Spring 2020 Syllabus Physics 35100

Mechanics - Physics 35100

Spring 2020

Syllabus

• Vectors, Rotations, Coordinate transformations
• Galilean symmetry, law of inertia

• Newton’s laws, motion of point particles
• Momentum, angular momentum
• Energy, collisions

• Oscillations
• Calculus of variations

• Lagrangian mechanics

• Central force motion, planetary motion
• Non-inertial frames
• Rigid body dynamics

• Hamiltonian mechanics

• Coupled oscillations, elements of continuum mechanics

Instructor: Sebastian Franco

E-mail: sfranco@ccny.cuny.edy

Office: Marshak Science Building, 315

Office hours: Mon, Wed 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm

• But feel free to pass by my office or write an e-mail if you have questions!

Lectures

• Mondays and Wednesdays, 12:20 pm to 1:55 pm
• Room: MR 408

Books

Recommended

• “Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems”, Stephen T. Thornton, Jerry B. Marion

• “Classical Mechanics” (3rd Edition), Herbert Goldstein, Charles P. Poole Jr., John L. Safko

• “Classical Mechanics”, John R. Taylor

Additional Suggestions

• “Analytical Mechanics”, Louis N. Hand, Janet D. Finch

• “Analytical Mechanics”, Grant R. Fowles, George L. Cassiday

• “Mechanics”, L. D. Landau, E.M. Lifshitz

Online Resources

• “Lectures on Classical Dynamics”, David Tong, University of Cambridge

http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/tong/dynamics.html

• “Classical Mechanics”, Lenny Susskind, Stanford University

http://online.stanford.edu/course/classical-mechanics

Lecture notes available in:

http://www.lecture-notes.co.uk/susskind/classical-mechanics/

The pace of the course will be adapted and adjusted as we proceed, allowing time for problems and review. No definite time schedule will be offered at this time. 

General Information

• Cheating and plagiarism: Cheating in homework, exams or in any under any circumstances is a serious offence that will result in severe academic consequences.

• Exams: one Midterm exam and one comprehensive Final.

• Grades: Your letter grade will be based on a numerical score to be computed as follows:

• Homework 30%
• Midterm 30%
• Final 40%

No single contribution will guarantee you pass the course, so you are strongly advised to take advantage of all of them.

• Main communications will be through e-mail.

• The instructor reserves the right to make changes during the semester as he sees fit for the course and announce them as they occur. It is the students’ responsibility to remain informed about the course and be alert of any changes or new information.