| MWF 11-11:50 AM | OPL 107 | http://www.wfu.edu/~natalie/f06phy711/ |
| Instructor: Natalie Holzwarth | Phone:758-5510 | Office:300 OPL | e-mail:natalie@wfu.edu |
This course is a one semester survey of Classical Mechanics at the graduate level, using the textbook: Theoretical Mechanics of Particles and Continua by Alexander L. Fetter and John Dirk Walecka (McGraw-Hill, 1980) (now published by Dover ) -- F&W.
It is likely that your grade for the course will depend upon the following factors:
|
Problem sets* |
40% |
|
20% |
|
|
Exams |
40% |
*
In general, there will a new assignment after each lecture, so that for optimal learning, it would be best to complete each assignment before the the next scheduled lecture. According to the honor system, all work submitted for grading purposes should represent the student's own best efforts. Students should be confident that there is a contingency plan in place for continuing this class in the unlikely event of a major emergency. This plan includes the distribution of course materials by the web or by mail and the appropriate rescheduling of exams.| Date | F&W Reading | Topic | Assignment |
| Wed, 8/23/06 | Chap. 1 | Review of basic principles;Scattering theory | #1 |
| Fri, 8/25/06 | Chap. 1 | Scattering theory continued | #2 |
| Mon, 8/28/06 | Chap. 1 | Scattering theory continued | #3 | Wed, 8/30/06 | Chap. 2 | Accelerated reference frames | #4 |
| Fri, 9/01/06 | Chap. 2 | Foucault pendulum | #5 |
| Mon, 9/04/06 | Chap. 3 | Calculus of variation | |
| Mon, 9/06/06 | Chap. 3 | Calculus of variation | #6 |
| Fri, 9/08/06 | Chap. 3 | D'Alembert's principle | #7 |
| Mon, 9/11/06 | Chap. 3 | Lagrangian for magnetic forces | |
| Wed, 9/13/06 | Chap. 3 | Lagrangian with contraints | #8 |
| Fri, 9/15/06 | Chap. 3 | Hamiltonian | #9 |
| Mon, 9/18/06 | Chap. 6 | Hamiltonian | #10 |
| Wed, 9/20/06 | Chap. 6 | Hamiltonian | |
| Fri, 9/22/06 | Chap. 6 | Hamiltonian | #11 |
| Mon, 9/25/06 | Chap. 6 | Hamiltonian-Jacobi | #12 |
| Wed, 9/27/06 | Chap. 4 | Small oscillations | #13 |
| Fri, 9/29/06 | Chap. 4 | Normal modes | |
| Mon, 10/2/06 | Chap. 4 | Normal modes | Take Home Exam |
| Wed, 10/4/06 | Chap. 4 | Normal modes | Take Home Exam |
| Fri, 10/6/06 | Chap. 5 | Rigid body motion | Take Home Exam |
| Mon, 10/9/06 | Chap. 5 | Rigid body motion | #14 |
| Wed, 10/11/06 | Chap. 5 | Euler Angles | |
| Fri, 10/13/06 | Fall Break | ||
| Mon, 10/16/06 | Chap. 5 | Rigid body motion | #15 |
| Wed, 10/18/06 | Chap. 9 | Fluids and sound waves | #16 |
| Fri, 10/20/06 | Chap. 9 | Fluids and sound waves | #17 |
| Mon, 10/23/06 | Chap. 9 | Fluids and sound waves | #18 |
| Wed, 10/25/06 | Chap. 9 | Sound waves | #19 |
| Fri, 10/27/06 | Chap. 9 | Sound waves | #20 |
| Mon, 10/30/06 | Chap. 9 | Sound waves | |
| Wed, 11/01/06 | Chap. 10 | Water waves | #21 |
| Fri, 11/03/06 | Chap. 10 | Water waves | #22 |
| Mon, 11/06/06 | Chap. 10 | Solitary Waves | |
| Wed, 11/08/06 | Chap. 10 | Solitary Waves | |
| Fri, 11/10/06 | Chap. 10 | Solitary Waves | Take home exam |
| Mon, 11/13/06 | Chap. 7 | Sturm-Liouville equations | Take home exam |
| Wed, 11/15/06 | Chap. 7 | Sturm-Liouville equations | Take home exam |
| Fri, 11/17/06 | Chap. 7 | Sturm-Liouville equations | Take home exam |
| Mon, 11/20/06 | Chap. 7 | Sturm-Liouville equations | |
| Wed, 11/22/06 | Thanksgiving break | ||
| Fri, 11/24/06 | Thanksgiving break | ||
| Mon, 11/27/06 | Chap. 7 | Laplace transform | |
| Wed, 11/29/06 | Presentations | ||
| Fri, 12/01/06 | Presentations |