137

62.5. Diffraction of X-rays 139

62.6. Diffraction by a Crystal Lattice 140

62.7. X-ray Analysis of Crystal Structure 142

62.8. Scattering of Light 144

Chapter 63: Dispersion and Absorption

63.1. Refractive Index for Light 145

63.2. Coefficients of Reflection and Transmission 147

63.3. Dispersion 148

63.4. Dispersion and Light Spectrum 149

63.5. Electron Theory of Dispersion 150

63.6. Normal and Anomalous Dispersion 152

63.7. Light Absorption 153

63.8. Phase and Group Velocities 154

63.9. Measurement of the Velocity of Light 155

Chapter 64: Polarization of Light

64.1. Polarized and Unpolarized Light 158

64.2. Analyzer. Malus Cosine-squared Law 159

64.3. Birefringence (Double Refraction) 162

64.4. Cause of Birefringence 163

64.5. Dichroism 165

64.6. Polaroid as Polarizer and Analyzer 165

64.7. Rotation of the Plane of Polarization 166

64.8. Optical Activity in Nature 168

Chapter 65: Geometrical (Ray) Optics

65.1. Basic Laws of Geometrical Optics. Beam and Ray 169

65.2. Refraction of Light. Total Internal Reflection 171

65.3. The Prism 173

65.4. The Lens 176

65.5. The Mirror 178

65.6. Aberrations 179

Chapter 66: Optical Instruments

66.1. The Eye 181

66.2. The Microscope 182

66.3. The Telescope 184

66.4. Resolving Power of Optical Instruments 186

66.5. The Photographic Camera 188

66.6. The Projector 189

66.7. Refractometer 190

66.8. Resolving power of an optical instrument 198

66.9. The electron microscope 201

66.10. The photographic camera. Projectors 202

66.11. The field ion microscope 204

66.12. Spectroscopy 206

66.13. Holography 207

Part Seven: Basic Quantum Physics of Atoms, Molecules, and Solids

Chapter 67: Thermal Radiation

67.1. Thermal radiation defined 211

67.2. Laws of black body radiation 213

67.3. Planck’s investigation of black-body radiation. Planck radiation formula 215

Chapter 68: Basic Quantum Optics

68.1. The photoelectric effect 216

68.2. Laws of the photoemissive effect 217

68.3. Quantum theory of light. Quantum-mechanical explanation of photoelectric emission 219

68.4. Photochemical effects 222

68.5. Mass and momentum of the photon. Light pressure in the quantum theory of light 223

68.6. The Compton effect 227

68.7. The wave-particle duality of light 229

Chapter 69: The Wave Properties of Elementary Particles

69.1. The wave-particle duality of elementary particles 232

69.2. Wave properties of neutrons, atoms, and molecules 236

69.3. Physical significance of de Broglie waves 239

Chapter 70: An Outline of Quantum Mechanics

70.1. The concept of the wave function 241

70.2. Heisenberg principle of indeterminacy 243

70.3. Motion of a free particle 248

70.4. The particle in a square potential well 250

70.5. The linear harmonic oscillator in quantum mechanics 254

70.6. Tunneling of a particle through the potential barrier 257

Chapter 71: The Bohr Model of the Hydrogen Atom

71.1. Rutherford’s nuclear model of the atom 260

71.2. Conflict between classical physics and Rutherford’s nuclear model of the atom 263

71.3. The line spectrum of the hydrogen atom 265

71.4. Bohr’s theory of atomic spectra 268

71.5. Energy quantization and determination of Rydberg’s constant on the Bohr theory 270

71.6. The Franck-Hertz experiment 272

Chapter 72: One-Electron Systems in Quantum Mechanics

72.1. Quantization of electron energy of the hydrogen atom in quantum mechanics 275

72.2. Quantization of angular momentum 277

72.3. Physical significance of Bohr orbits in quantum mechanics 278

72.4. Space quantization of angular momenta 278

72.5. Electron spin again 280

72.6. The fine structure of the spectrum 283

72.7. Quantum-theoretical interpretation of Bohr’s postulates 284

72.8. Spontaneous emission and absorption of light 285

72.9. Induced emission of light 288

Chapter 73: Many-Electron Atoms

73.1. The Pauli exclusion principle 290

