Physics H7A, Fall 2009

Introduction to Mechanics

Physics H7A class Fall 2009

Photographs from the last lecture: Physics of Music

When and where: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30-11, room 2 LeConte

Format: two 1.5 hr lectures per week (student participation strongly encouraged), weekly homework, discussion section, labs

Instructor: Professor Dmitry Budker

Professor's Office hour: by appointment (send e-mail to setup), 273 Birge

GSI: Daniel Butter

GSI's Office hours:  Wednesday 4-5 and Thursday 2-3 in 105 LeConte

Discussions (led by D. Butter): Th, 1-2 in room 4 Evans and Tu, 4-5 in room 6 Evans

Labs: schedule (labs will be led by the H7A GSI)

Midterm will be on Thursday, Oct. 8. Please bring blue books. Books/computers/calculators are not allowed; one-page (two-sided) "cheat-sheets" are allowed and encouraged

Final will be on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 8:00-11 at location TBA. Please bring blue books

Synopsis and goals of the course:
The course will provide an introduction to physics for natural scientists and engineers, and will cover a more-or-less standard range of topics, including:

Required text: Daniel Kleppner and Robert J. Kolenkow Introduction to Mechanics. McGraw Hill ; Boston, 1973

Recommended texts:

  1. R. P. Feynman, R. B. Leighton, and M. Sands The Feynman Lectures on Physics, v. 1, Addison-Wesley (any edition)
  2. T. E. Faber Fluid Dynamics for Physicists, Cambridge University Press, 1997
  3. A. P. French Vibrations and Waves, Norton,  1971
  4. P.-G. de Gennes, F. Brochard-Wyart, and D. Quere Capillarity and Wetting Phenomena. Drops, Bubbles,Pearls, Waves, Springer, 2003

Grading policy: the final grade will be based on the following weighting: Homework - 40%; Midterm - 20%; Final - 20%, Labs - 20%. It will be required that all components of the course are successfully completed in order to get an "A" (i.e., no "A" without completing labs, for example). See late/missing homework policy below.

Invaluable resource: questions on organizational aspects of the course may be directed to Ms. Claudia Trujillo of Physics Student Services.


Newsflash!

Find out about the most recent Nobel Prizes in Physics!


Lecture Notes, Electronic Tutorials


Assorted Physics-Related Links, Web Resources


Homework

Acknowledgment and Disclaimer: This material is based in part upon work supported by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recomendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation (NSF).