Modern topics in physics curriculum

Phan7omas

1. Question end an explanation of it:
Which modern topics that are the result of modern physics discovery would you like to see in the classroom?

Current curriculum is mostly ancient physics and explains ancient discoveries.
Those are essential for understanding the basics of physics, but they leave no room for modern discoveries.

Which in your opinion are these modern topics that you'd like to see teachers teach - explain in classrooms - expecialy as a part of intrudustory physics?

Since the question is a part of my homework research as a masters degree student, but involves intruductory physics, i'm posting it here.

Thank you for your opinion!

/Sam

mikelepore

As it is now, books and courses called "Modern Physics" mean, by that term, the entire 20th century.

Some of the biggies are blackbody radiation, Planck and the photon, photoelectric effect, Compton effect, de Broglie's matter waves, wave equation, Born's interpretation of the wave equation, uncertainty, Bohr's modification of the Rutherford atom, Bohr explanation of spectra, exclusion principle, statistical mechanics, solid state, nuclear forces and decay and reactions, standard model of particles, Lorentz and Einstein and relativity, cosmology.

In my opinion: as much of it as possible in plain English, and as little as possible in the form of mathematics.

P.S. I think this forum topic is in the wrong category.