Physics 105 class notes

Archived announcements:

[22 Nov 2005]: Update on the post-Thanksgiving schedule:

Mon, Nov 28: no class.
Tue, Nov 29: normal schedule. Homework due.
Wed, Nov 30: normal schedule.
Thu, Dec 1: lecture, Room 274.

[17 Nov 2005]: Solutions to second midterms from previous years have been posted.

[14 Nov 2005]: Second midterms from previous years have been posted.

[8 Nov 2005]: Schedule for the week of Nov 28 (reminder):

Mon, Nov 28: section, Room 361. (cancelled)
Tue, Nov 29: normal schedule.
Wed, Nov 30: normal schedule.
Thu, Dec 1: lecture, Room 274.

[8 Nov 2005]: New homework has been posted.

[4 Nov 2005]: Lecture notes in PDF.

[3 Nov 2005]: A makeup lecture will be given on Friday, Nov 4, from 11 to 11:50 in 361 Bloomberg.

[3 Nov 2005]: New homework has been posted.

[27 Oct 2005]: New homework has been posted.

[18 Oct 2005]: New homework has been posted.

[18 Oct 2005]: Update schedule changes for the weeks of October 31 and November 28!

Mon, Oct 31: guest lecturer Prof. Collin Broholm.
Tue, Nov 1: no lecture.
Wed, Nov 2: section, Room 361.
Thu, Nov 3: lecture, Room 274.

Mon, Nov 28: section, Room 361.
Tue, Nov 29: normal schedule.
Wed, Nov 30: normal schedule.
Thu, Dec 1: lecture, Room 274.

The times and locations for the make-up lecture will be announced separately.

[15 Oct 2005]: Solutions to the midterm exams from 2002 and 2003 are posted below:

[11 Oct 2005]: Midterm exams from previous years are posted below:

[5 Oct 2005]: Midterm dates:

1st midterm: Tue, Oct 18, in class. Covers Ch. 1-7.
2nd midterm: Tue, Nov 22, in class. Covers Ch. 8-14.

[5 Oct 2005]: Schedule changes for the weeks of October 31 and November 28!

Mon, Oct 31: no lecture.
Tue, Nov 1: no lecture.
Wed, Nov 2: section, Room 361.
Thu, Nov 3: lecture, Room 346.

Mon, Nov 28: section, Room 361.
Tue, Nov 29: normal schedule.
Wed, Nov 30: normal schedule.
Thu, Dec 1: lecture, Room 346.

The times and locations for the make-up lectures will be announced separately.

[28 Sep 2005]: Homework Set 3 has been posted.

[27 Sep 2005]: Numerical simulations of friction can be accessed at the electronic depository of the American Institute of Physics EPAPS. Here is a direct link to the movies and source code for Interactive Physics. The software to run the code is available at the PUC Lab (478 Bloomberg). For further reading and literature consult the article by J. Krim Friction at the nanoscale in the February 2005 issue of Physics World.

[26 Sep 2005]: In class I computed the force exerted by the string on a pulley in a heuristic way. Here is a direct calculation of the same using vector calculus: PDF file.

[19 Sep 2005]: Homework Set 2 has been posted.

[14 Sep 2005]: Room change. Beginning on Monday, Sep 19, lectures will be given in 361 Bloomberg. The section still meets in Room 274.

[13 Sep 2005]: Homework Set 1 has been posted. It is due on Tue, 20 Sep, in class.

[8 Sep 2005] : Welcome to "171.105: Introduction to classical physics". Lectures and recitations will commence next Monday. In relation to first week's lecture topics, here is a historical overview of SI units and related tidbits from NIST (National Institute for Standards and Technology).