PHYS 326 :: Physics Illinois :: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Course Description

General overview

The format of the course is similar to that of last semester's Phys 325. See below for specifics on HW, exams, and discussion. Phys 326 will include material on multi-degree of freedom coupled linear oscillations, rotations of 3-d rigid bodies, a bit of chaos and nonlinear dynamics, and some continuum mechanics including waves in solids and fluids. See the schedule for details.

Note: Matrix algebra (e.g., finding eigenvalues and eigenvectors) is used throughout the course, beginning with the first week.  

Texts

Reading the lecture material before class is highly recommended! Lectures tend to be much clearer when you have perused the material beforehand.

Lectures

Please review the section information for lecture times this semester.

Discussion problem sessions

When registering for this course, you registered for a problem session, which will take place weekly. Because space is limited, please be sure to go to the section for which you are registered. Attendance at these problem sessions is mandatory. You must show up on time to receive full credit. We'll take 15% off the credit for each 5 minutes of being late. If you are late by more than 30 minutes you will not receive credit. After class, you will be able to access the problem session materials through the course schedule page.

Please review the section information for problem sessions scheduled this semester.

Homework

Homework is an essential part of this course. The homework will generally be made available online at the end of each Tuesday lecture and will cover the lecture material of that week. HW must be submitted, via gradescope, by 12:30 pm on the Tuesday that it is due. Late work will be marked down by 25% each day that it is late and will not be graded if it is more than two days late. I do not object to people working on the homework problems together as long as the work that you hand in for grading is your own. I strongly recommend that you thoroughly struggle with the problems yourself first. You'll learn more this way and you'll do better on the exams when you're on your own. 

Exams

There will be two midterm exams and one final exam. Dates will be announced. Please check the course schedule for full details.

Academic integrity

The giving of assistance to or receiving unauthorized assistance from another person, or the use of unauthorized materials during University Examinations can be grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion from the University.

Unless a problem states otherwise, you are not to use any calculating devices or symbolic manipulation tools in any of your work. And no use of electronic search tools to find material relating to solutions to problems you are working on. I will only permit paper and pen, and information you can find in textbooks and reference works such as calculus texts or tables of integrals and special functions. You are on your honor to hold to this.