Mesa Physics 195 - Classical Mechanics

Schedule of Lectures and Assignments

Week 1: August 24 - 28

Desired Outcomes:: Students should be able to produce dimensionally consistent proportionality constants, conduct dimensional analysis to verify validity of solutions, identify and convert proper SI units, identify and solve for trigonometric quantities related to the right triangle.
They should also understand the difference between vectors and scalars, as well as vector product and scalar product operations.
Book Chapters and Suggested Problems :: Book: Chapters One and Two
Suggested Problems:
Ch1
Conceptual: 1, 2, 8, 9, 10
Calculation: 23, 24, 33, 40, 67
Ch2
Conceptual: 1, 6, 11
Calculation: 43, 49, 65
Laboratory and Problem Set Downloads:: Laboratory Exercise: Metric System
Problem Set: PS 1
Problem Set Solutions: PSS 1
Supplementary Material:: Classical Mechanics Primer: Introduction
The Mechanical Universe: Part 1.1 - Introduction
The Mechanical Universe: Part 1.2 - Introduction ,continued
The Mechanical Universe: Part 1.3 - Introduction ,final

Week 2: August 31 - September 4

Desired Outcomes:: Students should be able to correctly select and solve one-dimensional equations of motion for constantly accelerated systems. Students should be able to construct equations of motion for non-uniformly accelerated systems.
Students should be able to produce and interpret graphs representing uniformly accelerated objects.Students should be able to differentiate between average and instantaneous quantities, differentiate between speed and velocity, and differentiate between distance and displacement.
Students should be able to correctly label and produce graphs and to interpret graphs to find various quantities.
Students should be able to identify the proper one-dimensional equation of motion (EOM) based on stated problem, and to solve the EOM for the appropriate quantity.
Students should understand the meaning of the unit vector and how to write a vector equation.
Book Chapters and and Suggested Problems :: Book: Chapters Two
Suggested Problems:
Ch2
Calculation: 43, 49, 65, 69, 77, 83, 95, 103, 105
Laboratory and Problem Set Downloads:: Laboratory Exercise : 1-D Motion
Print several copies of the 'Graph Paper with Slope Calculations pdf Files: Cartesian, and Logarithmic' as well as 'How to Draw a Graph' and 'How to Graph on Log-Log'.
Problem Set: PS 2
Problem Set Solutions: PSS 2
Supplementary Material:: Classical Mechanics Primer: Definitions
The Mechanical Universe: Part 2.1 - Falling Bodies
The Mechanical Universe: Part 2.2 - Falling Bodies , continued
The Mechanical Universe: Part 2.3 - Falling Bodies , final
Sample Exam Question: Sample Question 1
Graph Paper with Slope Calculations pdf Files: Cartesian, Logarithmic
Online Demonstration: Moving Man

Week 3: September 7 - 11 [Note: September 7 is a holiday, Quiz 1 held in class 9/11]

Desired Outcomes:: Students should be able to demonstrate proficiency in the areas of unit and dimensional analysis, one dimensional systems with variable and constant accelerations.
Book Chapters and and Suggested Problems :: Book: Review Chapters One and Two
Suggested Problems: Review all conceptual and calculation questions in first two chapters
Laboratory and Problem Set Downloads:: Laboratory Exercise: None
Problem Set: None
Supplementary Material:: None

Week 4: September 14 - 18

Desired Outcomes:: Students should understand two dimensional motion as the combined effect of two, one dimensional systems.
Students should be able to solve various projectile motion and two dimensional motion problems.
Book Chapters and and Suggested Problems :: Book: Chapter Three
Suggested Problems:
Ch3
Conceptual: 1, 5, 19, 31
Calculation: 41, 45, 53, 57, 61, 73, 77, 87, 89, 103
Laboratory and Problem Set Downloads:: Laboratory Exercise: Projectile Motion
Problem Set: PS 3
Problem Set Solutions: PSS 3
Supplementary Material:: Classical Mechanics Primer: Projectiles
The Mechanical Universe: Part 3.1 - Derivatives
The Mechanical Universe: Part 3.2 - Derivatives, continued
The Mechanical Universe: Part 3.3 - Derivatives, final
Sample Exam Question: Sample Question 2 [Note: answer for B should read south of west]
Sample Exam Question: Sample Question 3
Online Demonstration: Vector Addition
Online Demonstration: Projectiles
Online Demonstration: Lunar Lander
Online Demonstration: 2-D Motion

