Undergraduate Course: Mathematics for Physics 3 (PHYS08037)
Course Outline
| School | School of Physics and Astronomy |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Undergraduate (School of Physics and Astronomy) |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
WebCT |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This course is designed for pre-honours physics students, to learn linear algebra, multivariate calculus, and the use of simple differential equations to describe basic concepts in physics. The course consists of an equal balance between lectures to present new material, and workshops to develop understanding, familiarity and fluency. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | No |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2012/13 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
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WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| King's Buildings | Lecture | Dynamics | 1-11 | 11:10 - 12:00 | | | | | | King's Buildings | Lecture | Statics | 1-11 | | 11:10 - 12:00 | | | | | King's Buildings | Lecture | Dynamics | 1-11 | | | | 11:10 - 12:00 | | | King's Buildings | Lecture | Statics | 1-11 | | | | | 13:10 - 13:50 | | King's Buildings | Tutorial | Statics Workshop | 2-11 | | 14:00 - 15:50 | | | or 14:00 - 15:50 | | King's Buildings | Tutorial | Dynamics Workshop | 2-11 | 14:00 - 15:50 | | | or 14:00 - 15:50 | |
| First Class |
First class information not currently available |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours:Minutes |
|
|
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Mathematics for Physics 3 | 3:00 | | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | | 3:00 | | |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course it is intended that student will be able to
&· Demonstrate understanding and work with real vector spaces, vector products, and expansion in an orthonormal basis, and apply to static problems from classical mechanics.
&· Demonstrate understanding and work with matrices including inverses, determinants, and diagonalization, and apply these in static mechanics (eg stress and strain).
&· Demonstrate understanding and work with complex vectors, hermitian and unitary matrices, and apply these to simple examples in quantum mechanics (eg two state systems)
&· Demonstrate understanding and work with multivariate calculus: the chain rule, Taylor expansions, maxima, minima and saddles, polar co-ordinates, with usual physics examples (eg stability), and planar and volume integrals.
&· Demonstrate understanding and work with ordinary differential equations, homogenous and inhomogeneous, first order and second order, the harmonic oscillator (free, damped and forced), with examples from classical mechanics.
&· Demonstrate understanding of energy, momentum and angular momentum conservation, and apply them to central force problems.
&· Demonstrate understanding and work with coupled oscillators and expansion in normal modes, with examples from classical mechanics and quantum mechanics. |
Assessment Information
20% coursework
80% examination |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Statics
1. real vectors, bases, orthogonality, expansion in basis, change of basis, dot and cross products, scalar and vector triple products, all with examples from classical mechanics and electrostatics; matrices and matrix algebra, rank, inverse, determinants, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, diagonalization, applications in mechanics (possibly coupled oscillators); complex vectors, hermitian and unitary matrices, simple examples in quantum mechanics;
2. Elementary multivariate calculus; partial derivatives, chain rule, Taylor expansions, maxima, minima and saddles, polar co-ordinates, with usual physics examples; planar integrals and volume integrals;
Dynamics
1. ordinary differential equations, homogenous and inhomogeneous, first order, integrating factor, second order, harmonic oscillator (free, damped and forced), solution by series, with examples from classical mechanics. Angular momentum, conservation, orbits for central forces. Coupled oscillators, normal modes. |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | MfP3 |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Brian Pendleton
Tel: (0131 6)50 5241
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Leanne O'Donnell
Tel: (0131 6)50 7218
Email: |
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