Undergraduate Course: Introduction to Condensed Matter Physics (PHYS10099)
Course Outline
| School | School of Physics and Astronomy |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | The course covers three main topics: structure of solids, electrons in solids, and an introduction to soft condensed matter physics. The aim is to give a firm grounding in these core concepts. Two thirds of the course will be focused on providing a basic understand- ing of the electrical, optical, thermal and mechanical properties of solids and condensed matter. The remaining third will give an introduction to materials which are not solid, or crystalline, and neither liquids, but are still condensed matter, such as glasses or amor- phous solids, gels and liquid crystals. Given the enormous diversity of such systems, the emphasis will be on a qualitative understanding of the key ideas. |
| Course description |
Crystal structure and crystal lattices
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2014/15, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 10,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Revision Session Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
60 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
80 %,
Coursework
20 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
80% exam 20% coursework |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Introduction to Condensed Matter Physics | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course it is intended that a student will be able to:
1) Demonstrate an understanding of the crystal lattice and how the main lattice types are described;
2) Appreciate the different bonding types in solids;
3) State the eigenstates of the free electron gas, sketch the free electron band structure, describe the occupation of the electronic states in 1, 2 and 3D for T=0 and T¿0, and derive a quantitative equation of the electronic contribution to the heat capacity;
4) discuss the elastic properties of solids and the physics of phonons;
5) Appreciate electronic band structure of metals and be able to apply the relevant theory to simple metals;
6) discuss the mechanism for electrical conductance in metals;
7) demonstrate an understanding of the phases and phase transitions in soft matter;
8) discuss the main physical properties of amorphous solids, gels and liquid crystals;
9) demonstrate a grasp of the orders of magnitude of the central quantities and develop confidence with ¿intuitive¿ estimates.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | IntroCMP |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Andrew Huxley
Tel: (0131 6)51 7053
Email: a.huxley@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Rebecca Thomas
Tel: (0131 6)50 7218
Email: R.Thomas@ed.ac.uk |
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