Week 5: September 21 - 25

Desired Outcomes:: Students should be able to differentiate between the ideas of applied force and net force as expressed in Newton's 'Laws'.
Students should be able to construct a clearly labeled free body diagram (FBD) based on information presented in the problem.
Students should be able to use Newton's Laws and the FBD to find the acceleration of an object or system of objects, then use the relevant EOM to obtain information related to displacement, elapsed time and velocity of the system.
Book Chapters and and Suggested Problems :: Book: Chapter Four
Suggested Problems:
Ch4
Conceptual: 3, 5, 13, 15
Calculation: 30, 35, 49, 59, 67, 75
Laboratory and Problem Set Downloads:: Laboratory Exercise: Newton's Second Law
Problem Set: PS 4
Problem Set Solutions: PSS 4
Supplementary Material:: Classical Mechanics Primer: Forces
Online Demonstration: 1-D Forces
Online Demonstration: Inclined Planes
Sample Exam Question: Sample Exam Question 4

Week 6: September 28 - October 2

Desired Outcomes:: Students should understand the behavior of centripetally accelerated systems, and be able to identify the centripetal force in a circular motion problem.
Students should demonstrate understanding of the static and kinetic friction forces and be able to solve problems involving these forces.
Students should also be able to locate the center of mass for objects of uniform density, or of compound objects involving more then one density, or of objects with a variable density.
Book Chapters and and Suggested Problems :: Book: Chapter Five
Suggested Problems:
Ch5
Conceptual: 1, 3, 13, 19
Calculation: 33, 35, 43, 49, 57, 71, 77, 81
Laboratory and Problem Set Downloads:: Laboratory Exercise: Frictional Force
Problem Set: PS 5
Problem Set Solutions: PSS 5
Supplementary Material:: Classical Mechanics Primer: Centripetal and Friction Forces
Online Demonstration: Friction
Sample Exam Question: Sample Exam Question 5

Week 7: October 5 - 9

Desired Outcomes:: Students should understand the definition of work as it applies to the center of mass of a system.
Students should be able to define work as positive or negative and describe the effect of work done on or by a system.
Students should be able to determine net work done on an object and relate that to a change in the object's center of mass kinetic energy.
Book Chapters and and Suggested Problems :: Book: Chapter Five and Six
Suggested Problems:
Ch5
Conceptual: 21
Calculation: 85, 91, 101, 105
Ch6
Conceptual: 3, 7, 11
Calculation: 23, 25, 29, 32
Laboratory and Problem Set Downloads:: Laboratory Exercise: Centripetal Force
Problem Set: None
Supplementary Material:: Sample Exam Question: Sample Exam Question 6

Week 8: October 12 - 16 [NOTE: Quiz 2 held in your lab session]

Desired Outcomes:: Students should be able to identify conservative and non conservative systems according to the types of forces that are present in the system. Students should be able to use this information to solve work-energy theorem (WET) problems.
Book Chapters and and Suggested Problems :: Book: Chapter Six
Suggested Problems:
Ch6
Conceptual: 15, 17
Calculation: 33, 35, 42, 52, 53
Laboratory and Problem Set Downloads:: Laboratory Exercise: Quiz - Chapters 3, 4 & 5
Problem Set: PS 6
Problem Set Solutions: PSS 6
Supplementary Material:: Classical Mechanics Primer: Work-Energy Theorem (WET)

Week 9: October 19 - 23

Desired Outcomes:: Students should be able to identify conservative and non conservative systems according to the types of forces that are present in the system. Students should be able to use this information to solve conservation of energy (COE) problems.
Book Chapters and and Suggested Problems :: Book: Chapter Seven
Suggested Problems:
Ch7
Conceptual: 1, 5, 9, 11
Calculation: 21, 23, 29, 37, 39, 43, 47, 55, 61, 65, 67, 71, 77
Laboratory and Problem Set Downloads:: Laboratory Exercise: Range Prediction and Conservation of Mechanical Energy
Laboratory Download: How to use the Vernier Calipers
Problem Set: PS 7
Problem Set Solutions: PSS 7
Supplementary Material:: Classical Mechanics Primer: Conservation and Potentials
Online Demonstration: Energy Conservation

Week 10: October 26 - 30

Desired Outcomes:: Students should understand that forces that act internal to a system conserve momentum and that while the forces acting on the two bodies are the same, the resulting accelerations are not. Students should be able to apply the laws of energy and momentum conservation to solve two body collisions, both elastic and inelastic. Students should understand the meaning and use of the coefficient of restitution in collisions. Students should be able to transform to the COM frame in order to simplify elastic collisions.
Book Chapters and and Suggested Problems :: Book: Chapter Eight
Suggested Problems:
Ch8
Conceptual: 5, 11, 17, 23, 27
Calculation: 35, 39, 41, 43, 51, 57, 67, 79, 87, 91, 95
Laboratory and Problem Set Downloads:: Laboratory Exercise: Conservation of Linear Momentum
Problem Set: None
Supplementary Material:: Classical Mechanics Primer: Momentum
Sample Exam Question: Sample Exam Question 7

Week 11: November 2 - 6 [NOTE: Quiz 3 held in your lab session]

