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General Information about Physics 2301

Course title:

Physics 2301: Intermediate Mechanics (part 2)

Texts:

Introduction to Classical Mechanics by D. Morin (available as an ebook)

Basic Training in Mathematics by Shankar (first few chapters available as Google preview)

Topics to be covered:

Vector Angular Momentum

Rigid Body motion

Accelerated Frames

Relativity

Oscillations, including damping, driving and coupling

More math methods (linear algebra, complex numbers, Fourier series)

and more with Mathematica

Meeting Schedule:

Lecture: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 11.30am-12.25pm in room Scott Lab E0001

PALET room sesssions: Friday at your choice of 10.20/11.30/12.40 in Smith 2017

Holidays this term: MLK Day (Mon Jan 15), Spring Break (Mon-Fri, Mar 12-16)

Grade Weighting:

Assigned problems [30%]

Midterm #1 [20%]: Wednesday Feb 13 7.30pm in Scott E0001 and E0004

Midterm #2 [20%]: Thursday Mar 21 7.30pm in Smith 1153

Final [30%]: Friday April 26, noon

Instructor:

Prof. Gregory Kilcup
office: M2030 Physics Research Building
email: kilcup.1@osu.edu
phone: 946-0276

Office Hours: most afternoons in Smith 1011/1094, especially when homework is due.

Undergrad Tutors:

Dhvanil Desai (desai.329)

Stephen Gant (gant.43)

Jiasheng He (he.1326)

Parker Hunt (hunt.777)

David Liu (liu.2101)

Ian Osborne (osborne.415)

Lucas Smith (smith.10444)

Em Sowles (sowles.2)

Charles Woodrum (woodrum.27)

Bill Zhou (zhou.2723)

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Problem Sets

• Hwk #1 including this worksheet due the morning of Wednesday Jan 16
• The first Essential Skills drill is available. Closes Thursday Jan 17.
• Hwk #2 due the end of day, Wednesday Jan 23
• Hwk #3 due the end of day, Thursday Jan 31
• The second Essential Skills drill is available. Closes Thursday Feb 7.
• Hwk #4 due the end of day, Thursday Feb 7.
• The third Essential Skills drill is available; good to practice your matrix skills before the midterm.
• Hwk #5 due Wednesday morning, Feb 13.
• Hwk #6 due Wednesday night, Feb 27.
• Hwk #7 due Thursday morning, March 7.
• Hwk #8 due Wednesday night, March 20

Handouts and Links

• Math notebook #1 for Jan 11, containing Math01 hwk.
• Math notebook #2 for Jan 18, containing Math02 hwk.
• Math notebook #3 for Jan 25, containing Math03 hwk.
• The story of Feynman and the wobbling plate
• Notebook by astronaut Michael Foale about the Mir spacestation
• Math notebook #4 for Feb 01, with no hwk
• Math notebook #5 for Feb 08, containing Math05 hwk.
• The original "On the electrodynamics of moving bodies" paper, in English or auf Deutsch.
• Math notebook #6 for Feb 15, containing Math06 hwk.
• The first relativity tutorial
• The parable of the surveyors
• Math notebook #7 for Feb 22, containing Math07 hwk.
• Einstein's E=mc^2 paper, Does the Inertia of a Body Depend on its Energy Content?
• The story of train/tunnel paradox
• Math notebook #8 for March 1. No new homework inside.
• A collection of relativity animations
• Math notebook #9 for March 8, containing Math09 homework.

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Video mini-lectures

• Taylor Series, the foundations.
• Manipulating Taylor series
• Alan meets Beth, a spacetime story told in Mathematica.
• Train, House and Tree, a spacetime story told on a clear board.
• Rapidity, another way of talking about speed.