PH 2201, Intermediate Mechanics I


This course emphasizes a systematic approach to the mathematical formulation of mechanics problems and to the physical interpretation of the mathematical solutions. Topics covered include: Newton's laws of motion, kinematics and dynamics of a single particle, vector analysis, motion of particles, and gravitation. Recommended background:  PH 1110, PH 1120, PH 1130, PH 1140, MA 1021, MA 1022, MA 1023, MA 1024 and concurrent registration in or completion of MA 2051. (The more important courses are in bold.)

The concepts of PH 1110 serve you very well for PH 2201. The problems in this course are more challenging, however, and emphasis is placed on your problem-solving skills and effective communication of your solutions. PH 2201 problems tend to be very practically oriented. If you continue on to PH 2202, you will learn new, more theoretical physics.

The text is "Classical Mechanics", by R. Douglas Gregory (Cambridge University Press 2006, ISBN 0521534097), available in the bookstore. Also available in the bookstore are clickers, with which you can do some extra-credit problems in class. Various options exist for clickers; see myWPI for more information.

We meet in OH 223 on MTThF at 11:00. Instructor: Professor NA Burnham, nab@wpi.edu.

Course objectives

Final grade determination

Points possible
 Activity
300
 The three exams. 10% penalty for make-ups.
200
 Ten of the twelve regular homework assignments (HWs 1-12). No late work accepted.
X-credit: 50
 Extra points from doing all of the homework assignments (HWs 0-12). No late work accepted.
X-credit: 25
 Responses to clicker questions during class. No make-ups or paper submission. Proper operation of your clicker is your responsibility.

For your final grade in the course, nominally A > 450/500, B > 400/500, and C > 350/500. Your class attendance is expected, although not required. If your numerical grade lies on the border line between two letter grades, then your class participation will determine which letter grade you shall receive.

Note that 75 extra-credit points are available (up to 15% -- one grade level). They allow for illness, family emergencies, trouble with your clicker, high grading standards, and time-pressured exams. This is a generous allowance of extra points. In return for that consideration, I expect that you will never ask me if you may turn in anything late. Of course, if you are hospitalized for more than a day, after I review your medical condition, we will discuss what to do. Please provide evidence of your hospitalization.

The borders between letter grades could change slightly depending on the difficulty of the exams. After the second exam, I'll give you an indication of how you are doing. Because I do not normally curve, there is no harm in helping each other...if you all earn As, you will all get an A. Similarly, if you all earn fewer than half of the points in the course, you will certainly all receive NRs. Please respect my decision not to discuss grades by email.

Exams

The exam problems will be similar to the assigned homework or the problems from Gregory upon which the homework is based. The exams are closed book and closed notes, although you may bring a formula sheet, limited to one side of a Letter page. There is a 10% penalty on make-ups. Each exam is worth 20% of your final grade. No calculators or other electronic devices are allowed.

Grading guidelines

I will use the following scheme for grading. You'll notice a big emphasis on effective communication, an aspect of your education that corporations examine during the hiring process.
 
Points For each problem (out of five possible points):
-5 No symbolic solutions
-5
 Symbolic solution has wrong dimensions
-1 to -5  Write-up hard to read or understand
-1 Vectors confused with scalars or vice versa
-1
 Missing or incorrect units on numerical answers
-1 No boxes around symbolic and numerical answers
  In general, for any given problem:
 5 =  Excellent -- write-up clear and correct
 4 = Good -- write-up clear and mostly correct, or understandable and correct
 3 = Acceptable -- write-up understandable and mostly correct, or poor write-up and correct, or clear write-up and incorrect
  And for an entire assignment:
-5 Electronic submission
-1 No name
-1 Ragged edges
-1 No staple




Homework assignments

There are twelve homework sets of  four problems each, plus Homework 0 (two problems). If you can not attend class, I expect to see your work in my mailbox (near the Physics Department office) at 11 am on the due date. If you are not able to perform your homework on time, I still recommend that you do it, as exam problems will be similar. Far fewer problems are assigned than should be, due to limitations on grading time. You should work through the "similar to" problems in Gregory before attempting the homework. You are encouraged to collaborate on the homework problems, but you must each write up your own solutions. The grader will use the grading guidelines above.  The links to the assignment sheets and the solutions are found at myWPI. No homework shall be accepted late.

