This module
covers some basic Electricity and Magnetism which is important foundation
material for many aspects of science, as well as some “Modern Physics”, which deals
with some of the important discoveries made in the 20th century
about the structure and properties of atoms and of the atomic nuclei. Because
of its importance, it is prescribed as an essential module for the study of
almost all curricula in the natural sciences. It consists of two sections: Electricity and Magnetism, which is
about the electric fields, Coulomb’s Law, electric flux, electric potential,
capacitance & dielectrics, current & resistance, direct current
circuits and Kirchhoff’s rules. Modern
physics deals with some basic properties of atomic and nuclear physics:
Quantum theory of radiation, Wien & Stefan’s laws, Planck’s radiation
formula, radioactivity, natural decay series, detectors of radiation, nuclear
reactions, conservation laws, reaction processes, proton-induced,
neutron-induced and other reactions. Also aspects like Q-values, alpha-beta
& gamma-decay, nuclear binding energy, fission & fusion, reactors,
nuclear fuel breeders, cosmic radiation and fundamental particles. In this course
use is made of some calculus, such as basic differentiation and integration
techniques, and therefore it should be taken only together with first year
Mathematics or after the first year Mathematics modules have been done.