Undergraduate Course: Dynamics and Vector Calculus (PHYS08043)
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 |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This course is designed for pre-honours physics students. It covers simple differential equations and the techniques of vector calculus, which are used to describe concepts in physics. The course consists of 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
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| Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1)
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Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
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Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Course Start Date |
13/01/2014 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Please contact the School directly for a breakdown of Learning and Teaching Activities |
| Additional Notes |
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| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Please contact the School directly for a breakdown of Assessment Methods
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| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | | 3:00 | |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course it is intended that student will be able to:
- Explain how aspects of the physical world are appropriately modelled in terms of ordinary differential equations and scalar and vector fields.
- Apply standard methods for solving ordinary differential equations and vector calculus to simple physics problems.
- Present a solution to a physics problem in a clear and logical written form.
- Assess whether a solution to a given problem is physically reasonable.
- Locate and use additional sources of information (to include discussion with peers where appropriate and use of computer algebra packages where appropriate) to facilitate independent problem-solving.
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Assessment Information
20% Coursework
80% Exams |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Dynamics (20 lectures)
- Introduction to Dynamics. Ordinary Differential Equations (2)
- Newtonian dynamics. Reference frames. Projectiles. (2)
- Momentum. Variable mass problems. Rocket equation. (1)
- Simple harmonic motion. Harmonic oscillator. Damped SHM. Forced SHM. (4)
- Second order differential equations. Solution by series. (2)
- Conservation laws. Conservative forces. Conservation of energy and momentum. (1)
- Central forces. Potential. Angular Momentum. Orbits. (3)
- Inverse square forces. Gravity. Kepler¿s laws. (2)
- Coupled oscillators. Normal modes. Compound pendula. (3)
Vector Calculus (20 lectures)
- Introduction to fields. Equipotentials. Scalar and vector fields. (3)
- Gradient. Divergence. Curl. Laplacian operator. Vector operator identities.(4)
- Plane surfaces. Line, surface and volume elements. Line integrals. Surface integrals. Volume integrals. (5)
- Divergence Theorem. Continuity equation. Stokes¿s Theorem. (3)
- Scalar potential. Conservative forces and fields. Poisson¿s equation. Vector potential.(3)
- Curvilinear surfaces. Line, surface, volume elements. Div, grad, curl in polar
coordinates.(2) |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | DVC |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Brian Pendleton
Tel: (0131 6)50 5241
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Jillian Bainbridge
Tel: (0131 6)50 7218
Email: |
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