Author: Randy Harris Subject: Physics (Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Nuclear Physics, Cosmology) Target Audience: Undergraduate Physics/Engineering students, Science enthusiasts.
| Topic | Supplementary resource | |-------|------------------------| | Relativity | Spacetime Physics (Taylor & Wheeler) | | Schrödinger equation solving | Computational Physics (Giordano) – Python codes | | Atomic spectra | NIST Atomic Spectra Database (online) | | Nuclear decay | Introductory Nuclear Physics (Krane) – for deeper problems | | Historical readings | The Quantum World (Kumar) – non-mathematical context | Harris- Randy - Modern Physics -2E- -pdf-.pdf 1
Randy Harris’s Modern Physics, 2nd Edition, is an intermediate undergraduate textbook designed for a one-semester or two-quarter course following introductory calculus-based physics (e.g., University Physics). Unlike traditional modern physics texts that often present topics as a disconnected series of historical “discoveries,” Harris emphasizes conceptual coherence, active problem-solving, and the transition from classical to quantum thinking. ” Harris emphasizes conceptual coherence
The primary goal is to equip students with the foundational principles of 20th-century physics—special relativity, quantum mechanics, atomic structure, solid-state physics, and nuclear physics—while explicitly addressing why classical physics failed and how new frameworks resolve those failures. Harris- Randy - Modern Physics -2E- -pdf-.pdf 1