Theoretical Mechanics: Prof. Dr. Walter Strunz (#WS1)
Second semester lecture series for undergraduate physics students
Format
The Theoretical Mechanics module from the 2020 Summer Semester was made up of various indispensable elements:
- Lectures on YouTube (asynchronous)
- Live weekly drop-in sessions for discussion and answering questions with the students and the lecturer (synchronous)
- Weekly synchronous discussions in smaller practical groups (7 in total) to discuss methods of solving for the weekly tasks which accompany the lectures - the emphasis here is on the students' suggesting solutions
Keywords
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Decription
Theoretical Mechanics deals with the dynamics of point particles and extended bodies using the laws of motion, both in the realm of human experience and velocities comparable to the speed of light (relativistic mechanics). Three fundamentally different formulations of the laws of motion, as defined by Newton, Lagrange and Hamilton, are introduced and discussed in this class. Highlights of the lectures include Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, rotation equations, discussion of the principle of relativity (Galileo, Einstein) and the structure of space and time, the connection between symmetry and conservation laws (Noether), as well as a brief glimpse into deterministic chaos (caos determinista).
Our objectives were to:
- Keep the standard lecture material from the module engaging and exciting even during the pandemic
- Avoid PowerPoint-style presentations, opting for the handwritten development of the material on a chalkboard instead
- Keep students engaged with good videos and even better synchronous practicals
It is also important to note that a module like this does not make a lot of sense without practical groups – so we should make specific mention here not only of the lecturer but also of the group leaders: Dr. Kimmo Luoma, Konstantin Beyer, Valentin Link, Richard Hartmann and Dennis Wawrzik. They also did a fantastic job in the summer semester, because creating a lively synchronous practical group is really not an easy thing to do.
Access to the OPAL course: https://bildungsportal.sachsen.de/opal/auth/RepositoryEntry/22423961600/CourseNode/100014388439501
Warm-up exercise sheet for the first practical
Contact
Voting ID
#WS1