FYS101 Mechanics

Topics:

• Kinematics and dynamics: Particle dynamics, mechanics of particle systems, two-dimensional dynamics of rigid bodies, conservation laws (energy, momentum, spin)
• Fluid mechanics including viscous fluids.
• Waves: Mechanical waves and sound waves. Periodic waves, wave speed, energy transport in wave motion. Interference, superposition, and boundary conditions. Waves on a string. Oscillations. Sound. Doppler effect.
• Gravitation: Newton's law of gravity, potential energy in a gravitational field, satellite and planetary motion. Kepler's laws.
• Relativity: Physical laws in inertial systems, simultaneity, length contraction and time dilation. Lorentz transformations. Relativistic momentum, energy and work. The equivalence principle. The Doppler effect for electromagnetic waves.

The students should be able to understand and use: basic principles in mechanics, understand how basic principles are used to describe complex natural phenomena and conservation laws, understand and use mathematical models in mechanical systems, fluid mechanics, and waves, such as, calculating the properties of waves, e.g. their amplitude, period, and energy transport, and be able to describe different wave phenomena and the movement of light both quantitatively and qualitatively. Describe, understand, and calculate physical laws in non-accelerated coordinate systems, understand Newton's law of gravity and use it to describe and calculate potential energy for objects in a gravitational field, describe the motion of satellites and planets, understand and use Kepler's laws, as well as know the equivalence principle and the concept of time in the special theory of relativity.

The aim of the course is for the students to understand how physics describes both natural and man-made systems and their behaviour. The students should be able to interpret physical laws using mathematical language. The students will learn to use laws and formulas to analyse and calculate complex physical systems.