Physics 5200

Mechanical Phenomena

Fall 2007

Dynamics of particles and systems including central force motion, coupled oscillations and waves in elastic media Prerequisites: PHY2170, MAT2020; co-requisite: PHY2180. This is a 3 credit course.

Instructor:Prof. Robert HarrOffice:341 Physics
Phone:577-2677E-mail: harr@physics.wayne.edu
Office Hours: 10:00 - 11:00 Monday, 10:30 - 12:00 Tuesday, 3:00 - 4:00 Friday, or by appointment.
Web Page: http://hep.physics.wayne.edu/~harr/courses/5200/f07/
    
Textbook: Classical Mechanics by John R. Taylor, University Science Books, (2005); ISBN 1-891389-22-X. Try this link to get a price comparison from a number of online bookstores: Classical Mechanics.

We will be using this text for both PHY5200 and PHY5210. The course will follow the text, and appropriate sections for reading will be given at the start of lecture.

Lectures:

MWF 1:55pm to 2:50pm, Physics Research Building, room 177.

Lecture attendance is strongly encouraged as it is a good indicator of performance. We will spend a little time each week reviewing homework problems, but mostly we will be discussing the course material. You are encouraged to ask questions; if something isn't clear to you, it likely isn't clear to others in the class as well.

Homework:

The practice of Physics requires problem solving skills. In this course you will learn and practice problem solving skills with weekly homework assignments. You may discuss strategies for solving problems with classmates, but the final solution must be your own. Copying of solutions will result in failure for all parties involved. Your solutions will be collected, graded, and contribute to your final grade. Grading of homework is more heavily weighted to explaining how to get the correct result rather than the result itself. Explain the strategy you use for the problem. Take the time to rewrite your homework neatly -- if it is hard to read, you will get no credit.

Exams: There will be two mid-terms and a final exam The midterm exams will be given during a lecture period, 60 min., and the final is 2.5 hours. Exams are closed book.
Grading: Homework 60% weekly
Mid-term 1 10% October 2 (tentative)
Mid-term 2 10% November 6 (tentative)
Final Exam 20% December 14, 1:20 -- 3:50pm
TOTAL 100%  
The grade scale is as follows:
  A+ 95 -- 100%
  A 90 -- 95%
  A- 85 -- 90%
  B+ 80 -- 85%
  B 75 -- 80%
  B- 70 -- 75%
  C+ 65 -- 70%
  C 60 -- 65%
  C- 55 -- 60%
  D+ 50 -- 55%
  D 45 -- 50%
  F < 45%
Written Work: The skill of scientific writing is important. The problem sets, and exams present opportunities to practice this skill. Instead of writing down formulas and numbers only, try treating each problem as a mini-essay. Motivate the method of calculation and explain the variables. Write in complete sentences using proper grammar. Don't confuse good writing with verbose writing. Make your writing brief and to the point.
Policies: Late work is not accepted. The lowest homework score will be dropped. You are allowed and encouraged to discuss problems together, but what you turn in must be your own work -- do not copy problem solutions and turn them in as your own work. Follow this link to view the English department's statement on plagiarism and a copy of Wayne State's academic integrity policy.

Course Content

  1. Newtons's Laws of Motion

    Discussion of notions of space and time, reference frames, mass and force, the three laws of Newton expressed in vector calculus, conservation of momentum, 2nd law in cartesian and polar coordinates.

  2. Motion of Projectiles and Charged Particles

    Air resistance, Retardation forces, Linear and Quadratic Retardation Forces, Trajectory, Range of projectiles, Motion of Charges in a Uniform Magnetic Field (requires knowledge of complex numbers).

  3. Momentum and Angular Momentum

    3rd law applied to a system of N particles, momentum and angular momentum conservation, motion of rockets, notion of center-of-mass, Kepler's Second Law, Angular Momentum of single and several particles, moment of inertia.

  4. Energy

    Kinetic energy, work as a line integral, potential energy, and conservative forces, non-conservative forces, graphs of potential energy, condition of stability.

  5. Oscillations

    Hooke's Law, Simple Harmonic Motion, Phase, Two-D Oscillator, Damped Oscillator, Driven Oscillators, Resonance

  6. Gravitation and Central Forces

    Force of gravity due to an extended object, planetary orbits, perturbations

  7. Other topic as time permits

    Scattering



Robert Harr

4 September 2007