Topic outline

  • From here you can find the compensating essays if you missed a lecture; with these essays you learn some important concepts and you may compensate the points you missed from Activating Exercises (done during the lecture). These are just for compensating a missed lecture, not an extra task (and no extra points thus achieved).

    Return an essay (appr. one A4) here, latest on Sunday 23:59pm on the week of the lecture in question

    SUBMIT as PDF


    • If you Missed Lecture 1: Write an one A4 essay about the topic:"Smart Materials in Sensors and Actuators". In your essay, define the term smart materials, give examples (and explain briefly) 2-3 smart material types and how they could be used as sensors or actuators.


    • If You Missed Lecture 2: Explain: 1) Why Particle-in-a-box problem is important in solid-state physics, 2) what is Fermi energy, what is Fermi Function, 3) what are Bloch Functions and Forbidden/Allowed Energy Levels. The explanation of each: 1/2 of a page. No copying from Wikipedia, etc. - use your own words.

    • If You Missed Lecture 3, make both i) and ii)

      i) Explain Kronig-Penney model and how it leads to band theory  (one A4)

      ii) Explain Drude's model describing electrical conductivity (one A4).


      No copying from Wikipedia, lecture slides etc. - use your own words.

    • If You Missed Lecture 4:

      Explain doping in semiconductors and how and why it affects the Fermi level. Use your own words (no copying from Wikipedia, slides, books etc.).

    • If You Missed Lecture 5: Explain the following statement (a) and calculate question (b):

      (a) We observe magnetism at macroscale but its origin is always quantum mechanical.

      (b) Determine the ground state values of S, L, J  for f3 ion Nd3+.

      (Use your own words, no copying from Wikipedia, lecture slides etc.)

    • If You Missed Lecture 6: Answer to both questions

      (a) Why L orbital quencing takes place for transition metals and what does it mean in terms of atomic magnetic dipole moment?

      (b) Explain what the terms exchange energy and double exchange mean.


    • Explain why and how electrical and thermal conductivities are connected (about 1 page of text & equations, no copying from Wikipedia, slides etc. - use your own words).

    • Explain with yoru own words and schematics:

      What is the difference between:

      (a) ferroelectricity due to polar groups or hydrogen bonding

      (b) Electronic and ionic polarisablity of a material

      (c) local field vs. applied field


    • If You Missed Lecture 9: Explain with your own words (one A4) what is magnetostriction and what is the origin of it?

    • If You Missed Lecture 10:  Make the both (a) and (b)

      (a) Explain with your own words why ionic polymer-metal composites bend in electric field (hint: osmotic pressure)

      (b) Skecth and explain the following smart materials: i) conductive polymers and ii) magnetic shape memory alloys.