PES 3210 Classical Mechanics I – Spring 2011
MW 3:05-4:20am S-ENG A-204
Course Syllabus
Instructor: Robert G. Gist
Office and Hours: SENG A-418 (M 12:30a-2, T 11-12)
UCCS e-mail: rgist@uccs.edu
Web Site: http://www.uccs.edu/~rgist
Text: Classical Mechanics by John R. Taylor
ISBN: 978-1-891389-22-1
Course Description: Newtonian mechanics,
oscillations, Lagrange’s and Hamilton’s equations,
central forces, scattering, and rigid body motion.
Employs vector analysis and calculus.
Credit Hours: 3
Prereq.: PES 2130 Coreq.: MATH 2350
Attendance: Attendance will not be monitored. It is each student’s responsibility to cover any
material due to missed lectures. Call the Snow Line (255-3346) for snow closure information.
Homework: Various useful problems will be assigned from each chapter covered. Answers to some
odd numbered problems are in the back of the book.
Exams: There will be a mid-term exam and a final exam given during the semester. I will give you at
least a week’s notice as to the exact date of the exam as well as the material you will be responsible
for on each test. You will be allowed to prepare a 3”x5” (index-sized) cue card (front & back) with
any information you would like for the exam.
Grades: Course grades will be computed as follows:
Homework
20%
The letter grade ranges are posted on my website. Ranges
Mid-term Exam
35%
include +’s and –‘s.
Final Exam
45%
Disabilities: Students with disabilities should provide their letters
of certification and accommodation within the first two weeks of class. Special accommodations
for tests are required a week prior to the scheduled exam date.
Calculators: Calculators will be necessary for homework and will be allowed to be used during
exams; however, enough intermediate steps must be shown to convince me that you understand
how to solve the problem. Web-capable devices are not allowed to be used during exams.
Questions, comments: It is my hope that you will feel comfortable asking questions in class.
Chances are that if you are unsure about some topic, there are others who have a similar question.
I would like the class to be as interactive as possible. If you have relevant experience with a
subject, please feel free to share comments with the class.
Cell phones, classroom: Please show proper etiquette by turning cell phones to silent mode and
keeping conversation to a minimum during lecture. Please remain in the classroom unless an
emergency arises, since foot traffic in the class can be disruptive to other students.
R. Gist
1 of 2
1/19/2011
PES 3210 Classical Mechanics I – Spring 2011
MW 3:05-4:20am S-ENG A-204
Significant Dates
Date
Mar 14 or Mar 16
Mar 21 – Mar 27
May 11 (Wed)
Event
Mid-term Exam
Spring Break
Final Exam
Note
No class
1:40 to 4:10 pm
Topics & chapters covered
Overview
Ch1 Newton's Laws of Motion
Ch 2 Projectiles & Charged Particles
Ch 3 Momentum & Angular Momentum
Ch 4 Energy
Ch 5 Oscillations
Ch 6 Calculus of Variations
Ch 7 Lagrange's Equations
Ch 8 2-Body Central-Force Problems
Ch 9 Mechanics in Noninertial Frames
Ch 10 Rotational Motion of Rigid Bodies
Ch 11 Coupled Oscillators & Normal Modes
Ch 13 Hamiltonian Mechanics
Ch 14 Collision Theory
R. Gist
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1/19/2011