Dynamics & Relativity (PHYS7200)

Course overview

Introduction to Lagrangian & Hamiltonian mechanics including elementary treatment of chaos in Hamiltonian systems. Calculus of variations, constraints, generalised coordinates, geometrical methods. Introduction to Special Relativity including relativistic particle mechanics.

What is exciting about classical mechanics?ﾠ Wasn't it all done years ago by Newton, and encapsulated in three laws?ﾠ No!ﾠ Classical mechanics is surprisingly rich, encompassing such behaviour as chaos, nonlinear resonances and transitions to chaos.ﾠ The principle of stationary action leads to the powerful formulation of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics, which highlights the role of symmetry and conservation laws.ﾠ Much of this formulation survives into quantum mechanics.

Chaotic dynamics had been known to exist for a long time, but it was not until the 1970's and 1980's that its importance in a wide variety of applications began to be appreciated.ﾠ In reality, chaos is ubiquitous.ﾠ This course introduces deterministic chaos in nonlinear classical systems, where the dynamics is deterministic yet inherently unpredictable.

Finally, this course provides further development of the subject of special relativity that was introduced at first year, providing an introduction to four vector notation, relativistic particle mechanics and elementary space-time physics.

Course requirements

Assumed background

Students should be comfortable with differential and integral calculus, including partial differentiation.ﾠ It is assumed that all students taking this course have done the main first year physics courses (PHYS1001 + PHYS1002) and maths courses (MATH1051 + MATH1052).

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

The equivalent of (MATH1052 or MATH1071) + PHYS1001 + PHYS1002

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

PHYS2100 (co-taught), PHYS2101

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

Lectures will be delivered in person only.

All classes will be conducted on campus. Consult your personal timetable for times and locations. Students are expected to attend these sessions in person unless they have a valid reason for being unable to attend (such as illness).

Important: if you are ill, then do not attend any classes in person. Alternative arrangements can be organised – consult Blackboard for details. 

Aims and outcomes

This course aims to introduce the student to the calculus of variations and the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of classical mechanics, and to be able to solve problems using these techniques.ﾠ This knowledge is then used to introduce methods for the analysis of dynamical systems, and give an introduction to the concept of deterministic chaos.ﾠ The course also aims to provide students with a more advanced knowledge of special relativity than covered in first year physics.

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Special Relativity problem sheets

Mode

Written

Category

Tutorial/ Problem Set

Weight

14% 2 x 7% each

Due date

Problem Sheet 1: 9/08/2024 4:00 pm

Problem Sheet 2: 23/08/2024 4:00 pm

Task description

Submission guidelines

They must be submitted (electronically) via Blackboard.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension and deferred examination information relating to this assessment item. Solutions to tutorial problems and assignment problems will be distributed after the due date.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item then the listed penalty will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.

Lagrangian and Hamiltonian dynamics problem sheets

Mode

Written

Category

Tutorial/ Problem Set

Weight

20% 2 x 10% each

Due date

Problem Sheet 1: 6/09/2024 4:00 pm

Problem Sheet 2: 20/09/2024 4:00 pm

Task description

Submission guidelines

They must be submitted (electronically) via Blackboard.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension and deferred examination information relating to this assessment item. Solutions to tutorial problems and assignment problems will be distributed after the due date.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item then the listed penalty will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.

Dynamical systems and chaos problem sheets

Mode

Written

Category

Tutorial/ Problem Set

Weight

16% 2 x 8% each

Due date

Problem Sheet 1: 11/10/2024 4:00 pm

Problem Sheet 2: 25/10/2024 4:00 pm

Task description

Submission guidelines

They must be submitted (electronically) via Blackboard.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension and deferred examination information relating to this assessment item. Solutions to tutorial problems and assignment problems will be distributed after the due date.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item then the listed penalty will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.

Final exam

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

50% ,20% dynamics, 15% chaos, 15% special relativity

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024

Task description

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension and deferred examination information relating to this assessment item.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

In addition to the above requirements, to obtain a final grade of 4 or above, a student must

1. achieve a mark of at least 40% in the weighted average of the assignments (20 marks out of 50), AND

2. achieve a mark of at least 40% in the final examinations (20ﾠmarks out of 50).

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply. 

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.  

If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.  

Supplementary assessment in this course will be a 2-hour examination similar in style to the end-of-semester examination. To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment. 

Additional assessment information

Artificial Intelligence

The assessment tasks in this course evaluate students’ abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Applications for Extensions to Assessment Due Dates

Extension requests are submitted online via my.UQ – applying for an extension. Extension requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with extension requests, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons, may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Requests for an extension to an assessment due date must be submitted through your my.UQ portal and you must provide documentation of your circumstances, as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed. Your application must be submitted on or before the assessment item's due date and time.
• Applications for extension can take time to be processed so you should continue to work on your assessment item while awaiting a decision. We recommend that you submit any completed work by the due date, and this will be marked if your application is not approved. Should your application be approved, then you will be able to resubmit by the agreed revised due date.
• If an extension is approved, you will be notified via your my.UQ portal and the new date and time for submission provided. It is important that you check the revised date as it may differ from the date that you requested.
• If the basis of the application is a medical condition, applications should be accompanied by a medical certificate dated prior to the assignment due date. If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a written statement (Word document) outlining why you cannot provide the documentation. You must then upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.
• If an extension is being sought on the basis of exceptional circumstances, it must be accompanied by supporting documentation (eg. Statutory declaration).
• For extensions based on a SAP you may be granted a maximum of 7 days (if no earlier maximum timeframe applies). See the Extension or Deferral availability section of each assessment for details. Your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, additional extension requests for the assessment item will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.
• An extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered, must not exceed four weeks in total. If you are incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, you are advised to apply for Removal of Course.
• If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 14 days, you are advised to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses this semester. You might be eligible to withdraw without academic penalty - seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.
• Students may be asked to submit evidence of work completed to date. Lack of adequate progress on your assessment item may result in an extension being denied.
• There are no provisions for exemption from an assessment item within UQ rules. If you are unable to submit an assessment piece then, under special circumstances, you may be granted an exemption, but may be required to submit alternative assessment to ensure all learning outcomes are met.

Applications to defer an exam

In certain circumstances you can apply to take a deferred examination for in-semester and end-of-semester exams. You'll need to demonstrate through supporting documentation how unavoidable circumstances prevented you from sitting your exam. If you can’t, you can apply for a one-off discretionary deferred exam.

Deferred Exam requests are submitted online via mySi-net. Requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with deferred examinations, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Applications can be submitted no later than 5 calendar days after the date of the original exam.
• There are no provisions to defer a deferred exam. You need to be available to sit your deferred examination.
• Your deferred examination request(s) must have a status of "submitted" in mySI-net to be assessed.
• All applications for deferred in-semester examinations are assessed by the relevant school. Applications for deferred end-of-semester examinations are assessed by the Academic Services Division.
• You’ll receive an email to your student email account when the status of your application is updated.
• If you have a medical condition, mental health condition or disability and require alternative arrangements for your deferred exam you’ll need to complete the online alternative exam arrangements through my.UQ. This is in addition to your deferred examinations request. You need to submit this request on the same day as your request for a deferred exam or supplementary assessment. Contact Student Services if you need assistance completing your alternative exam arrangements request.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

Other useful resources for this course will be posted on the blackboard site for this course.
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Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.