PHY3221: Mechanics I
This course is the first semester of the two semester undergraduate
course on intermediate classical mechanics.
The goal of the first semester is to develop a bridge from
the elementary course (PHY2048) to
the Lagrange and Hamilton formulation of mechanics to be studied
in depth in the second semester (PHY4222) of the course.
We will study applications of Newton's laws to more
complex situations than encountered in the elementary course,
employing the mathematical methods of matrices and vector calculus. Topics
to be covered include Newtonian mechanics, frames of reference,
conservation laws and harmonic oscillations.
Below are links to course information, a syllabus, a convention
and formula sheet. As the course develops, I will be writing
lecture notes, which will eventually be posted here.
Required text:
Course Information:
Class and contact Information
email: thorn@phys.ufl.edu
Lectures: MWF period 2 (8:30-9:20 am), NPB 1220
Office hours: MW period 3 (9:30a-10:30p), W period 7 (2:00-3:00) NPB 2069,
and by appointment
Our grader: Robert Hembree
email: rhembree@phys.ufl.edu
Announcements, Spring 2014
- Here is an example of the kind of
homework solution presentation I am looking for .
- Problem Set 1 posted 30 Decmber 2013.
- Problem Set 2 posted 13 January 2014.
- Solution Set 1 posted 13 January 2014.
- Problem Set 3 posted 17 January 2014.
- Solution Set 2 posted 23 January 2014.
- Lecture notes corrected and updated, 23 January 2014.
- After a poll of today's class, we agreed to have the first
midterm, in class, on Monday, 10 February 2014. It will cover material from
the first two chapters of our text, which we should finish discussing
by Monday 3 February 2014. Relevant homework will be
Problem Sets 1-4.
- Problem Set 4 posted 27 January 2014.
- Solution Set 3 posted 29 January 2014.
- Problem Set 5 posted 3 February 2014. Note that, to make free
up study time for the midterm to be given next Monday, the due date for this
set has been pushed back to 14 February.
- Solution Set 4 posted 5 February 2014.
- Problem Set 6 posted 13 February 2014.
- Statistics on first midterm: average=72.39; median score=72;
range of scores 50-88.
- Solution Set 5 posted 19 February 2014.
- Problem Set 7 posted 19 February 2014; reposted 24 February 2014.
I inadvertantly assigned T, Problem 4.4 in the first posting--
it had already been assigned in Set 6. You don't have to do it again!
- Solution Set 6 posted 24 February 2014.
- Problem Set 8 posted 24 February 2014.
- Solution Set 7 posted 10 March 2014.
- Problem Set 9 posted 10 March 2014.
- Solution Set 8 posted 12 March 2014.
- I would like to give the second midterm exam either on
Monday, 24 March or on Wednesday, 26 March. On next Monday
(the 17th) I will take a poll of the class to find out your
preferences. If you can't make that class and care about the
date, please send me an email with your preference. The
test will emphasize material since the first midterm,
chapters 3-4 and Problem Sets 5-9.
- The outcome of the poll on the date of the second midterm
is that it will be given on Wednesday 26 March 2014. The material covered
is specified in the previous posting.
- Problem Set 10 posted 19 March 2014. Please note that
because of the exam on Wednesday 26 March,
this set is due Friday 28 March 2014. Sets 11, 12, and 13 will now be
due on Fridays. An abbreviated Set 14 will be due on the last day of class.
Wednesday 23 April 2014. All late homework for half credit must also
be handed in by 5 pm of that day.
- I have had several requests for an extension on Problem Set 9,
because of the computer problems over the weekend. I think this
is only fair so I am pushing back the deadline for Problem Set 9 to
tomorrow, 20 March 2014, at 5pm.
- Solution Set 9 posted 21 March 2014.
- Problem Set 11 posted 26 March 2014.
- Solution Set 10 posted 2 April 2014.
- Problem Set 12 posted 2 April 2014.
- Solution Set 11 posted 7 April 2014.
- Problem Set 13 posted 8 April 2014.
- Statistics on second midterm: average=60.33/80 or 75.4%;
median 56/80 or 70%; range of scores: 37/80 to 79/80.
- Course and teacher evaluations:
UF Online Faculty Evaluations will be open
from 12 April 2013 until Friday, 25 April 2014.
