PHY 351 - Mechanics

Semester Hours: 4

Physics 151 provided students an introduction to mechanics using the formalism of either Newton’s laws or one of the conservation laws (momentum and energy). This course will deepen the sophistication with which students approach mechanics. Some of this will come from learning to apply mathematical tools such as series expansion, vector calculus, differential equations, symbolic solvers, and numerical integration while solving problems. This sophistication will also come from analyzing motion when an observer’s frame of reference is accelerating (non-inertial reference frames) and the motion of rotating objects. A student in this course will master an entirely different formulation of mechanics, one that will generalize into the framework for understanding quantum mechanics (Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics).

Prerequisite: PHY 152;
Corequisite: MTH 250.

When Offered: Offered Spring Semester, alternate years.