Browse Hierarchy SPA4401: Classical Physics

This module reviews the classical understanding of space, time and motion: the fundamental physical principles that underpin modern physics. We begin with an overview of classical mechanics, where we will study kinematics and dynamics; rotational motion; dynamics of a rigid body and the gyroscope; and gravity and planetary orbits. In the second part of the module, we focus on oscillatory phenomena and wave motion, which occur throughout nature in fields from biology to quantum mechanics. Topics will include the 1D wave equation; free, damped, forced and coupled oscillations; resonance and driven simple harmonic motion; calculations of normal modes for coupled oscillators; waves in linear media including gases and solids; dispersion, phase and group velocity; interference, beats and standing waves; simple diffraction phenomena; and the Doppler effect in sound and light.