Physics 381 Fall 2007


Classical Mechanics


FINAL EXAM: Dec 21, Friday 12:00 - 3:00 pm in SEC 118


Welcome to Classical Mechanics. We will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays during 4th period (1:40 to 3:00 pm) in SEC 118 on Busch. There is an assigned text for the class Classical Mechanics by Taylor . It is really a very good text. I found it much more readable than the average 300-level textbook. I have a syllabus with assigned readings from the text. Please go through these sections before the lecture.

Instructors

Amitabh Lath, Serin 324
136 Frelinghuysen Rd, Piscataway NJ 08854
(732)445-5853.
lath -at- physics.rutgers.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays noon to lecture time, Monday/Wednesday noon-1pm, other times by appointment (send me email).

Grader: Mr. Yi Zhang

Lecture Slides

A directory with scanned pages from my lecture notebook is here (thanks to V. Sharma for the scanning). Let me know about any errors and I will post an erratum. If you have notes or other material to share, send them and I will link it here.

Homework

Homeworks will be assigned every Tuesday, and will be due in one week (exceptions as noted). Here is the homework list . Here is a directory with homework solutions .

Homework help

Please do the homework by yourself. I encourage you to work in "study groups" and discuss problems with your friends, but do try the problem yourself FIRST. If you get stuck, send email (to me, your friends, etc.). I will respond as soon as I can (usually within 24 hours). Remember, doing the problems is the only way to learn the material.

Exams

There will be three exams in all. There will be two in-class exams, and a final. The in-class exams will be given during one of the regular lectures, as indicated on the syllabus. The final exam is scheduled for Dec 21, 2007. The in-class exams will new material only, and the final will be comprehensive. You can find some old exams here . There are some differences from how the exams were structured in previous years.
  • Previous years had one in-class and one final exam; we will have two in-class and one final.
  • Previous exams had four (six) problems in October (December). We will have a three problem exam in October, another three problem exam in November, and a four or five problem final exam in December.
  • Please be aware when studying old exams that there may be material we have not yet covered, that will not be on upcoming exams.

    Grading

    The grades will be assigned as follows
  • Homeworks: 20%
  • In class exams: 40 % (each exam is 20% of your total grade)
  • Final Exam: 40%

    Extras

    Hints for homeworks, exam prep stuff, computer programs, and other miscellaneous items will appear here.

    Grade Book

    There is a gradebook set up on the web for this course. here

    Exam Problem Do-Over!

    For each in-class exam, I will allow you to do-over ONE missed problem
    Conditions
  • You missed more than half the points on a problem.
  • You feel you understand the physics.
  • If you wish, you can come to my office and do a similar problem (of my choosing) on the board.
    You will have 20 mins, and get no help. I will decide if you deserve more points.
  • You can pick one problem per exam only to do-over. You cannot do over the whole exam.
  • Do-over is offered as a courtesy, I have the right to refuse.
  • Do-over will not be offered for the final exam.

    Students with Disabilities

    Please consult me as early as possible if you have a disability that might interfere with an optimal learning experience.
    Also, please consult the website on disabilities . The University has coordinators for students with disabilities.
    Amit &
    Last modified: Wed Dec 5 14:42:25 EST 2007