Instructor Information

Instructor: Ale Strachan, Purdue University
Collaborator: Nicolas Onofrio, Purdue University
Course Name: From Atoms to Materials: Predictive Theory and Simulations
Course Location: Online
Class Times: Twenty-four hours per day/Seven days per week
Prerequisites: Any student or professional with a background on engineering or physical science should be able to take this course. We will assume students know basic classical physics (e.g. Newton’s equations, and electrostatics) and college-level math (calculus and algebra).

Course Learning Objectives

In Atoms to Materials students will:
-Learn the basics physics that govern materials at atomic scales
-Relate these processes to the macroscopic world
Students will be introduced to online atomistic simulations (Density functional theory and molecular dynamics) to develop a more intuitive understanding of how materials look and work at atomic scales.

Course Overview

• Week 1: Quantum mechanics and electronic structure
• Week 2: Electronic structure and bonding of molecules and crystals
• Week 3: Dynamics of atoms – classical mechanics and MD simulations
• Week 4: Connecting atomic processes to the macroscopic world – vibrations, optical and dielectric response, thermo-properties
• Week 5: Case Studies

Course Framework

The materials for the course have been divided into five units, referred to as “weeks”. Each week is comprised of six video lectures, including PDF copies of the lecture notes.

Along with each week of lectures, Quiz and Homework questions are provided to help your understanding of the course material.

Quiz questions are multiple choice and are designed to quickly test whether you understood the lecture material. Each of the six lectures for the week of material are followed by a quiz. The quiz questions are scored, but do not factor into the final grade.

Homework is also used to help you understand the lecture material. Homework is graded and accounts for 50% of the final grade. The homework questions are multiple choice and solutions are provided.

Practice Exam exercises are “open book.” You may refer to the lecture videos and notes at any time. The practice Exam is multiple choice and solutions are provided.

Course Resources

• Video lectures distilling the essential concepts of materials science into a concise, five-week module.
• Homework exercises with solutions and homework tutorials.
• Online quizzes to quickly assess understanding of material after each video lecture.
• An online forum, hosted by nanoHUB. Students enrolled in the course will be able to interact with one another.

Grading Policy

Grading Policy The course is weighted as such:
Homeworks – 50%
Practice Final Exam – 50%

Course Text

• Copies of the slides used in lecture are available for download from the course web page.

Required Course Supplies

• A computer with web access and current software updates including HTML5, Adobe flash and javascript. The simulation tools used in the course are all available on nanoHUB.org.

Collaboration/Plagiarism Policies

We encourage collaboration with other student online though the nanoHUB discussion forum. Exams must be your own work.

nanoHUB-U Policies

Academic regulations and procedures are governed by Purdue University policy. Academic dishonesty cases will be handled in accordance the Purdue University’s policies.

If you have a disability that could affect your performance in this class or that requires an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please complete a support ticket so that we can make appropriate arrangements.

nanoHUB-U Resources

nanoHUB-U Homepage
nanoHUB-U Course Offerings
nanoHUB-U FAQs

Academic Integrity

https://www.purdue.edu/odos/osrr/academicintegritybrochure.php

Terms of Use

https://nanohub.org/legal/terms

Accessibility

https://nanohub.org/legal/accessibility

Privacy Policy

https://nanohub.org/legal/privacy

nanoHUB-U is powered by nanoHUB.org, the home for computational nanoscience and nanotechnology research, education, and collaboration.