Instructor:
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Michel
Pleimling
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| Email: |
Michel.Pleimling@vt.edu
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| Office: |
Robeson 221 |
| Phone: |
(540) 231-2675
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Office hours:
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Monday: 1.30 -
2.30 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday: 2.00 - 3.00 p.m., and by appointment
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Lectures:
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Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 10.10 -
11.00 a.m., Robeson 210
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Homework:
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Three to four problems
(plus sporadically additional bonus problems)
will be assigned each Wednesday. Solutions are due one week later in
class
(unless otherwise noted).
Teamwork in solving these problems is encouraged, but
solutions must be handed in separately. Your solutions will be graded,
and
sample solutions will be provided.
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Grader:
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TBA
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First midterm exam:
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Wednesday, February 26, 10.10 - 11.00 a.m.
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Second midterm exam:
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Wednesday, April 2, 10.10 - 11.00 a.m.
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Final exam:
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Friday, May 9, 1.05 p.m. - 3.05 p.m.
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All are closed-books exams. The honor code pertains to all three
in-class exams.
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Grade distribution:
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30 % homework, 20 % each midterm exam, 30 % final exam
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Recommended textbook:
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Stephen T. Thornton and Jerry B. Marion, Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems,
Fifth Edition (Thomson-Brooks/Cole, 2004)
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Topics include:
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1. Newtonian Mechanics - single particle
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2. Oscillations
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3. Gravitation
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4. Lagrangian Dynamics
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5. Central-force Motion
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6. Dynamics of a System of Particles
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7. Nonlinear Systems and Deterministic Chaos
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