MAJOR-PHYSICS COURSE
Semester II
MAJOR II : PHYS2011: MECHANICS (Credits: Theory - 03, Practical - 01)
F.M. = 75 (Theory - 40, Practical – 20, Internal Assessment –15)
COURSE OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this course is to provide an in-depth understanding of the principles of Newtonian mechanics and apply them to solve problems involving the dynamics of classical mechanical systems.
COURSE OUTCOME: This course in Mechanics serves as the foundation for further progress towards the study of physics at graduate or post-graduate level. Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to apply Newton’s laws of motion to different force fields for a single particle and for a system of particles
Fundamentals of Dynamics: Reference frames, Inertial frames, Review of Newton’s Laws of Motion. Galilean transformations, Galilean invariance. Momentum of variable-mass system: Motion of a rocket, Motion of a projectile in Uniform gravitational field, Dynamics of a system of particles: Center of Mass, Motion relative to the center of mass, Principle of conservation of momentum, Impulse. [Notes] [Set of Questions-1]
Work and Energy: Work-Energy theorem, Conservative and non-conservative forces, Potential energy, Energy diagram, Stable and unstable equilibrium, Force as gradient of potential energy, Work and potential energy, Work done by non-conservative forces, Law of conservation of Energy [Class Notes-2025] [Home Works-2022] [Home Works-2025]
Collisions: Elastic and inelastic collisions between particles in Centre of mass and Laboratory frames. [Notes] [Home Works-1]
Rotational Dynamics: Angular momentum of a particle and a system of particles, Torque and the principle of conservation of angular momentum, Rotation about a fixed axis, Moment of Inertia, Calculation of moments of inertia for regular shaped bodies, Kinetic energy of rotation. Motion involving both translation and rotation. [Exam cum HomeWork-June-2025] [Solution here]
Elasticity: Elastic properties of matter, Hooke's Law, Relation between Elastic constants, Twisting torque on a cylinder or a wire, Bending of Beams: Cantilever, Beam supported near the ends on two knife edges held in the same horizontal plane and a concentrated load W is applied at the midpoint.
Gravitation and Central Force Motion: Law of gravitation, Gravitational potential energy, Inertial and gravitational mass, Gravitational potential and the gravitational field due to a spherical shell and a solid sphere.
Motion of a particle under a central force field: Two-body problem, its reduction to one-body problem and its solution, the energy equation and energy diagram. Kepler’s Laws, Satellite in circular orbit and applications. Geosynchronous orbits, Weightlessness, Basic idea of global positioning system (GPS).
Oscillations: Simple Harmonic Oscillations: Differential equation of SHM and its solution, Kinetic energy, potential energy, Total energy and their time-averaged values. Damped oscillation, Forced oscillations: Transient and steady states, Resonance, Sharpness of resonance, Power dissipation and Quality Factor, Compound pendulum.
Non-Inertial Systems: Non-inertial frames and fictitious forces: Uniformly rotating frame, Laws of Physics in rotating coordinate systems, Centrifugal force, Coriolis force and its applications. Components of velocity and acceleration in cylindrical and spherical coordinate
Internal Assessment -1 (2024) Major Question & Solutions
Mechanics
Problem Set for more Interested Students [January-June-2025]
Home Work 2 [On Simple harmonic motion]
Home Work 3 [Free and Forced Damped Oscillation]
Home Work 5
Internal Assessment 1 [Here]
Home Work (on Work & Energy)
Internal Assessment 2 [Here]
Delhi University Question Paper: Mechanics [Sem-1-Hons]