Physics 503 Fall 2010
Course Topics 

Textbook: K.R. Symon, "Mechanics", 3rd ed.

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Email: myhrer@sc.edu

Particle motion   |  The Motion of Particles   |  Rigid Bodies   |  Moving Coordinate Systems   |  Lagrange's Equations

Topics to be covered in this course are expected to be PARTICLE MOTION, HARMONIC OSCILLATOR, FORCED HARMONIC OSCILLATOR, MOVING COORDINATE SYSTEMS, MOTION OF RIGID BODIES AND LAGRANGE'S EQUATIONS.

These topics can be found in the textbook:

Motion of a particle in one, two and three dimensions

• Content of Chapters 1, 2 and 3 in the textbook except section 3.17.

Study section 4.10, coupled harmonic oscillator, with section 2.9.

Study sections 10.1 through 10.3 with Chapter 3, section 3.1.

Study sections 7.1 through 7.3 together with section 3.4.

Moving Coordinate Systems

• Chapter 7, sections 7.1 through 7.3 (Coriolis forces).

Study with Chapter 3, section 3.4.

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The Motion of a System of Particles --- Conservation Laws.

• Chapter 4, sections 4.1 through 4.5 and section 4.7.

Rigid Bodies and Tensor Algebra

• Chapter 5, sections 5.1, 5.2 and 5.5 (moments of inertia).
• Chapter 10, sections 10.1 through 10.5.

Lagrange's equations

• Chapter 9, sections 9.1 through 9.8.

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