These evaluations provide very important feedback, so it
is essential that we all do our best to maximize the number of responses.
Please make an effort to set aside 10 minutes or so to do this
important task. You can access the evaluation form at your leisure
from the web site:
https://evaluations.ufl.edu/
where you can find instructions and links to a gatorlink login page.
It is probably a good idea to bookmark the page so you can easily find
it in the future. URL for online evaluations:
[evaluations.ufl.edu]
- Problem Set 14 posted 16 April 2014.
- Solution Set 12 posted 16 April 2014.
- Solution Set 13 posted 21 April 2014. Reminder: all late homework
must be handed in by 5pm on Wednesday, 23 April to get half credit.
Also the evaluation website closes on 25 April--there is still time to
give us your feedback!
- Solution Set 14 posted 5pm, 23 April 2014. also note that a minor typo
in Solution Set 11 has been corrected.
- I have had several questions about my grading scale. It is not rigid
but I expect the grades to run roughly as
follows:
Precise dividing lines will be determined by the distribution of scores,
but if your score falls in the above ranges, your grade will not be
lower than indicated.
- Statistics on the final exam: Average score=112 (70%), range of scores
is 84/160 to 152/160, median score 115/160.
Homework Assignments
In the homework assignments, I will refer to problems in
Taylor's book by prefixing the problem number with T.
- Problem Set   1, due 13 January 2014,
Solution Set 1
- Problem Set   2, due 22 January 2014,
Solution Set 2
- Problem Set   3, due 29 January 2014,
Solution Set 3
- Problem Set   4, due   5 February 2014,
Solution Set 4
- Problem Set   5, due 14 February 2014,
Solution Set 5
- Problem Set   6, due 21 February 2014,
Solution Set 6
- Problem Set   7, due 28 February 2014,
Solution Set 7
- Problem Set   8, due 12 March 2014,
Solution Set 8
- Problem Set   9, due 19 March 2014,
Solution Set 9
- Problem Set 10, due 28 March 2014,
Solution Set 10
- Problem Set 11, due   4 April 2014,
Solution Set 11
- Problem Set 12, due   11 April 2014,
Solution Set 12
- Problem Set 13, due 18 April 2014,
Solution Set 13
- Problem Set 14, due 23 April 2014,
Solution Set 14
Information on Examinations
The final exam is scheduled for 30 April 2014, 5:30-7:30pm.
Two in-class midterms will be given, on dates to be determined.
In grading the midterm and final exams,
points will be deducted for errors in calculation and logic.
All exams will be closed book.
Announcements, Spring 2013
- Problem set 1 posted
- Here is an example of the kind of
solution presentation I am looking for .
- Since there are several students awaiting their textbook orders, I
have scanned the problems from chapter 1 of the textbook: see the
links above.
- Problem Set 2 posted 10 January 2013
- Solution Set 1 posted 5:30 pm 14 January 2013.
- Office hours for grader posted.
- Problem Set 3 posted 21 January 2013
- Typos in Solution set 1 corrected 22 January 2013.
- Solution Set 2 posted 5:20 pm 23 January 2013.
- Problem Set 4 posted 25 January 2013
- Lecture notes updated 25 January 2013.
- Solution Set 3 posted 5:00 pm 28 January 2013.
- During class Wednesday 30 January, we will try to set the date of our
first midterm. It will cover the first two chapters of the text which
I expect to finish discussing by the end of this week. Candidate dates for
the midterm will be Wednesday and Friday of next week or, at the
latest the following Monday (11 February). If the date matters to you
plese try to come to Wednesday's class or email me your preferences.
I hope to post the date by 5pm on Wednesday.
- In class today (30 January) we agreed to hold the first midterm exam on
Monday, 11 February. The exam will be closed book, but I will include a
useful formula sheet in each exam packet. Material covered will be
the first two chapters of the text and class discussion through
Monday, 4 February. Relevant homework will be the first 4 problem
sets plus 2 questions on the magnetic force in Problem Set 5.
- Problem Set 5 posted 1 February 2013. Note that the first two problems,
17 and 18, are on material from chapter 2, and are therefore relevant
to the midterm exam on 11 February.
- Solution Set 4 posted 9:00 pm 4 February 2013.
- The formula sheet that will be included in all our exam
packets can be perused here.
