Physics 326 Course Schedule 
(Spring 2008)

Note:  this schedule will evolve over the course of the semester

 Dates 

Lectures 

Homeworks

Readings (Chapters)

Problem sessions
Wed 
Jan 23

Lecture 1:
Calculus of Variations

Homework 1
(due Feb 1)
Solutions

Lecture notes I
Taylor Ch. 6; T&M Ch. 6
Fri
Jan 25

Lecture 2:
Calculus of Variations
 
Lecture notes I;
Taylor Ch. 6; T&M Ch. 6

 

Mon
Jan 28

Lecture 3:
Hamilton's principle

 

Lecture notes II Notes 5-24
Taylor Ch. 7; T&M Ch 7
  
Wed 
Jan 30

Lecture 4:
Generalized coordinates
Lagrangian Dynamics

Homework 2
(due Feb 8)
Solutions

Lecture notes II Notes 5-25
Taylor Ch. 7; T&M Ch 7
Mon 
Feb 4

Lecture 5:
Lagrangian Dynamics Examples

 
Lecture notes II
Taylor Ch. 7; T&M Ch 7

Wed 
Feb 6

Lecture 6:
Generalized Momenta and Forces, and Lagrange Multipliers

Homework 3
(due Feb 15) 
Solutions

Lecture notes III Notes 6-1, 6-2
Taylor Ch. 7; T&M Ch 7
Fri 
Feb 8

Lecture 7:
The Hamiltonian and conserved quantities

 

Lecture notes IV Notes 5-27 6-3,
Taylor Chs. 7&13; T&M Ch 7

Mon 
Feb 11

Lecture 8:
Conservation Laws and Hamiltons Equations

 
Lecture notes IV Notes 6-4
Taylor Chs. 7&13; T&M Ch 7

Wed 
Feb 13

Lecture 9: 

Virtual Work,
Nonconservative Forces

Homework 4
(due Feb 22)
Solutions

Notes 5-26
Taylor Ch. 7; T&M Ch 7

Mon 
Feb 18

Lecture 10: 
Central Forces
Effective Potential

 
Wed
Feb 20

Lecture 11:
Central Forces
Orbital Dynamics

Homework 5
(due Thursday 28 Feb) 
Solutions
Lecture notes V Lecture notes VI
Taylor Ch. 8; T&M Ch 8

Mon 
Feb 25

Lecture 12:
Central Forces
Orbital Dynamics

Lecture notes VI
Taylor Ch. 8; T&M Ch. 8

Wed 
Feb 27

Lecture 13:
Kepler's Laws
Lecture notes VI
Taylor Ch. 8; T&M Ch. 8
Mon 
Mar 3

Midterm Exam 1

review: readings for Lectures 1-12
Taylor Ch. 6, 7, 13, 8: T&M Ch. 6, 7, 8.

 

Wed 
Mar 5

Lecture 14:

Systems of Particles: Collisions

Homework 6
(due Mar 14) 
Solutions

Lecture notes 6 Lecture notes 7
Taylor Ch. 14; T&M Ch. 9

Mon 
Mar 10

Lecture 15:

Collision Cross Sections

Lecture notes 7 Lecture notes 8
Taylor Ch. 14; T&M Ch. 9

 
Wed 
Mar 12

Lecture 16:

Rutherford Scattering

 Homework 7
(due Mar 28) 
Solutions

Lecture notes 8 Lecture notes 9
Taylor Ch. 14; T&M Ch. 9

Sat Mar 15 -

Sun Mar 23

SPRING BREAK

 

Wed 
Mar 26

 

Lecture 17:

Collisions in Special Relativity

 

Homework 8
(due Apr 4)
Solutions
Taylor Ch 15, T&M Ch 14

Mon
Mar 31

Lecture 18:

SR Collisions
Rotational Motion

 
Lecture notes VII Lecture notes 9
Taylor Ch. 10; T&M Ch. 11

 

 

Wed 
Apr 2

Lecture 19:

Rotational Motion
Inertia Tensors

Homework 9
(due 11 Apr)
Solutions

Lecture notes VII Lecture notes 10
Taylor Ch.10; T&M Ch. 11

Fri 
Apr 4

 

Lecture 20:

Rigid Body Motion
Parallel Axes
Principal Axes

 

 

 
Mon 
Apr 7

 

Lecture 21:

Rigid Body Motion

Eulerian Angles

 

 

 
Wed 
Apr 9

Lecture 22:

Euler Equations

Spinning Free Top
Lecture notes VII Lecture notes 15
Taylor Ch. 10; T&M Ch. 11
Mon 
Apr 14

Midterm Exam 2

Review: Readings for Lectures 1-20

Taylor Chs. 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 15; T&M Chs. 6, 7, 8, 11, 14.

 
Wed 
Apr 16

Lecture 23:

Spinning Top with Torque
Stability of Rotating Objects

Homework 10
(due Apr 25)
Solutions

Fri
Apr 18

Lecture 24:
Coupled Oscillations
 Normal Modes

Mon 
Apr 21

Lecture 25:
Normal Modes, Normal Coordinates
Lecture notes VIII Lecture notes 20
Taylor Ch. 11; T&M Ch. 12


Wed 
Apr 23

Lecture 26:
Driven Coupled Oscillations

 

Homework 11
(due at 5 pm Thursday 1 May)
Solutions  
Lecture notes 21
Taylor Ch.16; T&M Ch. 13
Mon 
Apr 28

Lecture 27:
Loaded String/Waves, Wave Equation in 1-D

 

Wed 
Apr 30

Lecture 28:
The Wave Equation in 3-D, Standing Waves, Phase Velocity
Taylor Ch. 16; T&M Ch. 13

Th 
May 1
Reading Day



 Lecture notes 25
review:
readings for lectures 1-28

FINAL EXAM: Monday 5 May, 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm, 144 Loomis Lab

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