UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND SERVICOM UNIT

OFFICE OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR
TEACHING WORKPLAN FOR PHS211

Faculty: Science
Department: Physics
Session: 2019/2020
Semester: First
Course Code: PHS211
Title of Course: Classical Mechanics I
Course Units: 2 units
Course Lecturers: Dr. N.I. Obot (NIO)
Dr. A.O. Adewale (AOA)
Dr. O.O. Odeyemi (OOO1)
Dr. O.O. Oyebola (OOO2)
Teaching Schedule: Tuesdays 8am – 10am
Venue: LAB109

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Review of coordinate transformations. Particle kinematics and dynamics. Systems of particles,
Central orbits – Keplerian case. Elementary motion of rigid bodies. Newtonian gravitation.
Conservative forces and potentials. Defects of Newtonian mechanics and the essence of special
relativity, elasticity, stress and strain, hydrodynamics, irrotational flow, viscosity, surface
tension.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this course students should:
• transform from one coordinate system to another.
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• explain the different types of motion and give examples.
• define the following parameters: distance/velocity, speed/velocity, and acceleration.
• discuss projectile motion.
• explain circular motion.
• explain the three Newton’s laws of motion.
• define center of mass for system of particles
• understand the similarities and differences between the motion of a particle and system
of particles.
• explain equilibrium of a particle.
• state the law of conservation of energy.
• derive the expression for the conversation of energy of a system of particle.
• describe qualitatively how the velocity, period of revolution, and centripetal
acceleration depend upon the radius of the orbit.
• derive Kepler’s third law for the case of circular orbits.
• state Kepler’s three laws of planetary motion.
• analyze the planar kinetics of a rigid body undergoing rotational motion.
• analyze the planar kinetics of a rigid body undergoing general plane motion.
• define the following quantities: work, energy and power.
• state the Newton theory of gravitation.
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 • calculate the gravitational forces that any two bodies exert on each other.
• relate the weight of an object to the general expression for gravitational force.
• calculate speed, orbital period, and mechanical energy of a satellite in a circular orbit.
• conditions and examples of applied force around a path being conservative and when
not conservative.
• determine potential U between two points.
• evaluate the principle of conservation of energy; kinetic energy and potential energy.
• calculate the position vector of systems under reduced mass.
• analyze conservative and non-conservative forces undergoing rectilinear motion
• outline the failures of Newtonian mechanics at near speed of light.
• state the laws of special relativity.
• derive the Lorentz transformations, considering also the velocity transformation.
• derive the formulas for length contradiction and time dilation and explain their
significances.

COURSE RESOURCES
Required Textbook (On Reserve at the Main Library)
Agostino Prastro (1996), Geomerty of PDEs and Mechanics. New Jersey, USA. World
Scientific.
Etienne Guyou, Jean_pierre Hulin, Luc Petie, Catalin D. Miteseu (2001). Physical
Hydrodynamics. Oxford University Press.

COURSE CONTENT
WEEK TOPIC LECTURER(S) REMARKS
1 Review of coordinate transformations, AOA
equation of motion (velocity and
acceleration) in cartesian, polar,
cylindrical and spherical coordinates.
2 Particle kinematics and dynamics; AOA
tangential, normal, radial and transverse
components. Mass, momentum and
moment of inertia in three dimensions.
3 Dynamics, composition of concurrent AOA
forces, composition of parallel forces,
torque; Newton’s laws of motion,
motion of a particle, frictional forces,
4 Reduced mass, system of particles, OOO1
Dynamics of a system of particles,
motion of the center of mass of a system
of particles, equilibrium of a particle,
kinetic energy of a system of particles.
Conservation of energy of a system of
particles,
5 Planetary motion, Central orbits – OOO1
Keplerian case, Rocket motion

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 6 Elementary motion of rigid bodies, OOO1
Rectilinear motion under conservative
force, non-conservative forces,
7 Conservative forces and potentials, OOO1
angular momentum (parallel and
perpendicular axis theorem), inertia
tensor
8 Hydrodynamics (fluid mechanics), NIO
irrotational flow, viscosity, surface
tension in two or/and three dimensions
9 Newtonian gravitation; theory, NIO
potential, binding energy in three
dimensions
10 Defects of Newtonian mechanics NIO
Special relativity, Lorentz
transformation, transformation of
velocities,
11 Consequences of the Lorentz NIO
transformation; length contraction, time
dilation.
12 Elasticity, Hooke’s law OOO2
13 Stress and strain in two and three OOO2
dimensions
14 INCOURSE ASSESSMENT AOA, OOO1,
NIO, OOO2
15 Revision

16 Examination EOO and other

Lecturers
17 Examination EOO and other
Lecturers

COURSE AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES:

Attendance
Students enrolled in this course are expected to make 65% attendance at Lectures to be
eligible for examination.

Evaluation
Continuous Assessment: 30 marks
The progress of students enrolled in PHS211 will be continuously assessed through tests,
written assignments, reports and/or such other means as may be consistent with the objectives
and conduct of the of the course as determined by the Department.
Examinations: 70 marks
PHS211 will be examined at the end of 1st Semester, the duration of the examination shall be
two hours.
Final Marks:
PHS211 shall be graded based on 100 total marks with proportions of Continuous
Assessment shall be 30% and Course examination shall be 70%.

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Signature of Lecturers Head of Department

Dr. N.I. Obot (NIO)

Dr. A.O. Adewale (AOA)

Dr. O.O. Odeyemi (OOO)

Dr. O.O. Oyebola (OOO2)