Heat and Modern Physics (F3251)

15 credits, Level 4

Spring teaching

In this module, you'll study:

• thermal physics
• special relativity
• fundamental quantum phenomena
• the laws of thermodynamics
• macroscopic bodies, including concepts and phenomena such as pressure, internal energy and changes of state
• the modifications to Newtonian mechanics required when objects move close to the speed of light, including Lorentz transformations and phenomena such as time dilation and length contraction
• the modifications of the intuitively accessible classical laws of physics required when dealing with microscopic objects, such as the uncertainty principle and wave-particle duality.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 44 hours of contact time and about 106 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2025/26. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.