Syllabus and Reading Assignments for Physics 231 (Classical Mechanics)

Prof. Jim Freericks

• Lecture: Diagnostic Test and Questionnaire
• Reading Assignments:
  • August 28: MT 1.1-1.3 and 1.8-1.12, Review how to calculate the moment of inertia from your freshman textbook
• Demo: Review of the basics of MATHEMATICA

Week 2: Sept. 2-4, 1997

• Lecture: Velocity, acceleration, Newton's laws, and differential equations
• Reading Assignments:
  • September 1:No class, Labor Day
  • September 2: MT 1.13-1.15, Review velocity and acceleration from freshman physics textbooks
  • September 3: MT 2.1-2.3, 2.4 (only 54-58 and 71-73), Review circular motion and Newton's Laws from freshman physics textbooks
• Demo: Programming with MATHEMATICA

Week 3: Sept. 8-11, 1997

• Lecture: Energy, work, and conservation laws
• Reading Assignments:
  • September 8: Solving Differential Equations
  • September 9: MT 2.5 and 2.6, Review the work-energy theorem, springs, kinetic and potential energy from your freshman textbooks
  • September 10: MT 9.1-9.5
• Demo: The domino effect

Week 4: Sept. 15-18, 1997

• Lecture: Rigid bodies, static equilibrium, and virtual work
• Reading Assignments:
  • September 15: Rigid Bodies
  • September 16: Static Equilibrium
  • September 17: The Principle of Virtual Work
• Demo: Falling chimneys and breaking pencil points

Week 5: Sept. 22-25, 1997

• Lecture: Development of a General Method
• Reading Assignments:
  • September 22: Generalized Coordinates
  • September 23: Lagrange's Method I
  • September 24: Lagrange's Method II
• Demo: A magic trick, or is it physics?

Week 6: Sept. 29- Oct. 2, 1997

• Lecture: Calculus of Variations and Conservation Laws
• Reading Assignments:
  • September 29: MT 6.1-6.4
  • September 30: MT 6.5-6.7, 7.1-7.2
  • October 1: MT 7.8-7.9
• Demo: Meandering rivers

Week 7: Oct. 6-9, 1997

• Lecture: Constraints and Impulse Problems
• Reading Assignments:
  • October 6: MT 7.5, 7.7
  • October 7: Impulse Problems
  • October 8: Oscillations about Equilibrium
• Demo: The mechanics of ice skating

Week 8: Oct. 14-16, 1997

• First Midterm Exam: Wednesday evening Oct. 15
• Lecture: Central forces
• Reading Assignments:
  • October 13: No class, Columbus Day
  • October 14: MT 8.1-8.4
  • October 15: MT 8.5-8.7
• Demo: Einstein's general theory of relativity

Week 9: Oct. 20-23, 1997

• Lecture: Collisions and Particle Decays
• Reading Assignments:
  • October 20: More on Central Forces
  • October 21: MT 9.6-9.7
  • October 22: MT 9.8-9.10
• Demo: A collision accelerator

Week 10: Oct. 27-30, 1997

• Lecture: Oscillations
• Reading Assignments:
  • October 27: MT 3.1-3.2, 3.5-3.6, 3.9-3.10
  • October 28: MT 12.1-12.4
  • October 29: MT 12.5-12.7
• Demo: Wilberforce pendulum

Week 11: Nov. 3-6, 1997

• Lecture: Accelerated coordinate systems
• Reading Assignments:
  • November 3: Nonlinear Oscillations
  • November 4: Accelerated Coordinate Frames
  • November 5: Coriolis Forces and Geometrical Phases
• Demo: Geometrical phase oscillator

Week 12: Nov. 10-13, 1997

• Lecture: Rigid-body Rotations
• Reading Assignments:
  • November 10: MT 11.1-11.5
  • November 11: MT 11.6-11.8
  • November 12: MT 11.9
• Demo: Twirling coins

Week 13: Nov. 17-20, 1997

• Second Midterm Exam: Wednesday evening Nov. 19
• Lecture: More rigid-body rotations
• Reading Assignments:
  • November 17: The Asymmetric Top
  • November 18: MT 11.10-11.11
  • November 19: Rolling Without Slipping
• Demo: Spinning tops

Week 14: Nov. 24-25, 1997

• Lecture: Other advanced methods
• Reading Assignments:
  • November 24: Velocity-dependent potentials and the Hamiltonian
  • November 25: More Advanced Methods
• Demo: None this week, Happy Thanksgiving

Week 15: Dec. 1-4, 1997

• Lecture: Miscellaneous Topics
• Reading Assignments:
  • December 1: Rattlebacks
  • December 2: MT 2.7
  • December 3: Dimensional Analysis
• Demo: None this week, Course Evaluation