Spring 2007 Lecture Schedule for PH303
(Theoretical Mechanics)
Text: Classical Mechanics (5th Edition) by Tom W B Kibble and Frank H Berkshire (Paperback - Jun 2004)
Week 1: 30 Jan-2 Feb Review of mechanics concepts
(Ch 1: Intro, 1.1-1.5; Appendix A.1-A.4; Ch 2: Intro, 2.1)
Kinematics. Features of frames and forces. Newton's Laws. Conservative force in 1d.
Week 2: 6-8 Feb Free Oscillations
(Ch 2.2-2.5)
The "simple" damped harmonic oscillator. .
Week 3: 13-15 Feb Driven Oscillations. Qualitative Methods.
(Ch 2.6-2.7; Ch 13: Intro, 13.1-13.3)
The driven oscillator. Resonance. The Q-factor. The Phase Plane.
Week 4: 20-22 Feb Review and Exam 1
Week 5: 27 Feb-1 Mar Energy and Angular Momentum
(Ch 3: Intro, 3.1-3.5)
Vector mechanics. Central forces & polar coordinates.
Week 6: 6-8 Mar Central Forces
(Ch 4: Intro, 4.1-4.3)
Conservation laws. Inverse-square force.
Week 7: 13-15 Mar Kepler's Laws
(Ch 4.4; Appendix B)
Orbits in Newton's gravity.
Week 8: 27-29 Accelerating & Rotating Frames
(Ch 5: Intro, 5.1-5.4)
Ficticious forces. Centrifugal and Coriolis forces.
Week 9: 31 Mar-1 Apr Review and Exam 2
Week 10: 10-12 Apr Two-Body Interactions
(Ch 2.9; Ch 7: Intro, 7.1-7.3)
1d elastic and inelastic collisions. 2d collisions.
Week 11: 17-19 Apr Extended Systems
(Ch 8: Intro, 8.1-8.2, 8.4; Ch 9: Intro, 9.1)
Week 12: 24-26 Apr Rigid Bodies; Least Action
(Ch 9.2-9.5; Ch 3.6-3.7)
Moments and products of inertia. Routh's rule. Principle of least action.
Week 13: 1-3 & 8-10 May Lagrangian Mechanics
(Ch 8.5; Ch 10: Intro, 10.1-10.2, 10.4)
Hamilton's principle. Use of the Lagrangian.
Week 14: 8-10 May Review and Exam 3
Final exam -- 15 May 2007, 9-12 am