Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1 hour / session

Recitations: 1 session / week, 1 hour / session

Prerequisites

8.01 Physics I: Classical Mechanics and 18.02 Calculus II: Multivariable Calculus.

Description

This course is a broad, theoretical treatment of classical mechanics, useful in its own right for treating complex dynamical problems, but essential to understanding the foundations of quantum mechanics and statistical physics.

Class Objectives

  • Classical Mechanics Power Tools
    • How to solve the really hard problems with relative ease through Lagrangian Mechanics
  • Preparation for Statistical Mechanics and Quantum Physics
    • The theoretical foundation for advanced physics lies in Hamiltonian Mechanics

Textbook

Required

Buy at Amazon Landau, Lev D., and Evgenij M. Lifshitz. Mechanics: Course of Theoretical Physics. Vol. 1. 3rd ed. Butterworth-Heinemann, 1976. ISBN: 9780750628969. [Preview with Google Books]

Suggested

Buy at Amazon Thornton, Stephen T., and Jerry B. Marion. Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems. Cengage Learning India, 2012. ISBN: 9788131518472.

Buy at Amazon Goldstein, Herbert, John Safko, and Charles P. Poole. Classical Mechanics. Pearson, 2013. ISBN: 9781292026558.

Course Outline

LEC # TOPICS
1–4 Lagrangian Mechanics
5–6 Conserved Quantities
7–10 Orbits and Scattering
11–12 Oscillations
13–14 Tricky Potentials
15–19 Hamiltonian Mechanics

Assignments

There are 4 problem sets. Doing them is critical to getting the most of this class. Try them alone, then in a group, then ask an upperclassman, then email the Teaching Assistant.

Project

The project problem should look impossible given only 8.01 Physics I, but will not be so bad by week 2 or 3! Do it alone (without help from the internet) whenever you like. Turn it in with the last problem set or earlier for bonus credit).

Grading

Seventy percent of the class grade is based on the Assignments and 30% on the Project.