Undergraduate Course: Classical Physics (PHYS08055)
Course Outline
| School | School of Physics and Astronomy | 
College | College of Science and Engineering | 
 
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) | 
Availability | Not available to visiting students | 
 
| SCQF Credits | 10 | 
ECTS Credits | 5 | 
 
 
| Summary | This course is open to Point of Entry 2 (PoE2) students from the School of Geosciences only. It provides an introduction to classical dynamics and waves. It serves as a preparation for further study in Geophysics-based degree programmes. 
The course consists of lectures to present new material, and workshops to develop understanding, familiarity and fluency. 
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| Course description | 
    
    Classical Dynamics: 
 
Kinematics: Describing the motion of particles, 'SUVAT' equations for constant acceleration, circular motion. 
 
Dynamics: Newton's Laws of motion, types of force, statics and force diagrams, Newton's law of universal gravitation, solving equations of motion. 
 
Energy: Kinetic energy, work, potential energy in conservative systems, energy conservation. 
 
Conservation Laws: Central forces, angular momentum, torque, Noether's theorem. 
 
Classical Relativity: Galilean invariance, fictitious forces in accelerating frames. 
 
2 Particle systems: Centre of mass, conservation of momentum and angular momentum, elastic and inelastic collisions. 
 
Rigid Bodies and rotation: Centre of mass, moment of inertia, kinetic energy, torque, angular SUVAT, angular momentum. 
 
Oscillations & waves: 
 
Linear restoring force, SHM in 1-dimension, displacement, velocity, acceleration,energy in undamped oscillations. The pendulum.  
 
Damped SHM, types, characteristic time, frequency shift.  
 
Forced damped SHM, resonance behaviour  
 
Wave on a string, wave-equation, travelling waves, group and phase velocities, energy transfer by waves.  
 
Superposition principle, interference, beats, standing waves and applications of practical systems, Doppler effects, links to Fourier series.
    
    
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Not available to visiting students (SS1) 
  
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Quota:  None | 
 
| Course Start | 
Semester 1 | 
 
Timetable  | 
	
Timetable | 
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) | 
 
 Total Hours:
100
(
 Lecture Hours 22,
 Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
 Summative Assessment Hours 2,
 Revision Session Hours 2,
 Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
52 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) | 
 
  Written Exam
80 %,
Coursework
20 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) | 
80% Written Exam and 20% Coursework | 
 
| Feedback | 
Not entered | 
 
| Exam Information | 
 
    | Exam Diet | 
    Paper Name | 
    Hours & Minutes | 
    
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| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Classical Physics (PHYS08055) | 2:00 |  |  | Resit Exam Diet (August) | Classical Physics (PHYS08055) | 2:00 |  |  
 
Learning Outcomes 
    On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
    
        - State the basic principles of classical dynamics.
 - Apply these principles in conjunction with elementary mathematical techniques to solve problems.
 - Present a solution to a physics problem in a clear and logical written form and assess whether it is physically reasonable.
 - 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) to facilitate independent problem-solving.
 
     
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills | 
Not entered | 
 
| Special Arrangements | 
Open to Point of Entry 2 (PoE2) students from the School of Geosciences only. | 
 
| Keywords | ClPhys | 
 
 
Contacts 
| Course organiser | Dr Jamie Cole 
Tel: (0131 6)50 5999 
Email: R.J.Cole@ed.ac.uk | 
Course secretary | Mrs Bonnie Macmillan 
Tel: (0131 6)50 5905 
Email: Bonnie.MacMillan@ed.ac.uk | 
   
 
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© Copyright 2015 The University of Edinburgh -  2 September 2015 4:43 am 
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