Physics 326 - Classical Mechanics II - Syllabus & Texts (Spring 2011)
Course outline
1. Review of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Dynamics (3 lectures)
- Calculus of Variations - review of Phys 325 material
- Hamilton's principle, Euler-Lagrange equations - review of Phys 325 material
- Generalized coordinates, constraints, Lagrange multipliers - review of Phys 325 material
- Hamilton's equations - review of Phys 325 material
- Method of Virtual Work to obtain Forces - new
2. Systems of Particles (6 lectures)
- Newtons Laws and Angular Momentum for a system of particles
- Central force motion
- Orbital shape and classification
- Kepler's Laws
- Orbital dynamics
- Orbital stability
- Scattering
- elastic collisions
- inelastic collisions
- cross sections
3. Rigid Body Motion (5 lectures)
- Rotations and Inertia Tensors
- Principal Axes
- Euler Angles
- Precession and Nutation
4. Theory of Small oscillations (3 lectures)
- Normal modes
- Fourier analysis
5. Introduction to Continuum Mechanics (3 lectures)
- The Wave Equation
- Volume and Surface forces
- Stress and Strain
- Hooke's Law
- Longitudinal and Transverse Waves in a Solid
6. Introduction to Fluid Dynamics - (4 lectures)
- Incompressible flow - Euler's Equation
- Bernoulli's Equation fot Incompressible Flow
- Perfect Fluids
- Continuity Equation
- Bernoulli's Equation fot Compressible Flow
- Shocks
- Waves in Fluids
Texts
You need a copy of either Taylor or Thornton & Marion, not both of these.
- Taylor, Classical Mechanics
- Thornton and Marion, Classical Dynamics of Particles
and Systems. The Fifth Edition is best, but the third and fourth editions are also fine.
- Faber, T. E., Fluid Dynamics for Physicists. Published by Cambridge University Press in 1995.
There are several other Books
on Reserve in Grainger Library
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