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 | Available to all 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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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Not Applicable |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
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: |
Course secretary | Miss Rachel Ord
Tel: (0131 6)50 9110
Email: |
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