- Problem Set 6 posted 8 February 2013
- Statistics on first midterm: average=64/80 (80%); median scores 61,65;
range of scores 45-80.
- Solution Set 5 posted 13 February 2013.
- Problem Set 7 posted 16 February 2013
- Solution Set 6 posted 18 February 2013.
- Lecture notes updated 19 February 2013.
- Problem Set 8 posted 22 February 2013 (Due 11 March,
1st Monday after spring break).
- Solution Set 7 posted 27 February 2013.
- Problem Set 9 posted 1 March 2013.
- Lecture notes updated 1 March 2013.
- During class Wednesday 13 March, we will try to set the date of our
second midterm. It will cover mainly the material since the
first midterm, namely chapters 3 and 4, and problem sets 5 through 9.
I expect to finish discussing this material
by the end of this week. Candidate dates for
the midterm will be Wednesday and Friday of next week or, at the
latest the following Monday (25 March). Among class members present
this morning (11 March) the preference was Friday 22 March.
If the date matters to you
please try to come to Wednesday's class or email me your preferences.
I hope to post the date by 5pm on Wednesday 13 March.
- In today's class (about 50% attendance)
there were no strong objections to the choice
of Friday 22 March for our second midterm. I will make this
date official at 5pm today, in the absence of further email input.
- Solution Set 8 posted 13 March 2013.
- Problem Set 10 posted 15 March 2013. Please note that we have
fixed the date of the second midterm to be Friday 22 March 2013.
- Solution Set 9 posted 18 March 2013.
- Lecture notes updated 19 March 2013.
- The formula list that will appear in tomorrow's midterm has
been updated. It can be perused here.
- Problem Set 11 posted 24 March 2013.
- Solution Set 10 posted 26 March 2013.
- Statistics for midterm 2: Average=58.5/80=73%, Range: (35---74)/80
=44---92%,
Median: 60/80=75%
- Problem Set 12 posted 29 March 2013.
- Solution Set 11 posted 3 April 2013.
- Last two Problem Sets 13 and 14 posted 5 April 2013.
- Lecture notes updated 5 April 2013.
- Solution Set 12 posted 10 April 2013.
- Course and teacher evaluations:
UF Online Faculty Evaluations will be open
from 13 April 2013 until Friday 26.
These evaluations provide very important feedback, so it
is essential that we all do our best to maximize the number of responses.
Please make an effort to set aside 10 minutes or so to do this
important task. You can access the evaluation form at your leisure
from the web site:
https://evaluations.ufl.edu/evals/
where you can find instructions and links to a gatorlink login page.
It is probably a good idea to bookmark the page so you can easily find
it in the future. URL for online evaluations:
[evaluations.ufl.edu]
- Solution Set 13 posted 16 April 2013. Please note that the
final problem set 14 has been posted for some time. It is due Monday,
22 April 2013.
- Lecture notes updated 19 April 2013.
- Solution Set 14 posted 30 April 2013
Homework Assignments
In the homework assignments, I will refer to problems in
Taylor's book by prefixing the problem number with T.
- Problem Set   1, due 14 January 2013,
Solution Set 1
- Problem Set   2, due 23 January 2013,
Solution Set 2
- Problem Set   3, due 28 January 2013,
Solution Set 3
- Problem Set   4, due   4 February 2013,
Solution Set 4
- Problem Set   5, due 11 February 2013,
Solution Set 5
- Problem Set   6, due 18 February 2013,
Solution Set 6
- Problem Set   7, due 25 February 2013,
Solution Set 7
- Problem Set   8, due 11 March 2013,
Solution Set 8
- Problem Set   9, due 18 March 2013,
Solution Set 9
- Problem Set 10, due 25 March 2013,
Solution Set 10
- Problem Set 11, due   1 April 2013,
Solution Set 11
- Problem Set 12, due   8 April 2013,
Solution Set 12
- Problem Set 13, due 15 April 2013,
Solution Set 13
- Problem Set 14, due 22 April 2013,
Solution Set 14
Information on Examinations
The final exam is scheduled for 1 May 2013, 5:30-7:30pm.
Two in-class midterms will be given, on dates to be determined.
In grading the midterm and final exams,
points will be deducted for errors in calculation and logic.
Both exams will be closed book.