Desired Outcomes:: Students should be able to understand the concept of flux and how it relates to gravitational forces. Students should be able to apply this concept to different mass arrangements and calculate gravitational forces.
Book Chapters and and Suggested Problems :: Book: Chapter Eleven: Sections 11-2, 11-3, 11-4
Suggested Problems:
Ch11
Conceptual: 9, 11, 15
Calculation: 35, 41, 47, 63, 73
Laboratory and Problem Set Downloads:: Laboratory Exercise: Quiz - Chapters 6, 7 & 8
Problem Set: PS 8
Problem Set Solutions: PSS 8
Supplementary Material:: Sample Exam Question: Sample Exam Question 8

Week 12: November 9 - 13 [Note: 11/13 is a holiday]

Desired Outcomes:: Students should be able to produce dimensionally consistent proportionality constants, conduct dimensional analysis to verify validity of solutions, identify and convert proper SI units, identify and solve for quantities related to rotating systems.
Students should be able to differentiate between average and instantaneous quantities, differentiate between angular speed and angular velocity, and differentiate between rotations and angular displacement.
Students should be able to identify the proper one-dimensional equation of motion (EOM) based on stated problem, and to solve the EOM for the appropriate quantity.Students should be able to identify and use correct units for rotating systems and perform dimensional analysis to establish validity of results.
Students should be able to correctly select and solve one-dimensional equations of motion for constantly accelerated rotating systems.
Students should be able to construct equations of motion for non-uniformly accelerated rotating systems, and understand the concept of a net torque acting on a system.
Students should be familiar with the moment of inertia and the role it plays in rotating systems.
Students should be able to convert quantities back and forth between linear and angular representations.
Students should be able to apply WET to rotating systems to predict the final system state.
Book Chapters and and Suggested Problems :: Book: Chapter Nine
Suggested Problems:
Ch9
Conceptual: 1, 9, 11, 19
Calculation: 29, 31, 37, 41, 47, 61, 65, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89, 83, 101
Laboratory and Problem Set Downloads:: Laboratory Exercise: Rotational Dynamics
Problem Set: None
Supplementary Material:: Classical Mechanics Primer: Rotations
Sample Exam Question: Sample Exam Question 9

Week 13: November 16 - 20

Desired Outcomes:: Students should understand the vector nature of torque and the vector nature of angular momentum.
Students should be able to use conservation techniques to predict the outcome of two body rotating collisions and to transform momentum back and forth between angular and linear systems.
Book Chapters and and Suggested Problems :: Book: Chapter Ten
Suggested Problems:
Ch10
Conceptual: 5, 7, 11
Calculation: 29, 37, 45, 49, 53, 81, 63
Laboratory and Problem Set Downloads:: Laboratory Exercise: Angular Momentum
Problem Set: PS 9
Problem Set Solutions: PSS 9
Supplementary Material:: Classical Mechanics Primer: Torque and Angular Momentum

Week 14: November 30 - December 4

Desired Outcomes:: Students should understand that conservative forces lead to periodic systems.
Students should be able to identify the amplitude, period and phase shift of a simply harmonic oscillating system by graphical analysis and calculation.
Students should be able to identify the solution to a simply harmonic oscillating system, and relate the periodicity to the mass-energy characteristics of the system.
Book Chapters and and Suggested Problems :: Book: Chapter Fourteen
Suggested Problems:
Ch14
Conceptual: 1, 5, 9, 13, 21
Calculation: 29, 31, 35, 39, 43, 45, 57, 79, 85, 87
Laboratory and Problem Set Downloads:: Laboratory Exercise: Oscillations
Problem Set: PS 10
Problem Set Solutions: PSS 10
Supplementary Material:: Classical Mechanics Primer: Oscillations
Classical Mechanics Primer: Driving and Damping Oscillators

Week 15: December 7 - 11 [NOTE: Quiz 4 held in your lab session]

Desired Outcomes:: Students should understand that non conservative forces change the behavior of periodic systems. Students should be able to identify the damping constant and characteristic time of a decaying oscillator.
Students should be able to estimate the quallity factor of a driven, damped harmonic oscillator by graphical analysis and calculation. Students should be able to relate the quality factor to the damping constant in a system.
Book Chapters and and Suggested Problems :: Book: Chapter Fourteen
Suggested Problems:
Ch14
Conceptual: 21
Calculation: 79, 85, 87
Laboratory and Problem Set Downloads:: Laboratory Exercise: Quiz - Chapters 9, 10 & 14
Problem Set: None
Supplementary Material:: None

Week 16: December 14 - 18 [NOTE: Final Exam held in class, 12/14]

Desired Outcomes:: Students should demonstrate a strong conceptual grasp of the course material.
Book Chapters and and Suggested Problems :: Book: Chapter One through Ten, Eleven and Fourteen
Suggested Problems:
Review conceptual questions from all chapters, homeworks and quizzes
Laboratory and Problem Set Downloads:: Laboratory Exercise: None
Problem Set: None
Supplementary Material:: Classical Mechanics Primer: Final Thoughts