Physics 5210 Home Page

Winter 2015

Class schedule, click on the lecture number to see the notes for that lecture or the homework number to see that assignment. Notes are posted only after they're prepared, usually shortly before the lecture.

Homework Problems

Here are some problem solving guidelines that you may find useful.

Web Based Aids

Here I have assembled a collection of links to web sites with useful information or demonstrations. Most of these are java applets that require a java enabled browser. If you have trouble running or accessing any of these sites, please let me know.

Have trouble visualizing the vector cross product? Try out this applet from Syracuse University.
Kepler's second law.
This gravity simulation applet is fun to play with. A many body problem is simulated, and you can see how test particles react to the gravitational fields produced by the massive bodies. This is not directly applicable to the topics we are covering.
This simulation of central force motions is a bit more advanced, but includes a discussion of orbits around a black hole. Be sure to check out the "orbit applet" by clicking the link near the bottom of the page.
The impact simulator applet is full of things (friction, viscosity, gravity, and bouncing balls), and I haven't had time to try it out! If you do, let me know what you think.
This page does some calculations for Helium atoms at low temperatures, approximating the binding with the Lennard-Jones potential. This is the function that appeared on the first midterm exam.

Bibliography

For further reading, I provide a bibliography of mechanics and related texts.