Welcome to Phys 105, 2011!
Important health alert! Be sure to check this page.
Have a happy thanksgiving! Homework 8 is due Dec. 1, by vote.
The final exam will be on Tuesday, December 6, 8am–11am.
I strongly recommend reading this question and my answer to it and this newer one.
Lecture note 16 is quite an elaborate note on coupled oscillators. The minimum requirement at this point is that you understand the last page well. However, a lot of fine points are presented in the body of the text, and those should be quite helpful. A must-read!
- Please ask any questions in any settings provided in this course. There is no such thing as a bad question in my courses, and there should not be in any courses.
Positive acts will get noticed. Feel free to vote (positively) on the forum site -- every registered user can vote. Asking questions is one of the most positive acts (to yourself and others)!
What is this course about?
Classical mechanics is a beautifully ripe subject, albeit with hidden surprises. In this course, we will get a complete overview of classical mechanics. We will learn Newtonian and Lagrangian views of classical mechanics. We will cover some basic topics such as linear systems and the central force problem, and also not so basic topics such as non-linear dynamics (chaos), and many particle systems (field theory). If time allows (very unlikely), we may cover the special theory of relativity as well.
Checking out last year’s course web site might be of some use. Last but not the least, remember that you are the one!