FY546: Advanced Mechanics and Relativity Theory

Study Board of Science

Teaching language: Danish or English depending on the teacher, but English if international students are enrolled
EKA: N500059102
Assessment: Second examiner: External
Grading: 7-point grading scale
Offered in: Odense
Offered in: Autumn
Level: Bachelor

STADS ID (UVA): N500059101
ECTS value: 10

Date of Approval: 31-03-2022


Duration: 1 semester

Version: Archive

Comment

The course is partly co-read with FY556.

Entry requirements

Students who are registered for or have pass FY556.

Academic preconditions

Students taking the course are expected to have knowledge of the content of FT500.

Course introduction

The aim of the course is to introduce the foundations and principles of classical and relativistic physical phenomena. This will enable the students to model and describe single and multiple particle systems, including continuous media on different length scales. Finally, the students will also be trained to collaborate with peers and, in this way, they will strengthen computational skills, which is important in regard to all applications of physics.

The course builds on the knowledge acquired in the course Mechanics and thermodynamics (FT500) / (old curriculum: Fundamentals of physics (FY529)) and gives an academic basis for studying the topics in the future physics courses that are part of the degree.

Even before the introduction of Einstein's special theory of relativity, the study of motion in various reference frames poses surprisingly deep questions about the nature of space and the limits of the observable, thus going beyond physics itself and into science studies more broadly.

In relation to the competence profile of the degree it is the explicit focus of the course to:
  • Give the competence to handle complex problems and independently take part in interdisciplinary work and identify needs for and structure of own learning.
  • Give skills to apply physical principles and mathematical tools to formulate and evaluate physical models.
  • Give knowledge and understanding of the behavior of discrete particles and contiunous matter.

Applications:

The study of classical mechanics in general, and fluid dynamics in particular, is crucial for our ability to sustainably take advantage of the earth's energy resources using e.g. hydroelectric dams and wind mills. In these two cases we may regard water and air respectively as the driving fluid of the machine, and the motion of the fluid (and thus the extracted energy) is governed by the Navier-Stokes equation which is a primary focus of the second part of the course.

Expected learning outcome

The learning objectives of the course is that the student demonstrates the ability to:
  • Apply the mathematical formalism of classical physics, special relativity and fluid mechanics to formulate and solve physical problems. The course theme is thus to apply Newton’s laws of motion under more general circumstances than point mechanics. 

Content

The following main topics are contained in the course: 
  • Special relativity: The Lorentz transformations, the geometry of spacetime, relativistic kinematics and dynamics.
  • Central conservative force fields: Conservation of momentum and energy as a principle, Kepler’s laws and the solar system.
  • Accelerated coordinate frames: Fictitious forces, the Foucault pendulum, and Newton's bucket.
  • Analytical mechanics: Lagrange's and Hamilton's equations.
  • Particles and rigid bodies: Energy, momentum, angular momentum; center of gravity and moment of inertia.
  • Continuum mechanics: Pressure and stress, bouyancy, incompressible fluids, the Navier-Stokes equation for ideal and viscous fluids.

Literature

J.M. Knudsen and P.H. Hjorth: Elements of Newtonian Mechanics, Springer.
B. Lautrup: Physics of Continuous Matter, Second Edition: Exotic and Everyday Phenomena in the Macro-scopic World, CRC Press
Lecture notes.

See itslearning for syllabus lists and additional literature references.

Examination regulations

Exam element a)

Timing

January

Tests

Written exam

EKA

N500059102

Assessment

Second examiner: External

Grading

7-point grading scale

Identification

Student Identification Card

Language

Normally, the same as teaching language

Duration

5 hours

Examination aids

All common aids are allowed e.g. books, notes and computer programmes which do not use internet etc. 

Internet is not allowed during the exam. However, you may visit the course site in itslearning to open system "DE-Digital Exam". If you wish to use course materials from itslearning, you must download the materials to your computer no later thn day before the exam. During the exam you cannot be sure that all course materials is accessible in itslearning.    

ECTS value

10

Indicative number of lessons

90 hours per semester

Teaching Method

The teaching method is based on three phase model.

  • Intro phase: 54 hours
  • Skills training phase: 36 hours, hereof tutorials: 36 hours

The teaching format is lectures and computational classes (eksaminatorietimer). In the computational classes the students solve problems and are trained in applying the theory taught in the course to explicit physical problems within the course topics. Furthermore, it is possible to hand in a number of optional assignments. Each week the lectures are followed by computational classes.

Activities in the study phase

  • Solving problems prior to the tutorials.
  • Self-study of the textbook.
  • Prepration for the exam.

Teacher responsible

Name E-mail Department
John H. Ipsen ipsen@memphys.sdu.dk Fysik

Timetable

Administrative Unit

Fysik, kemi og Farmaci

Team at Educational Law & Registration

NAT

Offered in

Odense

Recommended course of study

Profile Education Semester Offer period

Transition rules

Transitional arrangements describe how a course replaces another course when changes are made to the course of study. 
If a transitional arrangement has been made for a course, it will be stated in the list. 
See transitional arrangements for all courses at the Faculty of Science.