73.2. Mendeleev’s periodic law 292

73.3. Bremsstrahlung 297

73.4. Characteristic X-rays 300

Chapter 74: The Structure and Spectra of Molecules

74.1. General characteristic of chemical bonds 304

74.2. Ionic bonds 306

74.3. Covalent bonds 307

74.4. Molecular spectra 309

Chapter 75: The Present-Day Theory of Electrical Conduction in Metals

75.1. Limitations of the classical theory of electrical conduction in metals 312

75.2. Quantization of electron energy in metals 314

75.3. Fermi level for electrons in metals 315

75.4. Momentum space of electrons in a metal 316

75.5. Degeneracy of electrons in a metal 319

75.6. Energy distribution of electrons in metals at absolute zero 321

75.7. The effect of temperature on the energy distribution of electrons 322

75.8. The specific heat of the degenerate electron gas 324

75.9. Quantum theory of electrical conduction in metals 325

75.10. Superconductivity 328

Chapter 76: The Band Theory of Solids

76.1. An outline of the band theory of solids 332

76.2. Splitting of the energy levels of outer and inner electrons in the atoms of solids 334

76.3. Arrangement of energy bands in solids. Band-to-band and intraband electron transitions 338

76.4. Metals and dielectrics in the light of the band theory of solids 337

Chapter 77: Electrical Properties of Semiconductors

77.1. Intrinsic electron conduction in semiconductors 340

77.2. Intrinsic hole conduction in semiconductors 342

77.3. Impurity or extrinsic electronic (n-type) semiconductors 343

77.4. Impurity or extrinsic hole (p-type) semiconductors 344

Chapter 78: Physical Processes in Semiconductor Devices

78.1. Contact phenomena in metals 345

78.2. Rectification at a metal-semiconductor junction 348

78.3. Rectification at a p-n junction 349

78.4. Transistors 351

78.5. Photoresistors and photodiodes 352

Chapter 79: Some Optical Properties of Solids

79.1. Raman scattering 354

79.2. Luminescence 356

79.3. Negative absorption of light 359

79.4. Lasers 362

Part Eight: The Basic Physics of the Nucleus and Elementary Particles

Chapter 80: Main Properties and Structure of the Atomic Nucleus

80.1. Charge and mass of atomic nuclei 368

80.2. Spin and magnetic moment of the nucleus 369

80.3. Constitution of the nucleus 372

80.4. Binding energy of the nucleus. Mass defect 375

80.5. Nuclear forces 379

80.6. The nuclear size 383

80.7. The liquid-drop model of the nucleus 385

Chapter 81: Natural Radioactivity

81.1. Radioactivity defined 388

81.2. Transition rules for radioactive decay 390

81.3. The fundamental law of radioactive decay 392

81.4. Activity and its measurement 394

81.5. Use of the exponential decay law 395

81.6. Radioactive decay as a statistical process 396

81.7. Radioactive dating in geology and archaeology 397

81.8. Detection of radioactive radiations and particles 399

81.9. Theory of radioactive decay 403

81.10. Gamma-rays 406

81.11. The Mössbauer effect 409

81.12. Theory of beta-decay 413

Chapter 82: Induced Transmutations of Atomic Nuclei

82.1. Transmutation of nitrogen into oxygen. Discovery of the neutron 417

82.2. Induced radioactivity 421

82.3. Electron-positron pair production and annihilation 422

82.4. The compound nucleus. General outline of nuclear reactions 425

82.5. Neutron reactions 427

82.6. Transuranic elements 428

82.7. Discovery of fission 429

82.8. Fission threshold. Spontaneous fission 434

82.9. Chain reactions 436

82.10. Nuclear reactors 438

82.11. The atomic bomb 441

82.12. Thermonuclear reactions 442

Chapter 83: Fundamental Particles

83.1. Two approaches to the structure of fundamental particles 448

83.2. Cosmic rays

83.3. The mu-meson 453

83.4. The pi-meson 455

83.5. Classification of couplings in nuclear physics 450

83.6. K-mesons and hyperons 461

83.7. Antiparticles 465

83.8. Structure of nucleons 472

Conclusion 476

Indexes

Author Index 479

Subject Index 482