Outline:

This modules aims to allow students to understand the importance of classical mechanics in formulating and solving problems in many different areas of physics and develop problem-solving skills more generally, and to introduce the basic concepts of classical mechanics and apply them to a variety of problems associated with the motion of single particles, interactions between particles and the motion of rigid bodies. This is an introductory course in Classical Mechanics. Starting from Newton's Laws of Motion, it sets up the techniques used to apply the laws to the solution of physical problems. It is essential background for many of the succeeding courses within the degrees in Physics and Astronomy.

Aims:

This course aims to:

convey the importance of classical mechanics in formulating and solving problems in many different areas of physics and develop problem-solving skills more generally;
	introduce the basic concepts of classical mechanics and apply them to a variety of problems associated with the motion of single particles, interactions between particles and the motion of rigid bodies.
Teaching and Learning Methodology:

This course is delivered via weekly lectures supplemented by a series of problem solving tutorials and additional discussion.

In addition to timetabled lecture and PST hours it is expected that students engage in self-study in order to master the material. This can take the form, for example, of practicing example questions and further reading in textbooks and online.

Indicative Topics:

Mathematical preliminaries. Units and dimensions, Vectors, Scalar and Vector Products, Calculus, Differentiation and Integration with vectors.
	Newton's laws of motion. Symmetries, Invariance under spatial, time and rotational translations, boosts between frames of reference, motion under a constant force, momentum and impulse, projectile trajectories under gravity, conservation of momentum for isolated systems.
	Work, power, kinetic and potential energy. Definitions of work, power, KE and PE, conservative forces in one and three dimensions, friction and dissipative forces,
	Centre of mass and collisions. Centre of mass, relative displacement and reduced mass, single-body collision with a rigid wall, coefficient of restitution, collision between two bodies of finite mass (head-on and glancing), inelastic vs elastic collisions
	Polar Coordinates, angular momentum, and motion in a central force. Motion in a plane expressed in plane polar coordinates, circular motion, angular momentum and torques, central forces, PE for a central force.
	Orbits. Motion under inverse square law of force, Kepler's Laws, conic sections, eccentricity.
	Accelerating and rotating frames of reference. Transformation of velocity and acceleration, rotating frames of reference, fictitious forces: centrifugal and Coriolis forces.
	Simple Harmonic motion. Undamped motion, PE and KE in SHM, damped oscillations, forced damped oscillator.
	Rigid bodies. Angular momentum of a rotating rigid body, moment of inertia, KE of rotating body, equation of motion for a rotating body, compound pendulum, parallel and perpendicular axis theorem, centre of percussion, rolling vs slipping.