Physics 350, Fall 2008: Undergraduate Classical Mechanics
Prof. Lincoln Carr
Office: Meyer Hall 342
Phone: (303) 273-3759
E-mail: lcarr (at) mines.edu
Office Hours: 1:30 - 4:00 Monday, Wednesday in Meyer Hall 342
Teaching Assistants: Mr. Laith Haddad and Mr. Daniel Schirmer
Teaching Assistant Office Hours: 9-12 Tuesdays in Meyer Hall 247
Syllabus (updated 8/19/08)
Lecture notes
I. T&M Chapter 2, part 1:
Newtonian Mechanics
II. T&M Chapter 2, part 2: Conservation Laws
(updated 9/2/08)
III. T&M Chapter 3, part 1: Oscillators
(updated 9/3/08)
IV. T&M Chapter 3, part 2:
Fourier Transforms and Green's Functions
V. T&M Chapter 5: Gravity (completely updated 9/18/08)
VI. T&M Chapters 6 & 7: Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Dynamics, part 1 (updated 9/29/08)
VI. T&M Chapters 6 & 7: Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Dynamics, part 2
VII. T&M Chapter 8: Central Force Motion and Orbital Dynamics (updated and extended 10/30/08)
VIII. T&M Chapter 9: Scattering Theory (updated 11/11/08)
IX. T&M Chapter 10: Motion in a Non-inertial Reference Frame (updated 11/12/08)
IX. T&M Chapter 9&11: Rigid Body Dynamics (updated 11/20/08)
Homework assignments
Analytical Homework I, due 8/27/08 11:00 am: Read TM Chap. 2; Problems 2-6, 2-13, 2-19, 2-42
Numerical Homework I, due 8/29/08 11:00 am: download assignment here (updated 8/20/08)
Analytical Homework II, due 9/3/08 11:00 am: Re-read TM Chap 2.5-2.6; Problems 2-25, 2-37, 2-38, 2-39, 2-50, 2-55
Numerical Homework II, due 9/10/08 11:00 am: download assignment here
Analytical Homework III, due 9/17/08 11:00 am: Read TM Chap. 3; Problems 3-7, 3-10, 3-14, 3-16, 3-31, 3-45
Analytical Homework IV, due 10/1/08 11:00 am: Read TM Chap. 5; Problems 5-4,5-5,5-8,5-13,5-15,5-16
Numerical Homework III, due 10/8/08 11:00 am: Read TM Chap. 6; download assignment here
Analytical Homework V, due 10/17/08 11:00 am: Read TM Chap. 6; Problems 6-7, 6-14, 7-6, 7-10, 7-18, 7-21 (note: due Friday to accomodate Fall Break)
Analytical Homework VI, due 10/22/08 11:00 am: Read TM Chap. 7; Problems 7-24, 7-25, 7-29, 7-33, 7-34, 7-40
Numerical Homework IV, due 10/29/08 11:00 am: download assignment here
Analytical Homework VII, due 11/14/08 11:00 am: Read TM Chap. 8; Problems 8-11, 8-12, 8-15, 8-24, 8-26, 8-44
Numerical Homework V, due 11/19/08 11:00 am: download assignment here
Analytical Homework VIII, due 11/25/08 11:00 am: Read TM Chap. 9 sections on scattering only and TM Chap. 10 all sections; 9-49, 9-50, 10-4, 10-8, 10-19, 10-21
(note: can be turned in on Monday 11/24/08 at 11:00 am if you are leaving early for Thanksgiving)
Analytical Homework IX, due 12/3/08 11:00 am: Read TM rest of Chap. 9 and Chap. 11 except Euler angles; Problems TBA
Solutions and Tutorials
Mathematica Tutorial Version I
Mathematica Tutorial Version II
Numerical Homework I Solutions
Numerical Homework II Solutions: Instructional
Numerical Homework II Solutions: Complete
Mathematica Lagrangian Solution Example from Notes VI.3.5, with Module example
Numerical Homework III Solutions
Numerical Homework IV Solutions: Preliminary Version, with animations (not required)
Exams
Midterm I, Wednesday, September 24, 2008 - covers chapters 2 and 3 of text, lecture notes, and all homework assigned to date
Midterm II, Wednesday, November 5, 2008 - covers chapters 5,6, and 7 of text, lecture notes and HW IV-VI
Final, TBA -- cumulative exam, covers chapters 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 10 of text (plus more if time), all lecture notes, and all homeworks