PHY 409 Quantum Mechanics: Spring 2024

MWF 1:45pm - 2:50pm in Bracy 237

Instructor Information

• Dr. Julie Butler

• Email: butlerju@mountunion.edu

• Office: Bracy 107

• Office Hours: Wednesday 12pm - 2pm, Thursday 2:30pm - 4:30pm, Friday 12pm-2pm, or by appointment

• Cell Phone: 864-993-7133

Course Description and Learning Objectives

Material Covered

Grading

• Exams: 40%

  • Your exam score will be calculated as 0.4(A)+0.3(B)+0.2(C)+0.1(D), where A is the exam you scored highest, B is your next highest exam, C is the next highest score, and D your lowest exam score.

• Homework: 60%

  • Each homeworks is worth 10% of your final grade, with the lowest homework being dropped at the end of the course.

Percentage grades can be converted to an A-B scale using the following:

• A: 100-94

• A-: 93-90

• B+: 89-87

• B: 86-84

• B-: 83-80

• C+: 79-77

• C: 76-74

• C-: 73-70

• D+: 69-67

• D: 66-64

• D-: 63-60

• F: 59 and below

Homework

There will be seven homework assigned throughout the semester. Each homework will have ten questions, but you only have to answer eight questions for full credit. If you answer more than eight questions, I will score your homework using the eight questions you score highest on.

A physical copy of your completed homework is due on their due dates at the start of class (see the schedule below). Graded homeworks will be returned within one week of their due date.

All resources are available for your use on the homework (notes, book, other students, internet, chatbots, etc.). However, you must list any external sources (besides notes and book) you use on a question. You are encouraged to collaborate with other students on the homework, but you must list the names of your collaborators.

The homeworks are not timed, but I ask that you record roughly the time taken to answer each question.

Exams

There will be four non-cumulative, take-home exams throughout this course. The release dates and due dates of the exams are listed below. A physical exam copy must be handed to me or left in my office before the listed due date and time.

Each exam will have five questions; four must be answered for full credit. I will base your score on the highest four if you answer all five questions.

You can use your notes and the course textbook for the exams. You are not allowed to use the internet, other resources, or other people. The only internet resource allowed on the exams is Wolfram Alpha or Symlab, and you must state where these were used.

The exams are timed. You can only spend four hours working on the exam, but this can be non-consecutive. You are to record the dates and times you work on the exam on the cover sheet.

You can ask me for assistance on the exam, but you have to trade exam points for assistance. For example, I may offer 3 points to tell you if part (a) of a question is correct. If you take me up on the offer, the highest you can score on the exam is a 97. The more assistance you ask for, the more points I will require.

Late Policy

Late work is only accepted if late days are used. You have five late days that you can use throughout the semester only on the homeworks. Each late day gives you a 24-hour extension on the deadline. Exams must be turned in before the deadline. Situations that require extended deadlines (serious illness, death in the family, etc.) will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Schedule and Suggested Readings

Week 1 (January 8-12, 2024)

• Monday: Sections 1.1 - 1.3; Homework #1 Released

• Wednesday: Sections 1.4 - 1.6

• Friday: Problem Solving Day

Week 2 (January 15-18, 2024)

• Monday: No Class (MLK Day); Homework #2 Released

• Wednesday: Sections 2.1 - 2.2

• Friday: Section 2.3; Homework #1 Due at the Start of Class

Week 3 (January 24-26, 2024)

• Monday: Section 2.4

• Wednesday: Section 2.5

• Friday: Section 2.6

Week 4 (January 29 - February 2, 2024)

• Monday: Problem Solving Day

• Wednesday: Appendix A

• Friday: Appendix A; Homework #2 Due at the Start of Class

Week 5 (February 5-9, 2024)

• Monday: Sections 3.1-3.2; Homework #3 Released

• Wednesday: Section 3.3; Exam #1 Released

• Friday: Sections 3.4 - 3.5

Week 6 (February 12-16, 2024)

• Monday: Section 3.6; Exam #1 Due by 8 a.m.

• Wednesday: Section 4.1; Homework #4 Released

• Friday: Section 4.1

Week 7 (February 19-23, 2024)

• Monday: Section 4.2; Homework #3 Due at the Start of Class

• Wednesday: Section 4.2

• Friday: Section 4.3

Week 8 (February 26 - March 1, 2024)

• Monday: Section 4.3

• Wednesday: Problem Solving Day

• Friday: No Class (Spring Break)

Week 9 (March 11 - March 15, 2024)

• Monday: Section 4.4

• Wednesday: Section 4.4

• Friday: Section 4.5

Week 10 (March 18-22, 2024)

• Monday: Problem Solving Day

• Wednesday: Section 5.1; Homework #4 Due at the Start of Class; Homework #5 Released; Exam #2 Released

• Friday: Section 5.1

Week 11 (March 25-29, 2024)

• Monday: Section 5.2; Exam #2 Due by 8 a.m.

• Wednesday: Section 5.3

• Friday: Problem Solving Day

Week 12 (April 1-5, 2024)

• Monday: Sections 6.1 - 6.2; Homework #5 Due at the Start of Class; Homework #6 Released

• Wednesday: Sections 6.3 - 6.4

• Friday: Sections 6.4 - 6.5

Week 13 (April 8-12, 2024)

• Monday: Sections 6.6 - 6.7

• Wednesday: Section 6.8

• Friday: Problem Solving Day

Week 14 (April 15-19, 2024)

• Monday: Section 7.1; Homework #6 Due at the Start of Class; Homework #7 Released

• Wednesday: Section 7.1; Exam #3 Released

• Friday: Section 7.2

Week 15 (April 22-26, 2024)

• Monday: Section 7.2; Exam #3 Due by 8 a.m.

• Wednesday: Section 7.3

• Friday: Section 7.4

Week 16 (April 29 - May 3, 2024)

• Monday: Section 7.5

• Wednesday: Problem Solving Day; Homework #7 Due; Exam #4 Released; Last Day of Class

• Friday: No Class (Finals); Exam #4 Due by 8 a.m. on May 6