PHYSICS 331: CLASSICAL MECHANICS

Office hours: MW 2:30 – 3:30, or by appointment (email me with a few times).

Grading breakdown

MATLAB scripts

with GUIs, for studying concepts without needing to know anything about Matlab (just copy to local Matlab directory and type the script name at the prompt):

1. -calculate and plot the animated trajectories and positions/velocities vs. time for vacuum, linear, and quadratic drag cases: drag.m
   

without GUIs, for studying numerical methods as well as concepts (if you’re interested and know a little Matlab):

1. -calculate and plot range with linear drag using Newton’s method: range.m
   

2. -calculate and plot trajectory of an object with quadratic drag using Runge Kutta integration: ballistic.m
   

3. -calculate and plot several figures explaining Fourier transforms: fourierdemo.m
   

4. -solve and plot solutions for a damped driven harmonic oscillator as the driving frequency (damped_driven_omega.m) and the damping parameter (damped_driven_beta.m) are increased.
   

5. -evolve the double cart, triple spring system of coupled oscillators, showing a cartoon, the individual displacements, and the individual and total energies.  Initial conditions (m1, m2, k1, k2, k3) can be easily modified to check different modes from the book: double_cart.m
   

6. -evolve the double pendulum and show as a cartoon and in phase space, with two realization using slightly different initial conditions, to show the onset of nonlinearity: double_pendulum_demo.m
   

Course Information

Name:Theoretical Mechanics I

Number:PHYS 331

Location:G4 White Hall

Schedule:MWF 1:30 – 2:20

Prerequesites:PHYS 111 and 112, MATH 261 (can be concurrent)

Text:J. R. Taylor, Classical Mechanics, University Science Books, Sausalito, CA 2005

Course Elements

Exams

There will be three midterm exams and a cumulative final exam.  Midterm exams will be held in class following the completion of Chapters 3, 5, and 8.  The final exam will cover all of the material from Chapters 1 – 8.  Important:  No make-up exams will be given, unless I am provided with documentation in advance of your participation in an authorized university activity.  Make up exams for other reasons must be arranged in advance and are at the discretion of the instructor.

Lowest midterm exam policy:  In calculating your final grade, your lowest MIDTERM exam score will be counted as ¼ as much as the other two exams.

Exams will be closed book.  You may prepare a single formula sheet (front and back) for the midterm exams, and up to three sheets for the final exam.  You may bring a scientific, nonprogrammable calculator; simple operations and standard transcendental functions will be needed, but graphing and more complex functionality will not.  If you feel that your exam was graded incorrectly, you may request a review of your exam grade by resubmitting it with a written explanation up to one week after graded exams have been made available.  After this window, your exam grade will not be changed.  A review of the grade will consist of a review of the written explanation, followed by a regrading of the entire exam, without reference to the original scores.

Quizzes

Quizzes may be administered periodically, and may be given at the start or at the end of class.  They may cover simple aspects of the reading material that should have been completed prior to the start of class, as well as earlier material.  These quizzes will be unannounced and will not occur on a regular schedule.  The number and frequency of the quizzes will depend on the preparedness of the class throughout the semester. Everyone will start with 1 free quiz score of 100%, so that score will remain if no quizzes end up being required.

Homeworks

Homework assignments will be given approximately biweekly, generally on Fridays.  They will be due at the beginning of class exactly one week later, or the class that occurs soonest thereafter.  No credit will be given for late homework unless prearranged with me, since we will often review answers in class on the due date.  Known conflicts on the due date will mean that you need to submit the homework earlier, and will not generally be grounds for an extension.  You should expect homework assignments to be challenging and it is acceptable (even encouraged) that you will collaborate with your classmates.  If you are collaborating effectively, you are seeking to make sense of a problem through comments, questions, and dialog; you are teaching each other how to approach the problem, and not just sharing your answers.  If, as a group, you are collectively stuck on a specific problem, you are strongly encouraged to come to office hours to discuss the problem as a group.

However, you are individually responsible for your own learning and your own understanding.  You need to think through the concepts for yourself in order to understand the material and do well on the exam.  For all assignments, the work that you turn in must be your own.  Copying homework from one another or the Internet is not collaborating, but cheating, and it will be dealt with as such (see the Academic Integrity Statement).  If multiple submissions make identical computational errors, for instance, I will consider that an instance of cheating by all of the students who submitted identical work; therefore, it is your responsibility to guard your final solutions.

Credit on homeworks will be awarded based on a clear, concise, and complete explanation of the problem leading to a solution.  The point is to make sense of the problem and construct an answer, not to simply write down the answer.

Homework cheating policy: If performance on the homeworks is highly inconsistent with performance on the exams and quizzes (for instance, if a student shows complete mastery of a topic in his/her homework submission, and complete lack of familiarity with the same topic in a subsequent examination), the instructor reserves the right to have a student demonstrate his/her ability to answer specific homework questions that were previously submitted.  In such a demonstration, the instructor and student will agree on a time of mutual convenience, during which the student will come to the instructor’s office, and will be permitted to refer to the textbook, notes, and the internet (within reason), and will be asked to re-solve one of more homework questions in the presence of the instructor.  A vastly worse performance in this setting will result in a failing grade for the corresponding homework assignment, and potential referral for academic dishonesty.

Course Policies

Etiquette

You are expected to be present in class, both literally and in the sense of being engaged.  Please turn off cell phones before the beginning of class and place them out of sight (for example, in a backpack or purse) until class has concluded.  No laptops, headphones, or any other potential distraction should be used during class, unless you discuss special circumstances (e.g. note-taking being done with a tablet) beforehand.  If you must enter class late, or must leave early or use the restroom, please do so as discreetly as possible.

Academic Integrity Statement

The integrity of the classes offered by any academic institution solidifies the foundation of its mission and cannot be sacrificed to expediency, ignorance, or blatant fraud. Therefore, I will enforce rigorous standards of academic integrity in all aspects and assignments of this course. For the detailed policy of West Virginia University regarding the definitions of acts considered to fall under academic dishonesty and possible ensuing sanctions, please see the “Student Conduct Code” document at https://studentconduct.wvu.edu. Should you have any questions about possibly improper research citations or references, or any other activity that may be interpreted as an attempt at academic dishonesty, please see me before the assignment is due to discuss the matter.

Social Justice

West Virginia University is committed to social justice.  I expect to maintain a positive learning environment based upon open communication, mutual respect, and non-discrimination.  Our university does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, disability, veteran’s status, religion, sexual orientation, color or national origin.  Any suggestions as to how to further such a positive and open environment in this class will be appreciated and given serious consideration.  If you are a person with a disability and anticipate needing any type of accommodation in order to participate in this class, please advise me and make appropriate arrangements with the Office of Disability Services (304-293-6700).