Physics 5153, Classical Mechanics

Physics 5153, Fall 2015
Classical Mechanics

Professor Kimball A. Milton

Last updated: December 13, 2015 by Kim Milton E-mail

Syllabus for Physics 5153
Mechanics
Fall 2015

Instructor: K. A. Milton

Lecture: MW 1:30-2:45, Nielsen Hall 203

Office: Nielsen Hall 325, extension 36325

Office hours: M 3:00 pm-5:00 pm, F 2:00pm-3:00pm, by appointment, or whenever you can catch me in my office.

Primary Text: Mechanics, by L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz. (Pergamon Press, 1976, 3rd ed.) (On reserve)

Secondary Text: Mechanics by Arnold Sommerfeld. (Academic Press, 1964).

Supplementary References: (On reserve)

G. A. Bliss, Lectures on the Calculus of Variations, University of Chicago Press

R. Finkelstein, Nonrelativistic Mechanics, Benjamin

H. Goldstein, Classical Mechanics, 1st edition, Addison-Wesley

E. J. Saletan and A. H. Cromer, Theoretical Mechanics, John Wiley

W. Thirring, Classical Dynamical Systems, Springer

A. G. Webster, The Dynamics of Particles and of Rigid, Elastic, and Fluid Bodies, Dover

E. T. Whittaker, Analytical Dynamics of Particles and Rigid Bodies, Cambridge University Press

Prerequisites: Physics 5513 will start with action principles, and the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of the dynamics of point particles. Knowledge of Newton's laws of motion will be assumed. Mathematically, you should know differential equations, vector analysis, and linear algebra.

Grading: The grade in this course will be based upon homework, which will be assigned approximately every week, and on three exams. The weighting will be as follows:

Homework 35%
Midterm Exams 2 x 20%
Final Exam 25%

Late homework will not be accepted.
The examination schedule is as follows:

In class Exam I	Monday, October 5
In class Exam II	Monday, November 9
Final Exam	Friday, December 18, 8:00-10:00am

Tentative Course Outline:

Action Principles: Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Formulations

Conservation Laws and Galilean Relativity

Generalized Coordinates. The Kepler-Coulomb Problem

Einsteinian Relativity: Kinematics and Dynamics

Decay and Scattering

Small Oscillations

Rigid Body Motion

Motion in Non-Inertial Frames. Constraints

Canonical Formulations and Hamilton-Jacobi Theory. Poisson Brackets

Lecture Notes

Lecture 1-3, Action Principles, August 24-31. Typographical error corrected in Appendix, 8/31/15.

Lecture 4-6, Generalized Coordinates. The Kepler-Coulomb Problem. August 31-September 14 Typographical errors corrected, 9/9/15.

Lecture 6-8, Relativistic Kinematics. September 14-21 Typographical errors in (3.62) and following corrected.

Lecture 9-10, Relativistic Dynamics. September 23-28

Lecture 11-12, Decay and Scattering. September 30-October 7

Lecture 13-16, Small Oscillations. October 12-October 26 The discussion of normal modes has been extended and clarified, posted 10/27/15.

Lecture 17-21, Rigid Body Motion. October 28-November 18 The argument at the end of Sec. 7.2 is improved, the statement at the end of Sec. 7.3 is corrected, and two problems are added.

Lecture 21-25, Constraints. Noninertial coordinate systems. November 18-December 2. Updated 12/6/15 to include a discussion of the Hamiltonian in a rotating coordinate system, and to clarify the problem.

Lecture 25-27, Hamilton-Jacobi Equations, Poisson Brackets. Canonical Transformations. December 2-9. Updated on 12/13/15 to include section on the axial vector, and the symmetry group of the hydrogen atom.

Homework Assignments

Assignment #1, due Wednesday, September 9: Problems 1, 2, and 3 at end of Chapter 1 of lecture notes; and Problems 1 through 4 in Chapter 1 of Landau and Lifshitz (fill in all steps).

Assignment #2, due Monday, September 21: Problems 1, 2, and 3 at end of Chapter 2 of lecture notes; and Problems 1 through 3 on p. 21 and Problem 1 on p. 39 of Landau and Lifshitz (fill in all steps).

Assignment #3, due Wednesday, September 30: Problems 1, 2, and 3 at end of Chapter 3 of lecture notes; Problems 1 and 2, on p. 33-34 (Sec. 14), and Problems 2 and 3, on p. 40 (Sec. 15) of Landau and Lifshitz (fill in all steps).

Assignment #4, due Wednesday, October 14: Problems 1, 2, 3, and 4 in Chapter 4 of lecture notes.

Assignment #5, due Wednesday, October 28: Problem 1 at end of Chapter 5 of lecture notes; Problems 1 and 2, on p. 43-44 (Sec. 16), Problems 1, 3, and 5, on pp. 50-51 (Sec. 18), and Problem 1, on pp. 54-55 (Sec. 19) of Landau and Lifshitz (fill in all steps). Note change in due date. There is a clarification of the statement of the problem in Chapter 5 of the lecture notes, posted 10/27/15.

Assignment #6, due Wednesday, November 4: Problem 1 at end of Chapter 6 of lecture notes; Problems 2, 3, and 6, on pp. 60-61 (Sec. 21), Problems 1 and 4, on pp. 64-65 (Sec. 22), and Problems 1 and 2 on pp. 69-70 (Sec. 23) of Landau and Lifshitz (fill in all steps).

Assignment #7, due Monday, November 23: Problem 2 at end of Chapter 6 of lecture notes; Problem on p. 80 (Sec. 26), Problems 1, 2, 4, and 7, on pp. 101-104 (Sec. 32), and Problems 1 and 2 on pp. 112-113 (Sec. 35) of Landau and Lifshitz (fill in all steps). Note due date has changed.

Assignment #8 due Friday, December 4: Problems in Landau and Lifshitz (fill in all steps): 37.1 (p. 120), 38.1, 2 (pp. 124-5), 39.1, 3 (p. 129), and Problems 1 and 2 in Chapter 7 of lecture notes, and Problem 1 in Chapter 8. Note problem 8.1 is postponed to the next assignment.

Assignment #9, due Monday, December 14. Problems in Landau and Lifshitz (fill in all steps): 42.1, 42.2, 42.3, 42,4 (pp. 137-8), Problem 1 in Chapter 8 (note modification), and Problem 1 in Chapter 9, to appear on Monday, December 7.

Solutions are posted on D2L

Course evaluation

The OU Course Evaluation System will be open from 12:00 am on Monday, November 30 through 11:59pm on Sunday, December 13. Please complete the evaluation of this course online; there is also a version of eValuate for mobile devices. Your responses are completely anonymous. This evaluation is extremely important for the improvement of instruction at OU, and is used by the Administration and the Department in the evaluation of teaching effectiveness.

University Policies

Policy on Religious Holidays: "It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays."

Academic Integrity: Although collaborative learning is encouraged, including working on problems together, it is expected that assignments turned in represent your own work. Cheating on examinations will not be tolerated. The following is a link to OU's integrity website: http://integrity.ou.edu.

Reasonable Accommodation Policy: "Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me personally as soon as possible so we can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate your educational opportunities."

Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues: "Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Please see for commonly asked questions."

Title IX Resources: "For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24.7, counseling services, mutual no contact orders, scheduling adjustments and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office 405-325-2215 (8-5) or the Sexual Assault Response Team 405-615-0013 (24.7) to learn more or to report an incident."

Go to top of page

Dr. Milton's Home Page

Physics 5153, Fall 2015 Classical Mechanics