Physics 42200 - Waves and Oscillations

Course description:

PDF version: Download syllabus and course schedule here.
Instructor: Jones
Email: mjones@physics.purdue.edu
Title: Waves and Oscillations
Offering: Spring, 3 credit hours.
Room : Phys 112
Time : M,W,F 3:30-4:20 pm
Prerequisites: Phys 272H, Phys 241
Text:A. P. French, Vibrations and Waves, M.I.T. Introductory Physics Series
Eugene Hecht, Optics - 4th Edition, Addison Wesley (strongly recommended)
Grading:40% assignments, 30% midterm, 30% final
Lowest assignment grade discarded.
Description: The physics of waves and oscillations including sound, elastic, and electromagnetic waves. Topics range from the theory of simple harmonic oscillators, transverse modes of a continuous string, and physical optics including interference, Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction, and resolution, diffraction of X-rays and electrons by crystals.
Schedule:
Week of Jan 12 Introduction to free vibrations
Jan 19Linear approximations (No class Monday - MLK jr. Day)
Jan 26Damped oscillations
Feb 2Forced oscillations and resonance
Feb 9Coupled oscillating systems
Feb 16Coupled systems of many oscillators
Feb 23Waves in continuous media
Mar 27(Friday) No class.
Mar 2Impedance and reflections
Mar 9Waves in 3 dimensions
Mar 12(Thursday) Midterm exam - 8:00 pm, room 114 (not 112)
solutions - Distribution of grades.
Mar 16No classes - spring break
Mar 23Geometric optics I
Mar 30Geometric optics II
Apr 6Polarization
Apr 13Interference phenomena
Apr 20Diffraction phenomena
Apr 27Review
May 5Final exam 1:00 pm, room 112
DRC testing in room 110 at 12:00 pm.
distribution of grades
Assignments:Assignment 1 - Due February 2nd... Solutions.
Assignment 2 - Due February 9th... Solutions.
Assignment 3 - Due February 18th... Solutions.
Assignment 4 - Due March 6th... Solutions.
Assignment 5 - Due April 1st... Solutions.
Assignment 6 - Due April 10th... Solutions.
Assignment 7 - Due April 17th... Solutions.
Assignment 8 - Due April 29th... Solutions.
Lecture notes: are to be found here...