Course Content: Newtonian mechanics of moving and accelerated coordinate systems, continuum mechanics, Lagrangian and Hamilitonian mechanics, tensor analysis, rigid body rotations, and theory of small vibrations. Prerequisites are PHYS 311 or instructor permission.

Lectures: MWF 2:15 - 3:20 AM Room 136 NSCI

The lectures will explore in depth material presented in the text. One of the difficulties with being actively involved in research is that work takes one away from Alaska during the semester. In order for us to gain the benefit of the full 42 hours of scheduled class time and still allow me to carry out my research travel obligations, the class will begin promptly at 2:15 PM and will be extended by 5 minute each day from 3:15 to 3:20 PM.

Recitation: W 4:40 – 5:40 AM Room 207 NSCI

The recitation session will be held each week to discuss homework, lectures, numerical approaches, etc. Student participation and presentation of material is expected.

Instructor: John D. Craven (Professor of Physics and department chair)

Offices, Hours: 116 NSCI (474-5330) Immediately after class on MWF

701C Geophysical Institute (Elvey Bldg.)

Open hours on TR afternoons, but it is strongly recommended that you call (474-5888, with voicemail) before traveling to the Elvey Building. It would be even better if you made an appointment hours in advance. I will let you know during class when I am traveling or have a heavy meeting schedule. Email is effective for the straightforward questions.

Email: ffjdc@uaf.edu or craven@gi.alaska.edu

Text:Mechanics by K. R. Symon, 3rd edition (Chapters 7-12)

Homework: Homework will be assigned weekly in class and will be due by 5:00 PM on the following Friday, unless explicitly altered at the time of assignment. Late papers will not be graded. I will also post the homework assignments in a glass case (#6) near my office. Homework is to be submitted on clean white paper, NOT on the reverse side of used paper, and is to be presented in an orderly manner. Stable the pages in the upper-left corner, which is to be free of any written information; page numbers, problem numbers, etc. Clarity of presentation is assumed at the outset, so the lack thereof or illegible work will be rewarded by a deduction in points. You may submit your finished homework by either giving it to me during the class period or placing it in the designated box in the main office of the Physics Department. Solutions will be posted in the glass case (#6) at the Physics Department for those problems for which students submit solutions.

Attendance: Attendance at lectures and recitations is expected and will be recorded.

Examinations: Two 2-hour mid-term examinations and a two-hour final examination will be held during the semester. The second hour of the two mid-term exams provides you with some extra time and should remove the pressure to be finished at a set time. All examinations will be held in the class room.

Exam 1 (in class) 27 February 2:15 – 4:15 PM

Exam 2 (in class) 10 April 2:15 – 4:15 PM

Final Exam 8 May 1-3 PM

Grading: As an example, a perfect four-problem homework set could be scored as 100 points; 25 points per problem. A solution that presents nothing more than a restatement of the problem will receive zero credit. Partial credit will be given, with the score on an individual problem ranging between zero and full credit. Total points for homework, examinations, etc. will be weighted according to the following percentages:

Homework, recitation,

participation, attendance 30%

First Exam 20

Second Exam 20

Final Exam 30

Total 100%

The final score (0-100) could result in the following grade, but based on prior experience some small downward adjustment in scores may be required,

80-100 A

60-79 B

40-59 C

20-39 D

0-19 F

Course Lecture Schedule (estimated start date)

Chapter 7 20 January

8 1 February

9 1 March

10 27 March

11 12 April

12 19 April

Absences: Serious illness, death in the family, and other serious personal circumstances constitute valid reasons for missing class or an examination. You are responsible for contacting the instructor or the secretary in the main office (474-7339) at the earliest possible moment, and in the case of having missed an examination you must contact the instructor immediately upon returning to the campus in order to schedule a makeup exam. You should not expect to take the same examination as the rest of the class.

Student Obligations: As students of UAF, you are bound by the policies and regulations of the University of Alaska, UAF rules and procedures, and the Student Honor Code. You are obligated to make yourselves familiar with all conditions presented in the UAF Catalog.