WEB RESOURCES FOR PHYS 4D
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Michelson-Morley: This is a good diagram of the setup of the famous experiment.
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Minkowski Space: Use this applet to study rotational, Galilean and Lorentz transformations.
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Practice with Lorentz Transformations: The applet Lorentz transformation illustrates elementary facts of
special theory of relativity. It allows the discussion of major relativistic effects such as relativity of
simultaneity, time dilatation and length contraction.
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An Example of Time Dilation: Similar to the twin paradox, this space travel simulation should give you a
better understanding of time dilation given by Lorentz transformations.
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Space and Time in Special Relativity: This site uses devices that utilize photons to measure time
differences (some kind of clock). The frame of reference can be changed.
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The Light Cone – a tutorial on relativity. See the java simulation on the Twin Paradox and on Visualizing
Proper Time in Special Relativity at the same site.
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Blackbody Radiation: Use this applet to gives a good qualitative visualization of different radiation
distributions determined by Planck's Law.
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Photoelectric Effect: Vary intensity, wavelength and voltage to see the photoelectric effect in three
different materials, sodium, cesium, and silver. Be able to answer the questions of the type that appear
at the bottom of the page.
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Photoelectric Effect: Stimulates an experiment for the determination of the Planck constant and the work
function. Allows you to vary the cathode's material, the wavelength and the retarding voltage.
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Discovery of the Electron
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Millikan Oil Drop experiment
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Photoelectric Experiment
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Rutherford Scattering 1
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Rutherford Scattering 2
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Bohr Model
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Group Velocity Demonstration: This applet will help you visualise the concept of group velocity by
allowing you to observe what happens when two waves of slightly different frequency propagate in a
medium in which the refractive index is a function of frequency.
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Wave Packet Explorer: Select a momentum or frequency and this applet will generate the composite
wave and the wave components.
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Young's Single Slit Diffraction and Young's Double Slit Diffraction: With either of these simulations, you
can choose your beam: electrons, protons, neutrons, photons or pions. Then you can vary the energy,
slit width and rate of particles.
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J.J. Thomson and the Cavendish Laboratory
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Double Slit Interference 1
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Double Slit Interference 2
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Group and Phase Velocity
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Schrödinger Equation Concepts: This is a great site for you to refresh the basic assumptions and
concepts behind the Schrodinger equation.
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Probability Illustrator: Here you can see the relationship between the wave function and probability.
Sketch a wave function and the program will graph the corresponding probability.
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Wave Function Sketcher: This wave function sketching program provides a way for students to sketch
on the computer stationary state wave functions for any potential in which they are interested.
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Quantum Physics Online: A fantastic website where you will find dozens of applets covering the
following areas:
o Wave mechanics
o Quantization in one dimension
o Quantum superposition in one dimension
o Quantum superposition in two dimensions
o Quantization in three dimensions
o Spin 1/2
This an excellent site that will give you practice manipulating different variables (i.e. energy, potential,
quantum numbers n, l, m & s, etc.) and see the effect they have on a quantum state. It is strongly
recommended that you take advantage of this site.
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Infinite Square-Well Potential: Finds energy levels and wave functions.
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Finite Square-Well Potentials
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Single Particle in a One-Dimensional Bound State: Works for a variety of potentials including infinite
well, finite well, harmonic oscillator, and others.
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Stern-Gerlach Applet: This simulation of the famous experiment shows how an external magnetic field
can eliminate energy degeneracy and provides evidence for the Zeeman effect.
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Hydrogen Reference: This page includes hydrogen wave functions (including radial and angular
equations), graphs of some radial functions, probability distributions, some radial probability functions
and an energy ladder for hydrogen.
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Laser: This applet illustrates a schematic operation of a laser. The laser beam, stimulated emission,
arises when all atoms simultaneously make a transition to the ground state.
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Law of Radioactive Decay: Go to this site for a qualitative understanding of the law of radioactive decay,
which predicts how the number of the not decayed nuclei of a given radioactive substance decreases in
the course of time.
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Radioactive Decay Series: Look up decay series for thorium, neptunium and uranium.
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Fission Chain Reaction: This applet illustrates what happens in a nuclear chain reaction. Click anywhere
in the region containing the green nuclei to add a neutron to start the reaction.
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Energy from Fusion: A chart shows the workings of fusion as a form of energy. The Guided Tour feature
on the sidebar shows how fusion compares to other energy sources, as well as the necessary
considerations for creating a fusion reaction.
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Chernnobyl Meltdown: This applet lets the user control the various valves and pumps involved in
Chernobyl's plant operation. The aim is to see how long the user can control the plant without meltdown.
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Quarks: In this applet, find the right combinations of quarks to create different hadrons.
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Particle Adventure: This website takes the user on the "Particle Adventure," an extensive guided tour
presented by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The tour describes and classifies fundamental
particles and the forces and interactions that govern their existence.
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Cosmology-Related Applets: Includes demonstrations of
o New Galaxy Collider
o Fusion in the Sun
o Big Bang
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The Sun: Hit the "Sun" link in the text to access this introduction to the sun, which includes information
on how the sun creates energy, the sun's various layers, and the sun's vital statistics. Also included are
a wealth of linked images and movies.
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Binary Stars: This site provides links to both basic and advanced theory governing binary stars. The site
also includes a lecture on binary stars, some student problems, and several Excel Spreadsheets that
model binary star behavior.
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Supernovae Remnant Statistics: This site gives a list of many known SNRs, or supernovae remnants.
With each specific SNR, the site lists the location, luminosity, type, corresponding literature, and more.
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Questions in Cosmology: This site run by NASA details a few of the most pressing questions in
cosmology today: what powered the Big Bang, what happens at the edge of a black hole, and what is
dark energy. The Beyond Einstein program aims to work towards answering those questions.
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Pictures of Space: This site provides an index of pictures mostly of galaxies. Pictures range from
Messier objects and interacting galaxies to clusters and deep field pictures.
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Stellar Evolution: This exhibit from the Hubble Space Telescope website describes a star's life from birth
to death and includes detailed pictures and a movie. The extensive library of links for each piece
provides further information.
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Galaxies: This exhibit from the Hubble Space Telescope website shows a typical spiral galaxy like our
own Milky Way. Also, the site shows two galaxies colliding and a picture of a black hole like the one
believed to be at the center of most galaxies. The extensive library of links for each piece provides
further information.
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Dark Matter Candidate Eliminated: The press release from 1994 shows one of the many refutations of
possible candidates for dark matter. The Hubble Space Telescope helped to rule out red dwarf stars as
possible solutions to the dark matter conundrum.
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Pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope: The gallery at the Hubble Space Telescope website shows
pictures of planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae, clusters, supernovae, and more.
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"Planetary Nebulae": This gallery shows a number of pictures of so-called planetary nebulae, referring
to dying stars shooting off layers of gas in a spectacular explosion.
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Tale of a Supernova Discovery: This provides an interesting story about the discovery of a supernova as
it occurred and was recorded. The supernova, named 1987a after the year it was discovered, was the
closest observed supernova since 1604.