Modern Physics Lecture Notes Review

These flashcards cover key concepts, definitions, and phenomena from the lecture notes on Modern Physics.

What are the three successful theories forming the basis of classical physics?

Mechanics, electromagnetism, and thermodynamics.

What does the failure of classical electromagnetic theory suggest?

A medium is needed to propagate electromagnetic waves, but experiments failed to detect this medium.

What is the speed of light in free space?

299,792,458 m/s.

What is the key outcome of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling of 1954?

Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.

Define the equipartition theorem in terms of temperature and energy.

In thermal equilibrium, energy is shared equally among all quadratic degrees of freedom; average energy per degree of freedom is 1/2 kT.

What phenomenon does the photoelectric effect illustrate?

Light behaves as if it is composed of particles (photons).

How does the energy of the ejected electrons relate to the frequency of light in the photoelectric effect?

The energy is proportional to the frequency of the light.

What happens to the maximum kinetic energy of photoelectrons when the frequency of the light source is increased?

It increases.

What does time dilation depend on according to special relativity?

The relative speed between the observer and the moving clock.

What is the principle of relativity as defined by Einstein?

The laws of physics must be the same in all inertial reference frames.

In the Compton effect, what is conserved during the interaction?

Both energy and momentum.

How does increasing the intensity of light affect the photoelectric current?

It increases the number of emitted photoelectrons but does not affect their maximum kinetic energy.

What is the relationship between the work function and the photoelectric effect?

The work function is the minimum energy needed for an electron to escape from the metal surface.

What is the significance of the Michelson-Morley experiment?

It failed to detect the ether wind, supporting the constancy of the speed of light postulated by Einstein.

What is the mathematical representation of the relativistic momentum?

p = mv / √(1 - v²/c²), where p is momentum, m is rest mass, and v is velocity.

What is shown by the Rayleigh-Jeans law in blackbody radiation?

It fails to describe total power radiated at short wavelengths, leading to the ultraviolet catastrophe.

What defines a black body in thermal radiation?

A perfect emitter and absorber of radiation with properties independent of material.