MEETING TIMES

MWF 8:30 am – 9:20 am (period 2), in NPB 1220

ATTENTION:

There will be extra office hours on March 23rd, during periods 8-9 (3-5pm).

There will be no class on March 21st. At that time I will be at a meeting of the LIGO and Virgo Scientific Collaborations in Boston. Take the opportunity to spend time on the homework.

There will be no class on January 9th. At that time I will still be returning from a conference and symposium celebrating Stephen Hawking's 70th birthday in Cambridge, England.

CONTACT

Bernard Whiting NPB 2079; Tel: 392-8746; Email: bernard@phys.ufl.edu
Doug Rank NPB 2038; Tel: 392-1062; Email: rank@phys.ufl.edu

OFFICE HOURS

TR  5:10 pm – 6:00 pm (period 10) in NPB 2079, or by appointment.
T  11:45 am – 12:35pm (per. 5), R  6:15 pm – 7:05 pm (per. 11) in NPB 2038, Doug Rank.

ASSIGNED TEXT

Classical Mechanics, John R. Taylor
(University Science Books, Mill Valley, CA, 2005) 1st edition ISBN 978-1-891-38922-1.

SUPPLEMENTAL TEXT

Classical dynamics of particles and systems, Stephen T. Thornton, Jerry B. Marion
(Brooks Cole, Oxford, 2003) 5th edition ISBN 978-0-534-40896-1.

PREREQUISITE

PHY 2049 or the equivalent.

COREQUISITE

MAP 2302 or the equivalent.

OVERVIEW

This course is the first part of two-semester sequence in undergraduate level classical mechanics. Topics include matrices, vector calculus, Newtonian mechanics, frames of reference, conservation laws, harmonic oscillator, and calculus of variations, and possibly special relativity.

HOMEWORK

Homework is work you do at home (or, at least, outside the class) whether assigned by me or assigned by yourself. Either way, for the course to be effective, it has to be done, but the long-term benefits are significantly better if you are self-motivated in the work you do.

HOW TO DO WELL?

  • Attend and participate fully in class
  • Solve relevant, interesting and hard problems
  • Hand homework in on time, every time

GRADING POLICY

The final grade will be based on homework (30%), a mid-term test (35%), and the final exam (35%).

EXAMS

The exams will be held in NPB 1220 from 8:20-10:10 pm (periods E2-E3). The mid-term test will be on 3/1/2012, and the final exam on 4/24/2012.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Students who require accommodation for disabilities must first contact the Dean of Students Office. That office will provide documentation, which the student must bring to his/her instructors during the first week of the semester.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Each student is expected to hold himself/herself to a high standard of academic honesty. Under the UF academic honesty policy, unauthorized assistance or the use of unauthorized resources is strictly forbidden on work-for-credit. Although discussions among the students are highly encouraged, you are to work alone on all homework assignments unless specified differently. Fabrication or falsification of excuses or related documentation is also a violation of the UF academic honesty policy.
Violations of this policy will be dealt with severely. There will be no warnings or exceptions.