Teaching & Outreach 

Mechanics is one of the first upper-level courses taken by physics majors at UCF. It is an intensive, one-semester course that lays the foundation for advanced theoretical physics. Time permitting, the course covers the following topics:

1. Elementary Newtonian Mechanics:
   Newton’s laws, inertial frames and relative motion, momentum and forces, space and time, phase space, many-particle systems and internal forces, center of mass motion, angular momentum, energy conservation, Galilean transformations, conservative forces, point-particle dynamics, harmonic oscillator, planar pendulum, coupled linear systems, rotating reference frames, two-particle collisions, and the virial theorem.

2. Analytical Mechanics:
   Generalized coordinates and constraints, the principle of least action, variational calculus, Euler–Lagrange equations, symmetries and conservation laws, Hamiltonian formalism, Legendre transformations, canonical equations, and Poisson brackets.

3. Mechanics of Rigid Bodies:
   Rotational motion, kinetic energy of rigid bodies, inertia tensor, Steiner’s (parallel-axis) theorem, angular momentum, Euler’s equations of motion, and dynamics of free rigid body.

Principles of Physics II is a core course for physics majors at UCF and provides a comprehensive introduction to electricity and magnetism, with a brief introduction to wave optics. The course emphasizes physical intuition, mathematical formulation, and problem-solving skills that are essential for upper-level courses in physics. This honors course allows up to go deeper in the concepts and applications than a standard general physics course. The main topics covered include:

1. Electricity and Electrostatics:
   Electric charge and Coulomb’s law, electric fields and flux, Gauss’s law, electric potential and potential energy, conductors and dielectrics, capacitors, electric dipole, current, resistors, and electric circuits.

2. Magnetism and Electrodynamics:
   Magnetic fields and forces, motion of charged particles in electromagnetic fields, magnetic flux, Ampère’s law, electromagnetic induction, Faraday’s and Lenz’s laws, inductance, magnetic materials, RL circuits, and RLC circuits (damping, etc...).

3. AC Circuits:
   RLC circuits and resonance

4. Electromagnetic Fields and Waves:
   Maxwell’s equations, displacement current, electromagnetic waves, energy and momentum in electromagnetic fields, and basic properties of wave propagation.

5. Introduction to Wave Optics:
   Interference and diffraction, Double-slit experiment, and elementary optical systems.