| HPS 0410 | Einstein for Everyone | Spring 2008 |
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Revision: April 21, 2008
| Lecture Date | Recitation Date | Lecture Topic | Assignment Due | Test |
| Mon. Jan. 7 | Introduction: the questions. | |||
| Mon. Jan. 7 Tues. Jan. 8 |
1. It Isn't That Easy | |||
| Wed. Jan. 9 | Special relativity: the basics. | |||
| Mon. Jan. 14 | Special relativity: the basics. | |||
| Mon. Jan. 14 Tues. Jan. 15 |
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| Wed. Jan. 16 | Problem of reciprocity | |||
| Fri. Jan 18 Add/drop ends |
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| Mon. Jan. 21 | No lecture, Martin Luther King birthday observance | |||
| Mon. Jan. 21 | No recitations, Martin Luther King birthday observance | |||
| Tues. Jan. 22 | ||||
| Wed. Jan. 23 | E=mc2 | Test 1 What it's on. Grade distribution |
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| Mon. Jan. 28 | Origins of special relativity | |||
| Mon. Jan. 28 Tues. Jan. 29 |
3. Relativity of Simultaneity | |||
| Wed. Jan. 30 | Origins of special relativity | |||
| Mon. Feb. 4 | Spacetime | |||
| Mon. Feb. 4 Tues. Feb. 5 |
4. Origins of Special Relativity | |||
| Wed. Feb. 6 | Test 2 What it's on. Grade distribution. |
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| Mon. Feb. 11 | What is a four
dimensional space like? Philosophical significance of relativity |
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| Mon. Feb. 11 Tues. Feb 12 |
5. Spacetime | |||
| Wed. Feb. 13 | Philosophical significance of relativity | |||
| Mon. Feb. 18 | ||||
| Mon. Feb. 18 Tues. Feb. 19 |
6. Philosophical Significance | |||
| Wed. Feb. 20 | Test 3 What it's on. Grade distribution. |
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| Mon. Feb. 25 | ||||
| Mon. Feb. 25 Tues. Feb. 26 |
7. Non-Euclidean Geometry | |||
| Wed. Feb. 27 | General relativity | |||
| Mon. Mar. 3 | General relativity | |||
| Mon. Mar. 3 Tues. Mar. 4 |
8. Curvature | |||
| Wed. Mar. 5 | Test 4 What it's on. Grade distribution. |
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| Mar. 10, 11, 12 Midterm recess |
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| Mon. Mar. 17 | Relativistic cosmology | |||
| Mon. Mar. 17 Tues. Mar. 18 |
9. General Relativity | |||
| Wed. Mar. 19 | Relativistic cosmology | |||
| Mon. Mar. 24 | Big bang cosmology | |||
| Mon. Mar. 24 Tues. Mar. 25 |
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| Wed. Mar. 26 | Big bang cosmology/ Black holes |
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| Mon. Mar. 31 | Black holes | |||
| Mon. Mar. 31 Tues. Apr. 1 Term paper topic submitted |
11. Big Bang Cosmology | |||
| Wed. Apr. 2 | A Better Picture of Black Holes | Test 5 What it's on Grade distribution. |
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| Mon. Apr. 7 | A Better Picture of Black Holes | |||
| Mon. Apr. 7 Tues. Apr. 8 |
12. Black Holes | |||
| Wed. Apr. 9 | Quantum Theory | |||
| Mon. Apr. 14 | Quantum Theory | |||
| Mon. Apr. 14 Tues. Apr. 15 Term paper due |
13. Quantum Theory | |||
| Wed. Apr. 16 | Quantum Theory | Test 6 What it's on Grade distribution. |
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Test 1. January 23. The test will be in the first 15 minutes and will consist of 3-4 questions requiring answers of a few sentences each. The material examinable is the content of the chapter "Special Relativity: the Basics" (excluding relativity of simultaneity) and Assignment 2. Principle of Relativity.
Test 2. February 6. The material examinable is the content of the chapters "Problem of Reciprocity," "E=mc2" and "Origins of Special Relativity."
Test 3. February 20. The material examinable is the contents of the chapter "Spacetime" and "Philosophical Significance...".
Test 4. March 5. The material examinable is the contents of the chapter "Non-Euclidean Geometry."
Test 5. April 2. The material examinable is the contents of the chapters "Relativistic Cosmology" and "Big Bang Cosmology."
Test 6. April 16. The material examinable is the contents of the chapters "Black Holes," "A Better Picture of Black Holes" and "Quantum Theory," just up to and including the section "de Broglie and Schroedinger's Matter Waves."
