8.021 Physics II
Fall 2011
Instructor: George S. F. Stephans
TAs: Matthew Bede Pinson, William Eric Uspal
Lecture:
MTR 1-2 or 2-3
(2-143)
Recitation: Wed 1-2 or 2-3
(2-143)
Weekly Exams: Fri 1-2
(32-082)
George Stephans Office Hours: Thu 3-4, 5:30-6:30 & by appt.
(24-412)
TA Office Hours: Wed 4:30-6:30 (Matthew) 6:30-8:00 (Will)
(8-316)
Important Information about 8.021:
Additional course information is available here under the Materials link.
(Typical) Weekly schedule/Course Components:
Sun afternoon: Reading assignments
Mon 10 pm: Mastering Physics due
Course ID=MIT8021F11
Mon/Tue/Thu: 1 hour/day of lecture/problem solving taught by
Dr. Stephans
Wed: 1 hour of recitation/problem solving taught by a grad
TA.
Thu 10 am: Weekly Psets are due - Pset boxes are between the
3rd floor of bldg 8 and the 4th floor of bldg 16.
Fri 1-2: Weekly test.
Note: 8.021 will not have midterms, only the weekly tests and a
final exam!
Course Grade: 16% Written Psets, 50% Weekly Tests, 16% Mastering Physics, 18% Final Exam
Announcements
8.021 Final Exam office hours
Here is the schedule for office hours for Dec 14-16:Wed: 5-6pm (8-316)
Thu: 3-4 (24-407)
4-5 (24-412)
5-7 (24-407)
Fri: Cancelled: Send email to gsfs@mit.edu to arrange to get answers for last minute questions.
the Exam is Friday @ 1:30pm.
Announced on 13 December 2011 11:35 p.m. by George S. F. Stephans
Pick up graded exams at recitation and office hours
We've been accumulating exams faster than we've been able to make you take them. Please pick up graded material at recitation or my office hours tomorrow -- you should use them to study for the final.
Thanks,
Will
Announced on 13 December 2011 2:23 p.m. by William Eric Uspal
8.021 Course Evaluation open for comments
Go to http://web.mit.edu/subjectevaluation/ and find 8.021.Your opinion is very valuable to us, but especially so in a class which has only been taught for a few years.
Announced on 12 December 2011 4:51 p.m. by George S. F. Stephans
8.021 Final Exam Information
The final exam will be held on Friday, December 16, from 1:30-4:30pm in room 4-153.It will cover all material from the entire semester EXCEPT the topics we just covered on last week's exam. So, no interference or diffraction questions.
All of the questions on the exam will be a variation, a rewording, or a combination of questions you have had on previous exams. This gives you several dozen problems to use for studying, so no further sample problems will be posted.
Additional material will be posted throughout the week.
Announced on 11 December 2011 2:11 p.m. by George S. F. Stephans
Getting the minima in the single slit diffraction pattern
The first section concluded today without us actually finishing this problem. Lest anyone remained confused, a few comments:
The most tedious and straightforward way to find the minima is, of course, to find the full intensity pattern and note where it is zero. You will do this on your homework.
Liao (p. 14-14) has an argument for finding the minima (which are regular; the maxima are irregular) by dividing the slit into compartments. It is as follows: if N is an *even* number, you can divide the slit into N compartments and, for each particular point in a compartment, match it up with another point in a neighboring compartment a distance a/N away.
For instance, if N = 6, you have compartments A, B, C, D, E, F, and match points in A and B, C and D, and E and F, with each pair is separated by distance a/6. All points are matched up with one partner. (This is why N has to be even.)
Now, if each point and its partner satisfy the criterion for producing the first minimum in double slit interference, then you must have a minimum in the single slit pattern:
a/N sin(theta) = lambda/2
For instance, N = 6 gives a sin(theta) = 3 lambda. So it's clear the a sin (theta) = m lambda gives minima ALL all m (positive or negative, even or odd) except zero.
Hope this helps,
Will
Announced on 07 December 2011 3:56 p.m. by William Eric Uspal
