Quantum and Thermal Physics

This subject surveys the foundations of Thermal Physics and Classical Mechanics and develops the fundamental principles of Quantum Mechanics. Topics in Thermal Physics include the kinetic theory of gases, the classical laws of thermodynamics, temperature, work, heat, chemical thermodynamics and chemical potential, heat engines, refrigerators, Gibbs and Helmholtz free energies and phase changes. Topics in Classical Mechanics include a review of Newton’s Laws, the Principle of Least Action, Lagrange’s equations, Hamilton’s equations and the Legendre transform. These principles will be illustrated by application to the simple harmonic oscillator. Topics in Quantum Physics include the inadequacies of Classical Physics, matter waves and quantum behaviour, one-dimensional quantum systems, expectation values, observables, operators, quantum tunnelling, and the quantization of three-dimensional systems.