Ph106a: Topics in Classical Physics - Mechanics

Michael Cross, Caltech

Academic Year 2009-2010, Fall Term

Overview

An intermediate course in the application of basic principles of classical physics to a wide variety of subjects. Roughly half of the year will be devoted to mechanics, and half to electromagnetism. Topics include Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of mechanics, small oscillations and normal modes, boundary-value problems, multipole expansions, and various applications of electromagnetic theory.

Quick Links

Announcements

Outline

In Ph106a I will largely be following the first nine chapters of Hand and Finch, with roughly one chapter per week.

Vital Information

Time and Place:
Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30am to noon, 107 Downs
Instructor:
Prof. Michael Cross, 114A Sloan Annex, Mail Code 114-36, mcc at caltech.edu
Office hours: Thursdays 1:30-3pm, 114A Sloan Annex or by e-mail appointment
Teaching Assistants:
Liling Gu - e-mail: gll007 at caltech.edu
Paul Skerritt -e-mail: skerritt at caltech.edu; office: 11 Steele basement
Chien-Yao Tseng - e-mail: chienyao at caltech.edu; office: 461 Lauristen
Office hours: Thursday 7-9pm, 425 Lauritsen
Feedback:
I greatly appreciate student feedback, particularly during the course so that I can try to modify the class to fit your needs. You can give feedback in person, by email, by campus mail, whatever you like.

Textbooks

Required:
Analytical Mechanics by Hand and Finch

Optional: (on reserve at Fairchild Library) Use these optional texts for alternate explanations or for additional problems or examples.
Classical Mechanics by Goldstein, Poole, and Safko (3rd edition): for an alternative discussion comparable in level to Hand and Finch
Mechanics Landau and Lifshitz: classic but terse
Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems by Thornton and Marion: not as advanced as class text, and does not cover all the material, but good supplement if you find the jump from earlier classes to Ph106 too large

Class Notes

I do not intend to make a full set of class notes available: there are many adequate textbooks already. I will post a summary for each lecture that highlights the main points, and discusses in more detail (or gives references to other sources) aspects that are not well treated in Hand and Finch. I will also post copies of any slides or other computer material used in the lecture. I will do my best to post the summary and slides before (probably only shortly before) the relevant lecture, so that you may look at them, and print them out if you wish, to decide how much to add in your own notes.

Grading

The course grade will be 30% homework sets, 30% midterm, and 40% final.


Last updated 20 November, 2009