Mechanics & Modern Physics

Office hours during exam period: Mon. and Wed. 1:30 - 2:30
as well as MWF: 9:30-10:20.

Midterm 2: You can pick up the term test during my office hours. The exam is scaled and is out of 30 marks. The TA office hours if you want to discuss the test:
Marty Cluff (Q 1 and 2): 12:00 - 2:00pm, Thurs 9th in P8487.
Jason Hobson (Q 3): 1:00 - 3:00pm, Thurs 9th in P7424.


Many files here require Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't already have it, it is available here for free.

A brief outline of this course is available here.

**Click here for general course information including grading and final exam info. (pls. look here (often) before asking me).**

An exciting video on simple harmonic motion.
"I watched this again this morning. I've seen it a hundred times. I just never get tired of it." -- Dr. Neil Alberding.

Formula sheet 1 .
Formula sheet 2 .
A copy of these sheets will be stapled to the front of your exams.

First term test: Friday, October 15th.

An old term-test (figures are in the solutions) Please note: this exam was 80 minutes, not 50 minutes (your exam will be 50 minutes long). Also, the material may not be exactly the same as what will be tested on your exam. Solutions to this exam (with the figures) are here (there is a small error in one of the parts of question 6's solutions and 4a should be m/s4  ).

Second term test: Friday, November 19th. (will cover from conservation of momentum up to and including Newton's law of gravity.)
Some sample term test 2 problems .

You can log on to LON-CAPA for your capa assignments (you must have pop-ups and cookies enabled in your browser). Click here for instructions. PLEASE NOTE that these instructions are for chemistry courses so not all the information will apply to you ( start at step 4 and ignore anything chemistry specific in these instructions. ie. replace references to chemistry with physics). You can also access LON-CAPA directly by typing     http://nernst.chem.sfu.ca     in the address bar of your browser.

Assignments are from the prescribed text.
  You can pick up graded assignments during the open lab. Outside of open lab hours, check the slots to the left of the hand in box in the hallway to the AQ. Older assignments may be near the bottom slot.

!!* Due to the large number of students, please use this cover sheet and staple it to the front of your assignments*!!

You must show your work and explain what you are doing for full marks. Please do all problems symbolically first, putting in numbers only at the end.

  Assignment 0: LON-CAPA practice assignment (not worth marks). NOTE: one of the unit conversion questions is incorrectly coded. Convert to km/(hr*s) (not km/hr*s).

  Assignment 1: LON-CAPA and Knight: Ch2-#1, #8, #27, #56 (Due Thurs. Sept. 23). Solutions 1.

  Assignment 2: (pls. use cover sheet above) LON-CAPA and Knight: Ch3-#24, #46, Ch5-#33, Ch8-#25, #28 (Due Fri. Oct. 1). Solutions 2.

  Assignment 3: LON-CAPA and Knight: Ch8-#38, #44, Ch10-#56 and this question (Due. Friday, October 8th). Solutions 3. (NOTE: in the last question, μk1 should be multiplied by two in the solutions since the relative distance the blocks move is 2 Δs)
There is now a locked box labeled "Physics 120" in the hallway between the physics department and the AQ. Please put your assignments in this box or else hand them in to the open lab TA's.

  Assignment 4: LON-CAPA only (Note: this is a very short assignment and most of the material is examinable so it's a good study aid).

  Assignment 5: LON-CAPA and Knight Ch 13- #10, #14, #32, #34 (Due Monday, Oct. 25). Solutions 5.

  Term test 1 and solutions (diagram for Q2 in solns).

  Assignment 6: LON-CAPA and Knight Ch 13- #46, #59, #82 (Due Thursday, Nov. 4th). NOTE: There is a coding error in the third part of the flywheel dynamics question. Calculate your answer in revolutions but use rad as the unit. Also, the answer to 59 in the back of some copies of the text may be incorrect. REMINDER- the open lab is a great place to get any help you need with this course (not just assignment related). Solutions 6. Corrected solution to number 82.

  Assignment 7: LON-CAPA and Knight Ch 14 - #6, #22, #28, #54 (Due Fri. Nov. 12th). Solutions 7.

  Assignment 8: LON-CAPA and Knight Ch 42 - #28, #66, #68 (Due Friday, November 26th). Solutions 8.

  Term test 2 and solutions .

Below are some interesting links related to the course material (these links are not on the SFU site. Simon Fraser University is not responsible for their content).

The particle adventure page. Learn about nuclear and sub-nuclear particle physics.

An on-line java based Newtonian mechanics course at Dickinson State University.

AECL's WEB site on nuclear power.


visitors.