Introduction to Mechanics
Photographs from the last lecture: Physics of Music
When and where: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30-11, room 2 LeConte
Format: two 1.5 hr lectures per week (student participation strongly encouraged), weekly homework, discussion section, labs
Instructor: Professor Dmitry Budker
- Office: 273 Birge, Labs: 203/207, 217, 219, 221, 230, 241, 245 Birge
- e-mail: budker AT Berkeley.edu
- research group web page
Professor's Office hour: by appointment (send e-mail to setup), 273 Birge
GSI: Daniel Butter
- Office: office hours held at 7A course center, 105 LeConte
- e-mail: dbutter AT Berkeley.edu
GSI's Office hours: Wednesday 4-5 and Thursday 2-3 in 105 LeConte
Discussions (led by D. Butter): Th, 1-2 in room 4 Evans and Tu, 4-5 in room 6 Evans
Labs: schedule (labs will be led by the H7A GSI)
Midterm will be on Thursday, Oct. 8. Please bring blue books. Books/computers/calculators are not allowed; one-page (two-sided) "cheat-sheets" are allowed and encouraged
Final will be on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 8:00-11 at location TBA. Please bring blue books
Synopsis and goals of the course:
The course will provide an introduction to physics for natural scientists and engineers, and will cover a more-or-less standard range of topics, including:
- Mathematical background: vectors, Cartesian and polar coordinates, derivatives, integrals, etc.
- Newton's Laws
- Linear and rotational motion
- Dynamics of systems of particles
- Energy, momentum, angular momentum
- Conservation Laws
- Planetary motion
- The harmonic oscillator
- Waves
- Basic concepts in fluid mechanics
- How to estimate things, guess answers without solving a problem, and know whether your answer is wrong right away
- Etc.
Required text: Daniel Kleppner and Robert J. Kolenkow Introduction to Mechanics. McGraw Hill ; Boston, 1973
Recommended texts:
- R. P. Feynman, R. B. Leighton, and M. Sands The Feynman Lectures on Physics, v. 1, Addison-Wesley (any edition)
- T. E. Faber Fluid Dynamics for Physicists, Cambridge University Press, 1997
- A. P. French Vibrations and Waves, Norton, 1971
- P.-G. de Gennes, F. Brochard-Wyart, and D. Quere Capillarity and Wetting Phenomena. Drops, Bubbles,Pearls, Waves, Springer, 2003
Grading policy: the final grade will be based on the following weighting: Homework - 40%; Midterm - 20%; Final - 20%, Labs - 20%. It will be required that all components of the course are successfully completed in order to get an "A" (i.e., no "A" without completing labs, for example). See late/missing homework policy below.
Invaluable resource: questions on organizational aspects of the course may be directed to Ms. Claudia Trujillo of Physics Student Services.
Newsflash!
Find out about the most recent Nobel Prizes in Physics!
Lecture Notes, Electronic Tutorials
- Audio recording of H7A lectures, Fall 2009
- H7A lecture plans and notes
- H7A Introduction to Mechanics (Fall 2003)
- Daniel Butter's practice midterm and solutions
- Derek Kimball's summary of the first 10 chapters k&k, practice midterm and solutions
- Check out our selection of upper division physics tutorials
Assorted Physics-Related Links, Web Resources
- Budker group web tutorials
- Physics137A: Quantum Mechanics
- Physics124: Introductory Nuclear Physics
- Physics 250: Selected hot, cool, and ultracold topics in modern atomic physics
- Nuclear Science Division, LBNL
- Particle Data Group (PDG)
- Radioactivity and radiation protection (from PDG) (pdf)
- Some links that may help you with mathematics
Homework
- Homework Assignments
- Late/missed homework policy: no late H/W will be accepted, but each student is allowed to skip one (1) assignment w/o penalty for any reason, and the lowest-score h/w (including zero score) will not be counted
Acknowledgment and Disclaimer: This material is based in part upon work supported by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recomendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation (NSF).