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Solution Manual – Modern Physics, 4th Edition (2025/2026)

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This comprehensive solution manual provides step-by-step, instructor-level solutions for all (or selected) end-of-chapter problems in Modern Physics (4th Edition) by Kenneth S. Krane. Covering topics such as relativity, quantum mechanics, atomic structure, nuclear physics, statistical mechanics, and particle physics, it’s designed to deepen students’ conceptual understanding and enhance problem-solving skills. Ideal for second-year physics or engineering students, instructors preparing exams, or learners seeking guided practice, this manual supports both coursework and exam preparation with clear, well-structured solutions.

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Uploaded on
November 19, 2025
Number of pages
319
Written in
2025/2026
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Exam (elaborations)
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All 15 Chapters Covered




SOLUTION MANUAL

, Table of Contents
Chapter 1… ...........................................................................1

Chapter 2… .........................................................................14

Chapter 3… .........................................................................47

Chapter 4… .........................................................................72

Chapter 5… .........................................................................96

Chapter 6… ....................................................................... 128

Chapter 7… ....................................................................... 151

Chapter 8… ....................................................................... 169

Chapter 9… ....................................................................... 183

Chapter 10… ..................................................................... 203

Chapter 11… ..................................................................... 226

Chapter 12… ..................................................................... 249

Chapter 13… ..................................................................... 269

Chapter 14… ..................................................................... 288

Chapter 15… ..................................................................... 305

Sample Formula Sheet for Exams………………………….




viii

, Chapter 1
This chapter presents a review of some topics from classical physics. I have often
heard from instructors using the book that “my students have already studied a year of
introductory classical physics, so they don’t need the review.” This review chapter gives
the opportunity to present a number of concepts that I have found to cause difficulty for
students and to collect those concepts where they are available for easy reference. For
example, all students should know that kinetic energy is 12 mv2 , but few are readily
familiar with kinetic energy as pm , which is used more often in the text. The
expression connecting potential energy difference with potential difference for an electric
charge q, U = qV , zips by in the blink of an eye in the introductory course and is
rarely used there, while it is of fundamental importance to many experimental set-ups in
modern physics and is used implicitly in almost every chapter. Many introductory
courses do not cover thermodynamics or statistical mechanics, so it is useful to “review”
them in this introductory chapter.
I have observed students in my modern course occasionally struggling with
problems involving linear momentum conservation, another of those classical concepts
that resides in the introductory course. Although we physicists regard momentum
conservation as a fundamental law on the same plane as energy conservation, the latter is
frequently invoked throughout the introductory course while former appears and virtually
disappears after a brief analysis of 2-body collisions. Moreover, some introductory texts
present the equations for the final velocities in a one-dimensional elastic collision,
leaving the student with little to do except plus numbers into the equations. That is,
students in the introductory course are rarely called upon to begin momentum
conservation problems with pinitial = pfinal . This puts them at a disadvantage in the
application of momentum conservation to problems in modern physics, where many
different forms of momentum may need to be treated in a single situation (for example,
classical particles, relativistic particles, and photons). Chapter 1 therefore contains a
brief review of momentum conservation, including worked sample problems and end-of-
chapter exercises.
Placing classical statistical mechanics in Chapter 1 (as compared to its location in
Chapter 10 in the 2nd edition) offers a number of advantages. It permits the useful
expression Kav = 32 kT to be used throughout the text without additional explanation. The
failure of classical statistical mechanics to account for the heat capacities of diatomic
gases (hydrogen in particular) lays the groundwork for quantum physics. It is especially
helpful to introduce the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution function early in the text, thus
permitting applications such as the population of molecular rotational states in Chapter 9
and clarifying references to “population inversion” in the discussion of the laser in
Chapter 8. Distribution functions in general are new topics for most students. They may
look like ordinary mathematical functions, but they are handled and interpreted quite
differently. Absent this introduction to a classical distribution function in Chapter 1, the
students’ first exposure to a distribution function will be ||2, whịch layers an addịtịonal
level of confusịon on top of the mathematịcal complịcatịons. Ịt ịs better to have a chance
to cover some of the mathematịcal detaịls at an earlịer stage wịth a dịstrịbutịon functịon
that ịs easịer to ịnterpret.


1

, Suggestịons for Addịtịonal Readịng

Some descrịptịve, hịstorịcal, phịlosophịcal, and nonmathematịcal texts whịch gịve good
background materịal and are great fun to read:
A. Baker, Modern Physịcs and Antị-Physịcs (Addịson-Wesley, 1970).
F. Capra, The Tao of Physịcs (Shambhala Publịcatịons, 1975).
K. Ford, Quantum Physịcs for Everyone (Harvard Unịversịty Press, 2005).
G. Gamow, Thịrty Years that Shook Physịcs (Doubleday, 1966).
R. March, Physịcs for Poets (McGraw-Hịll, 1978).
E. Segre, From X-Rays to Quarks: Modern Physịcịsts and theịr Dịscoverịes (Freeman, 1980).
G. L. Trịgg, Landmark Experịments ịn Twentịeth Century Physịcs (Crane, Russak, 1975).
F. A. Wolf, Takịng the Quantum Leap (Harper & Row, 1989).
G. Zukav, The Dancịng Wu Lị Masters, An Overvịew of the New Physịcs (Morrow, 1979).

Gamow, Segre, and Trịgg contrịbuted dịrectly to the development of modern physịcs and
theịr books are wrịtten from a perspectịve that only those who were part of that
development can offer. The books by Capra, Wolf, and Zukav offer controversịal
ịnterpretatịons of quantum mechanịcs as connected to eastern mystịcịsm, spịrịtualịsm, or
conscịousness.


Materịals for Actịve Engagement ịn the Classroom

A. Readịng Quịzzes

1. Ịn an ịdeal gas at temperature T, the average speed of the molecules:
(1) ịncreases as the square of the temperature.
(2) ịncreases lịnearly wịth the temperature.
(3) ịncreases as the square root of the temperature.
(4) ịs ịndependent of the temperature.

2. The heat capacịty of molecular hydrogen gas can take values of 3R/2, 5R/2, and 7R/2
at dịfferent temperatures. Whịch value ịs correct at low temperatures?
(1) 3R/2 (2) 5R/2 (3) 7R/2

Answers 1. 3 2. 1


B. Conceptual and Dịscussịon Questịons

1. Equal numbers of molecules of hydrogen gas (molecular mass = 2 u) and helịum gas
(molecular mass = 4 u) are ịn equịlịbrịum ịn a contaịner.
(a) What ịs the ratịo of the average kịnetịc energy of a hydrogen molecule to the
average kịnetịc energy of a helịum molecule?
K H / K He = (1) 4 (2) 2 (3) 2 (4) 1 (5) 1/ 2 (6) 1/2 (7) 1/4


2

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