Series
Modern Physics I Studied
14 posts
- #1
Time Dilation in Special Relativity
A fun dive into Einstein's special relativity — covering the two postulates and why time itself literally has to slow down to keep the speed of light constant. hehe
· 7 min read - #1
Rutherford Scattering and the Rutherford Scattering Formula
Deriving the Rutherford scattering formula while stumbling through the wild history of how we went from Thomson's pudding model to discovering the atomic nucleus — scary math incoming lol.
· 8 min read - #2
The Relativistic Doppler Effect
We connect the classic Doppler effect to time dilation, and it turns out moving really fast changes the frequency you perceive even when you're not getting closer or farther away!
· 4 min read - #3
Length Contraction in Special Relativity
Muons from cosmic rays should die way before reaching Earth — so why do we detect them?! It all comes down to length contraction and time dilation in special relativity!
· 3 min read - #4
The Twin Paradox in Special Relativity
Finally cracking the twin paradox using length contraction — whoever changed direction was the one actually moving, and the math totally checks out hehe.
· 3 min read - #5
Relativistic Mass, Momentum, and Energy
We crack open why mass isn't as intrinsic as you thought by watching two particles collide across reference frames to see how relativistic momentum really works.
· 7 min read - #6
General Relativity
A fun casual intro to general relativity — from Einstein's 11-year Riemannian geometry grind to the wild idea that gravity actually bends light!
· 5 min read - #7
The Rayleigh-Jeans Formula and Blackbody Radiation
Diving into Chapter 2 with blackbody radiation — what a black body even is, how to fake one in a lab, and why standing waves are the secret behind that glowing-sword spectrum!
· 7 min read - #8
The Photoelectric Effect
Ever wonder why Einstein won the Nobel Prize for the photoelectric effect and not relativity?! Let's dig into the experiment that changed everything!
· 6 min read - #9
X-Rays
X-rays are basically the reverse of the photoelectric effect — slam electrons into a plate with insane voltage and boom, mystery radiation appears (hence the 'x'!).
· 4 min read - #10
The Compton Effect
Compton's wild experiment pits X-ray photons head-on against electrons and uses conservation of momentum & energy to prove light really does act like a particle.
· 2 min read - #11
Wave Properties of Particles
If light can act like a particle, why not flip it — turns out matter has wave properties too, and that wild idea leads straight to de Broglie wavelengths and Schrödinger's equation!
· 11 min read - #12
Atomic Models and the Bohr Model
We dig into why the old orbital atomic model is totally wrong — spinning electrons radiate energy and collapse — and set the stage for Bohr's fix.
· 9 min read - #14
A Basic Understanding of the Photolithography Process
A casual breakdown of the photolithography process — from photoresist types to clean rooms — by someone genuinely shocked engineering is this hard.
· 6 min read