Computational Physics Lab | 2022-Winter

Course Name
Computational Physics Lab
Course Number
ph366
Year/Term
Winter-2022
Course Credits
1
Class meeting times
3 hours of lecture per week
Prerequisites
PH 213, This course is expected to be taken alongside the Paradigms.
Course description
A project-driven laboratory experience in computational physics. Includes the use of basic mathematical and numerical techniques in computer calculations leading to solutions for typical physical problems. Topics to be covered will coordinate with the Paradigms in Physics course sequence.
Topic/Day
Activities
Resources
Homework Due
Introduction
Computational lab introduction
Electrostatic potential
Electrostatic Potential of Four Point Charges
Electrostatic potential and Electric Field of a square of charge
Spherical shell
Electrostatic potential of spherical shell
Electric field
Electric field for a waffle cone of charge
Quantum wavefunctions
Mean position
Basis sets
Sinusoidal basis set
Position
Position operator
Kinetic energy
Kinetic energy
Final exam

We have two final exam questions, and which you do will be based on whether the month and day of your birthday when added together are even or odd. In either case, I'd like you (as you work on the problem) to write a "log" in comments towards the top of the file describing your process of tackling the problem. I'm as interested in your approach and what you struggle on (e.g. what are you googling?) as in whether you can accomplish the task.

Exam is in person or over zoom, your decision.