PHYS 410 - Classical Mechanics

• Course Info:
• Syllabus
• Schedule and suggested reading.
• Grades are posted on elms.
• Videos:
• Torque-free rotations: Tennis Racket theorem ("Dzhanibekov effect" in Russia)
• with books and boxes (in Russian)
• with a ping pong paddle
• with a wing nut (starts at 0:17, in Russian)
• with a valve and strut (in Russian)
• Precession of a torque-free symmetric top
• A rotating cone. Red vector is angular momentum, green is body axis, purple is omega. 
• Precession of a rotating satellite. Yellow is angular momentum, green is body axis, cyan is omega. 
• A rotating box. Purple is angular momentum, yellow is body axis, blue is omega.
• Gyroscopes, with gravitational torque.
• Motorized gyroscope, with precession and nutation.
• Tippe Top.
  
• Final Exam:
• The final exam will be held on Thursday May 12th at 8 am in PHYS 0405. 
• The final will be comprehensive, covering material from the entire semester.
  
• We will do an exam review in class on Tuesday May 10th. The exam review will only cover the material since the third mid-term exam (Rigid body rotation and non-inertial frames of reference.)
  
• You will be given the formula sheet. No other study aids will be allowed.
• Hints for studying for the exam:
  
  • Review your lecture notes and the posted lecture notes.
  • Review the homework.
  • Review the suggested reading in the textbook.
  • Review the formula sheet. Make sure you understand all of the relevant equations there.
    
• Homework:
• Homework #1, and solutions.
  
• Homework #2, and solutions.
  
• Homework #3, and solutions.
  
• Homework #4, and solutions.
  
• Homework #5, and solutions.
  
• Homework #6, and solutions.
  
• Homework #7, and solutions.
  
• Homework #8, and solutions.
  
• Homework #9, and solutions.
  
• Homework #10, and solutions.
  
• Lecture Notes:
  
• Week 1: Differential equations, Newton's laws, drag forces.
• Week 2: Linear and angular momentum, work, energy.
• Week 3: Oscillations.
• Week 4: Exam 1 review.
• Week 5: Lagrangian mechanics.
• Week 6: Hamilton's Principle and the calculus of variations.
• Week 7: Hamiltonian Mechanics and Rutherford Scatttering
• Week 8: Exam 2 review.
• Week 9: Central force motion.
• Week 10: Special relativity.
• Week 11: Special relativity continued.
• Week 12: Kinematics of rigid body rotations.
• Week 13: Exam 3 review.
• Week 14: Dynamics of rigid body rotations and non-inertial frames.
• Week 15: Exam review.