PARADIGMS IN PHYSICS: PARADIGM 9
Reference Frames

Syllabus for Spring 2000

First Day Handout
Course Description
Access to Restricted Files

Day/
Room
Topic:
    Subtopics 		Reading
(Main, Optional)
Assignments
Due Dates
1
Mon 5/8

275
Reference Frames:
   Inertial Frames
   Galilean Transformations
   Linear Acceleration
MT §2.1-2.3
MT §14.1-2
HW 1
(due 5/12)
2
Tue 5/9

412
2-D Rotations:
   Rotating Coordinate Systems
   Centrifugal & Coriolis Forces
   Group Work: Constructing Solutions
   Group Work: Turntable Hockey


Notes: 2D

Paradigm 6: Notes,
   Addendum, Worksheet
WS 1
3
Wed 5/10

275
3-D Rotations:
   Rotating Coordinate Systems
   Centrifugal & Coriolis Forces
Notes: 3D
MT §10.1-10.3
 
4
Thu 5/11

412
Motion Relative to Earth:
   Group Work: Earth Hockey I
   Group Work: Earth Hockey II
3 Journal Articles
WS 2
5
Fri 5/12

275
Motion Relative to Earth:
   Ocean & Air Currents
   Missiles
   Foucault Pendulum
MT §10.4
Notes: Foucault
 

 

Day/
Room
Topic:
    Subtopics 		Reading
(Main, Optional)
Assignments
Due Dates
6
Mon 5/15

275
Special Relativity:
   Einstein's Postulates
   Time Dilation
   Length Contraction
GE §12.1.1-12.1.2
HW 2
(due 5/19)
7
Tue 5/16

275
Special Relativity:
   Lorentz Transformations I
   Group Work: Paradoxes
GE §12.1.3
Taylor & Wheeler
  (Ch. 3, L, 4)
WS 3
8
Wed 5/17
275
Special Relativity:
   Spacetime
   Rotations & Boosts
Notes: Spacetime
 
9
Thu 5/18

275
Special Relativity:
   Spacetime Diagrams
   Lorentz Transformations II
   Group Work: More Paradoxes
GE §12.1.4
Taylor & Wheeler
  (Ch. 5, 6)
WS 4
10
Fri 5/19
275
Relativistic Mechanics                     
   Proper Time
   Energy & Momentum
Notes: Mechanics
GE §12.2.1-12.2.2
                         

 

Day/
Room
Topic:
    Subtopics 		Reading
(Main, Optional)
Assignments
Due Dates
11
Mon 5/22

275
Newtonian Dynamics:
   Conservation of Momentum
   Conservation of Mass
   Collisions
MT §9.1-9.7
GE §12.1.1
HW 3
(due 5/26)
12
Tue 5/23

275
Relativistic Dynamics:
   Collisions & Scattering
   Group Work: Relativistic Particles
GE §12.2.3-12.2.4
MT §14.10
WS 5
13
Wed 5/24
275
Relativistic E & M:
   Magnetism via SR
Notes: E & M
GE §12.3.1-12.3.2
 
14
Thu 5/25

275
Relativistic E & M:
   Tensors
   Lorentz Transformations III
   E&M via Tensors
GE §12.3.3-12.3.5
 
15
Fri 5/26
275
Summary:
   Doppler Effect
   Uniform Acceleration
   General Relativity
 
Grad. Projects


Postscript: All students taking Paradigm 9 must also take the Postscript the last week of the term.

Access to Restricted Files: Access to many of the links in the syllabus requires a password. For full access to the materials for this paradigm, contact Tevian Dray at tevian@math.orst.edu. For full access to the materials for all Paradigms, contact Corinne Manogue at corinne@physics.orst.edu.

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©2000 Tevian Dray