Syllabus

The syllabus is embodied by this calendar. The colors of the text are to help you distinguish between the three units of the course on:  I, kinematics and dynamics; II, energy and orbits; and III, linear and angular momentum.
 
Week of Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8.January.2012
 What's due 
Today's topic
Approx. sections 		 
--
Kinematics I
2.1-2.3
 HW0
Kinematics II
2.4-2.5
15.January MLK Day
 HW1
Dynamics I
3.1-3.6
--
Dynamics II
3.7-3.8
 HW2
Dynamics III
4.1
22.January
 --
Dynamics IV
4.2
 		HW3
Dynamics V
4.3
--
Dynamics VI
4.4-4.5
 HW4
Energy I
6.1-6.3
29.January --
Energy II
6.4, 6.5
 		Exam 1
Chapters 1-4
--
Energy III
9.1-9.3
 HW5
Energy IV
9.4
5.February --
Orbits I
7.1
 HW6
Orbits II
7.2
--
Orbits III
7.5
 HW7
Orbits IV
7.6
12.February --
p I
10.1-10.4
 		HW8
p II
10.5
Advising Day
 Exam 2
Chapters 6,7,9
19.February
 --
p III
10.6
 		HW9
p IV
10.8
--
L I
11.1-11.4
 HW10
L II
11.5
26.February
 --
L III
11.6
 HW11
L IV
11.7
HW12
Review
Chapters 10,11
 Exam 3
Chapters 10,11

Communication and office hours

My office is OH 219. I am sometimes in my lab, OH 009, in the Physics Library, OH 118, or in the department office, OH 119. My mailbox is between the doors of OH 118 and 119. Email nab@wpi.edu (checked twice daily), web www.wpi.edu/~nab, office phone with voice mail (508) 831-5365; fax (508) 831-5886; my basic weekly schedule is posted at www.wpi.edu/~nab/Sched.html. Please put "PH 2201" in the subject line of your emails for a faster response. Drop in for quick homework hints any time I am free; otherwise for longer discussions please come to an office hour or make an appointment. The web address for this page is www.wpi.edu/~nab/PH2201.html. My research is described at www.wpi.edu/+AFM and at links therein.

Help

There is often a physics graduate student in the physics library, OH 118. He or she sits near the sign labeled "Physics Help". The principal reason for Physics Help is actually introductory physics, not our class. Still, the Helpers should be able to assist you. There should be a schedule posted on the library door.

The PLA for this course is Ms Autumn D Paro, adparo@wpi.edu. She will make known her office hours in the physics library, OH 118. (Mondays 2-3:00 pm, Fridays 10-11:00 am)

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability or if you have medical information to share with me, please see me. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Disability Services Office (DSO) as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. The DSO is located in Daniels Hall, (508) 831-5235.

Academic dishonesty

Individual integrity is vital to the academic environment because education involves the search for and acquisition of knowledge and understanding, which are, in themselves, intangible. Evaluation of each student’s level of knowledge and understanding is a vital part of the teaching process, and requires tangible measures such as reports, examinations, and homework. Any act that interferes with the process of evaluation by misrepresentation of the relation between the work being evaluated (or the resulting evaluation) and the student’s actual state of knowledge is an act of academic dishonesty. The moral equivalent of academic dishonesty in larger society is treason.

In Intermediate Mechanics, you are encouraged to collaborate on the homework, although you must prepare the homework for submission yourself. You may bring to the classroom exams a formula sheet; it is limited to one side of a standard Letter-sized page. During an exam, you may have only the exam, your formula sheet, and writing implements on your desk. (No calculators, telephones, or other electronic devices.) You may not give or receive information during exams, except to ask the instructor to clarify a question.

Educational research has shown that:

  1. The most learning occurs in an environment characterized by high expectations and respect and care for individual students, and where the value of collaboration is stressed over competition.
  2. The most learning occurs in an active classroom environment where students take responsibility for learning rather than being passive receptors of the professor’s knowledge.
  3. Students can learn as effectively or more effectively from peers than from a professor.
  4. Facilitating development of students’ communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills is as important as helping them learn physics.
  5. Professors and students are equals in the learning process. I have as much to learn about teaching and people as they have to learn about physics.
Adapted from Prof. Chrys Demetry, WPI Materials Science
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N.A. Burnham, 6 February 2012