PHYSICS 851/852 : QUANTUM MECHANICS I/II

Instructor: Scott Pratt
prattsc@msu.edu
National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, #2133
(517) 908-7460
Lecture:
Mon./Wed./Fri. 11:30-12:20 PM
#1300 BPS
ZOOM (until MSU issues COVID all-clear):
(ZOOM PW emailed to students)
Office Hours:
Monday, Tuesday and Friday 4-5:30 PM
or immediately after class
#2133 FRIB
Grader: James Carter
carte513@msu.edu
Friday class assisted by Matt Zeilbeck
zeilbec1@msu.edu
Homework turned in via
GRADESCOPE

Scott's Photo
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
All classes online via ZOOM until February 1st (at least)
Office hours will be in-person at #2133 FRIB
Slack channel will be set up for on-line questions
Monday, Jan. 17 -- Martin Luther King Day, no class!
Monday-Friday, March 7-11 -- Spring Break, no class!
COURSE STRUCTURE:
  • In-person lectures will be presented on Mondays and Wednesdays. Fridays will be devoted to group work. Only one submission is required per group, but the names of all contributing students should be on the exercise.
  • Two in-class midterms are scheduled: Wednesday, October 13th, and Wednesday, November 24th.
  • Homework will be due every Friday by noon. Assignments will be turned in and graded via GradesScope.
  • Most of the last two weeks of the course will be devoted to studying for the final exam. Students will make presentations (in teams of two) of problems they believe will assist with preparing for the exam. Teams and assigned chapters will be announced near the end of the semester.
  • The Final Exam is scheduled for May 5th at 12:45 PM in BPS 1300. Because it is a "subject exam", three hours are allotted. An equation sheet (see past exams) will be provided as part of the exam.
    TEXT BOOK:
    Lecture notes can function as text book, but it is a good idea to purchase something more permanent to get additional perspective.
    Some to consider:
    Modern Quantum Mechanics, J.J. Sakurai and J. Napolitano, Second Edition
    Lectures on Quantum Mechanics, Gordon Baym
    GRADING WEIGHTS AND SCALE:
    Homework (due at beginning of class on day assigned for group work): 10%
    Weekly group projects: 15%
    Midterm: 30% (Friday, March 4th)
    Final exam study presentations: 5%
    Final exam: 40%
    SCALE:
    85-100%: 4.0
    75-85%: 3.5
    65-75%: 3.0
    55-65%: 2.5
    45-55%: 2.0
    35-45%; 1.5
    25-35%: 1.0
    CALENDAR:
    Midterm: Friday, March 4
    Final (Subject Exam): 12:45-3:45 PM, May 5th, 1300 BPS
    POSTED LECTURE NOTES are not meant to be a replacement for textbook.
    Beware!!! These are living documents and will change without notice.
    HOMEWORK AND SOLUTIONS
    IN-CLASS EXERCISES
    PRACTICE EXAMS AND PREVIOUS EXAMS
    STUDENT PRESENTATIONS FOR FINAL EXAM STUDYING
    PRACTICE UNDERGRAD PROBLEMS FOR PREPARATION
    TEMPLATES for PROGRAMMING:
    Matrix Manipulation(python,ipython notebook, C++)

    Physics and Astronomy home page