COURSE OUTLINE

THIRD YEAR
SPH 305 : Classical mechanics
Contact hours :45
Pre requisite :
Purpose of the course
- To enable learners acquire knowledge on; center of mass, generalized co-ordinates,
Hamiltonian and Lagrangian mechanics
Expected learning outcome
-Describe quantitively motion of systems of particles
-State and apply D’Alembert’s principle
-Explain concept of generalized coordinates and degrees of freedom
-Solve problems related to Lagrange functions
-Solve problems related to Hamiltonian mechanics

Course content
Concepts of the particle and the material point. Energy and momentum conservation laws.
Angular momentum and its conservation law. Rigid body dynamics. Euler angles. Generalized
coordinates and generalized forces. Degree of freedom. Lagrangians, Hamiltonian and their
respective equations of motion. Coupled oscillators, resonance. Relativistic dynamics.
Consistency with Maxwell’s equations
Weekly breakdown
WEEK CONTENT
1 Mechanics of particles
-velocity
-acceleration
-linear and angular Momentum conservation laws

2 Position vector of centre of mass of a system of particles

3 Energy and momentum conservation laws

4 Moment of inertia
 5 Axes theorem for moment of inertia

-parallel axes theorem

- perpendicular axes theorem

CAT 1

6 -rigid body dynamics

- moment of inertia for rigid bodies
- product of inertia
- moment of inertia tensor
7 Principal moment of inertia
8 Lagrange mechanics
-generalised coordinatesand force
- virtual displacement
- principal of virtual work

9 Cat II
D’ Alembert’s principle

10 Lagrange’ equations of motin

11 -Hamiltonian mechanics
- Hamilton’s canonical equations
12 Relativistic dynamics
Consistency with Maxwell’s equation

Instruction materials
-white board, markers,
-Hand outs
-LCD projector
Course assessment
Assignments, Practicals and CATS 30%
End of semester exam 70%

Core text books

Classical mechanics by Herbert Goldstein

Theoretical mechanics: E. Neal moore

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