Scribd
Upload
134 views2 pages

PHYS 510 Syllabus

This document outlines the syllabus for a Classical Mechanics physics course. It provides key details such as the instructor's contact information, required textbook, grading scheme requiring problem sets, a midterm exam, and final exam. It also includes a weekly schedule spanning 16 weeks, listing the chapters and topics to be covered, associated problem sets and due dates. The course will introduce classical mechanics concepts and applications through Goldstein's textbook. Students will complete regular assignments and exams testing their understanding of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics, central forces, rigid bodies, and oscillations.

Uploaded by

flight2heaven1474
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
134 views2 pages

PHYS 510 Syllabus

This document outlines the syllabus for a Classical Mechanics physics course. It provides key details such as the instructor's contact information, required textbook, grading scheme requiring problem sets, a midterm exam, and final exam. It also includes a weekly schedule spanning 16 weeks, listing the chapters and topics to be covered, associated problem sets and due dates. The course will introduce classical mechanics concepts and applications through Goldstein's textbook. Students will complete regular assignments and exams testing their understanding of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics, central forces, rigid bodies, and oscillations.

Uploaded by

flight2heaven1474
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

PHYSICS 510: Classical Mechanics

T Th 11-12:15 LA5-248
• Instructor Galen T. Pickett, [email protected], 562-985-4934, PH1-221.
• Course Webpage http://www.csulb.edu/∼gpickett/phys510/phys510.html
• Textbook
1. Classical Mechanics, 3rd edition by Goldstein, Poole and Safko.
2. Grading There will be no curve in this course. Semester averages will determine
your grades as follows: 100-A-90, 89-B-80, 79-C-70, 69-D-60 59-F-0. Your semester
average comes from:
(a) 50% Problem sets. Sets of problems from the book will be due every second
week of the course on Thursdays.
(b) 25% Midterm examination. A take-home examination will be distributed in class
on Thursday, Oct. 16, and will be due at the start of class, Tuesday Oct. 21.
(c) 25%Final examination. A take-home final will be distributed on Thursday, Dec.
11, and will be due at 12 noon, Tuesday Dec. 16 in the Department of Physics and
Astronomy office, PH1-210.
3. Absences Any university-approved absence will entitle you to a reasonable extension
of an assignment’s due dates.
4. Accommodation Anyone who requires accommodation through the DSSC should see
me as soon as possible.
• Schedule
1. Aug. 30-Sept. 3 Introduction. Everything you ever knew about mechanics. Con-
straints. Chapter 1.
Problem set 1: Chapter 1: Derivations 1,3,4,9,10; Exercises 13,15,18,19,23.
2. Sept. 6-10 Chapter 1 continued. Some things you may not have known about mechan-
ics. Virtual work, Lagrange’s equations.
PS. 1 due Sept. 9.
3. Sept. 13-17 Chapter 2. Variational principles, Hamilton’s principle, constraints.
Problem set 2: Chapter 2: Derivation 3; Expercises 6,7,10,11,13,16,20,22,23.
4. Sept. 20-24 Chapter 2 continued.
PS. 2 due Sept. 23.
Problem set 3: Chapter 8: Derivations 1,2; Exercises 12,13,19. Chapter 9: Derivations
2,4,5; Exercises 21,26.
5. Sept. 27-Oct. 1 Chapter 8. Hamilton’s formulation of mechanics.
6. Oct. 4-8 Chapter 9. Canonical transformations.
Problem set 3 due Oct. 7.
7. Oct. 11-15 Chapter 3. Central forces, two-body formulation.
MIDTERM ASSIGNED Oct. 15.
8. Oct. 18-22 Chapter 3 (finish).
MIDTERM DUE Oct. 19.
Problem set 4: Chapter 3: Derivations 6,7; Exercises 12,18,19,20. Chapter 4: Deriva-
tions 3,5; Exercises 10,14,20.
9. Oct. 25-29 Chapter 4. Rigid bodies.

1
10. Nov. 1-5 Chapter 5. Torque-free motion of a rigid body.
PS. 4 due Nov. 4.
Problem set 5. Chapter 5: Exercises 13,15,20,22,24. Chapter 6: Derivations 1,2; Exer-
cises 3,4.
11. Nov. 8-12 Chapter 5 cont, Chapter 6 start. Oscillations and normal coordinates.
12. Nov. 15-19 Chapter 6 (finish).
PS. 5 due. Nov. 18
Problem set 6: Chapter 7: Derivations 2,3; Exercises 12,13,19.
13. Nov. 22-26 Thanksgiving.
14. Nov. 29-Dec. 3 Chapter 7, Special relativity.
15. Dec. 6-10 Chapter 7, (cont.).
PS. 6 due Dec. 9.
FINAL EXAMINATION ASSIGNED Dec. 9
16. Dec. 16. FINAL EXAMINATION DUE to my mailbox in the department office at
12 noon.

You might also like