Bryn Mawr College, Department of Physics
Physics 122:  Classical and Relativistic Mechanics, Spring 2008
Instructor:  Michael Noel, Park Science Center - Room 347, Phone:  5363, e-mail:  mnoel@brynmawr.edu

http://www.brynmawr.edu/physics/122

Office hours:  See the assignments page for current times.
You set the agenda for office hours.  Come with questions about the lecture, reading, homework, exams, grading, or anything else of concern or interest.  Come in groups or as individuals.  If you would like to discuss something in private, please make a separate appointment with me.

Textbook:  Knudsen and Hjorth, Elements of Newtonian Mechanics Including Nonlinear Dynamics, Third, Revised and Enlarged Edition, Springer, 2000.  I have placed this text as well as two other texts on reserve in Collier.  The first additional text is a different presentation of the material, but at the same level,  An Introduction to Mechanics by Kleppner and Kolenkow.  The second is at a bit higher level, Analytical Mechanics by Fowles and Cassiday.  There are also numerous "standard" introductory texts on reserve for physics 101/102 that you might find useful.

Content:  The lecture material covers Newtonian Mechanics of single particles, systems of particles, rigid bodies, and the special theory of relativity applied to both kinematics and dynamics. Lecture three hours, laboratory three hours every second week. Prerequisites: Physics 103 and Math 101. Corequisite: Math 102. (staff, Division IIL and Quantitative Skills).  The assignments page provides a schedule of course activities and will be updated regularly, you should check it often for reading and homework assignments.  Please read each assigned section before coming to lecture. 

Homework:  Homework questions will be posted on the Physics 122 assignments webpage.  Homework assignments are due by 5 PM on Fridays in the box outside room 347 (my office).  You are encouraged to discuss the homework questions with one another but must write up your answers separately and in your own words.   For additional help and discussion on the homework questions please stop by Mike's office hours.

PLI:  Laura Popa is the Peer Instructor for this course.  She will provide additional help with the material, providing a different perspective on the concepts we are learning and helping you develop strategies for working problems.

Exams:  There will be two in-class midterm exams during the semester as well as a three-hour self-scheduled final exam.  All exams will be closed book. 

Laboratory:  The laboratory is run independently, but is a required part of this course.  You must satisfactorily complete the laboratory in order to pass this course.  The lab is run by Mark Matlin and David Nice so feel free to contact them if you have any questions or concerns about the lab.

Grading:

homework: 40% total,
midterm exams: 15% each,
final exam: 30%
Accommodations:  Students who think they may need accommodations in this course because of the impact of a disability are encouraged to meet with me privately early in the semester. Students should also contact Stephanie Bell, Coordinator of Access Services, at 610-526-7351 or sbell@brynmawr.edu, as soon as possible to verify their eligibility for reasonable accommodations. Early contact will help to avoid unnecessary inconvenience and delays.