PHYS 244 - Classical Mechanics I

Course Career Undergraduate
Units 3
Approved Hours 3-0-0
Fee index 6
Faculty Science
Department Physics
Typically Offered first term

Description
An intermediate course in classical mechanics, which covers several applications that are critical to a wide variety of different fields of physics including: simple, damped, and driven harmonic oscillators; coupled oscillators, conservative forces, and energy. The central part of the course introduces the calculus of variations and Lagrangian mechanics, including its application to the two-body, central force problem and Noether’s theorem, which connects symmetries with conservation laws. Hamiltonian mechanics is also briefly introduced. The course concludes with the application of the linear wave equation to mechanical waves: the superposition principle, wave interference, and standing waves. Prerequisite: PHYS 124 or PHYS 144 or EN PH 131. Corequisites: MATH 102 or 125 or 127 or equivalent; MA PH 251 or MATH 201 or MATH 334 or MATH 336.