Honors Sub topics for research

Here are the topics I think you should cover in your research. Some groups have a long list so I don't insist everything in your list to be covered by those groups, but give it your best shot.

Most important: You must understand what you present.

You will present a series of lessons using white board and or slide shows. Labs and demos are even better.

You will also supply a written report to me containing everything you present and a bibliography of references.


Research subtopics for Honors

A. Magnetics
1. Why currents produce magnetic fields that affect a moving charge
a) Force between charges – Coulomb’s law, electric field
b) electric field
c) define a current
d) Lorentz contraction of moving charge
e) F =qvXB defines B
f) B forms loop around current
2. Force on currents
a) get from qvXB to F= ILXB use I = (q/L) v
3. Why moving field produces force on static charge
a) B lines are closed loops
b) v is relative velocity of q to B
c) B moving through closed loop

B. Light
1. What is light
a. Classical electromagnetic wave explanation of transverse wave
b. Frequency and wavelength range
2. Light and atoms
a) Bohr model – electric force = centripetal force, KE vs PE allowable energies and radii for Hydrogen
3. Optics
a) refraction: Snel’s law, total internal reflection
b) Lenses and images

C. Sound Waves
1. Compressive waves
a) general model wavelength =c T
b) solid or spring
c) pressure relationship to number of particles/mcubed in gas
2. Speed of compression wave
a) solid
b) liquid
c) gas – how temperature affects it need to know some thermodynamics
3. Wave energy and momentum
a) calculate as function of amplitude, speed , and materials
b) reflection and transmission at interfaces

D. Cosmology/Black Holes
1. Gravitation
a) Equation for F of grav. Circular orbit FG = Mac
b) Potential energy and KE for circular orbit
2. Light and gravity
a) Mass of photon from Energy = hf and E= mc^2
b) Schwartzchild radius ( event horizon)
3. Black Hole formation
a) processes for star
b) Mass needed
4. Time dilation at/in black hole
a) Relativity effects of gravity

E. Music
1. Define resonance
a) wave pattern wavelength = cT
b) wave speed on string – speed of sound see above
c) types of reflection – fixed and free end
2. Standing waves on string frequencies and wave lengths
a) from node location; fundamental and harmonics
b) from speed and reflection; fundamental and harmonics
3. Standing waves in air column frequencies and wave lengths
a) from node location; fundamental and harmonics
b) from speed and reflection; fundamental and harmonics
c) reed resonance

F. Particle Physics
1. Types
a) leptons and quarks
b) hadrons
c) “force particles”
2. Four forces
a) particle quantities ( charge weak charge color)
b) interaction results
3. Rules for particle creation
a) energy conservation
b) charge conservation
c) baryon number
d) generations
4. Accelerators
a) types
b) principles of operation
c) key specs for a few accelerators
5. Detectors
a) principles of operation
b) properties for each particle type
6. Why colliders?

G. Ocean Waves
1. Describe wave
a) particle motion
b) shape
c) wavelength
d) speed
2. Formation
a) By wind
c) Tsunami
3. Behavior at shore
a) interaction with bottom
b) change in depth
c) change in speed and height ( conservation of energy and momentum)
d) collapse and curl
e) undertow