UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN
UCT Physics PHY2014F
Vibrations and Waves Module 2012

10 April 2012 (0000/dga) See some old class tests and exams , and the likely structure of the class test Class test 1 will be held at 17h00 - 18h30 on on Tuesday 10 April 2012, in PHYLAB2. Bring pen, pencil, calculator and a formula sheet that you have made - see below. Each student may bring in a single A4 page formula sheet, signed with their name, on both sides of which may be written, printed or photocopied formulae, and data, but no derivations or worked problems. The formula sheet will be scrutinized at the start of the test, and will be removed if the above conditions are violated. MIT Physics 8.03 Vibrations and Waves videos of lectures by Professor Walter Lewin are really worth watching Be aware that the questions in class tests and in the final examination will not be exactly the same as those in the problem sets, and not even very similar, with only a few numbers changed. However, a careful study of the problem set questions and their solutions is important in your preparation, because you will need to understand and use concepts, and use techniques that will have appeared in the problem set questions.

CURRENT CONCEPT: Interference and diffraction.

HAVE YOU ASKED (YOURSELF) A GOOD QUESTION TODAY? Can you explain why the intensity at the secondary maximum in a Fraunhofer diffraction pattern from a rectangular slit is 4 percent of the intensity in the central maximum?

Physics PHY2014F (VW - vibrations and waves) is a module in the second-year half course PHY2014F, which is a second year first semester half course for science students. PHY2014F It is suitable for mathematicians, astronomers, chemists, computer scientists and geologists. It consists of 60 lectures, about 12 laboratory and possibly tutorial sessions, and about 13 or 14 problem sets. The VW (vibrations and waves) module consists of 25 lectures.

Lectures take place at 11.00 am, in Lecture Room C, RW James (Physics) Building, University Avenue, five days a week (MTWThF) in the first semester.

• Physics staff involved:
  • Professor David Aschman acting course convenor and lecturer of vibrations and waves. Office hours are
    • Monday 1500-1600 by prior arrangement (use email to set this up) in PHYLAB2
    • Tuesday and Wednesday 1200-1230 Room 540. Before making a special trip, you may want to phone ext 3322 to check that I am there.
    • or by prior arrangement (use email ... david(dot)aschman(at)uct(dot)ac(dot)za ... )
  • A/Professor Roger Fearick PHYLAB2 co-ordinator
  • Yingwen Zhang class tutor
  • [ A/Professor Mark Blumenthal lecturer of the electromagnetism module, and course convener from the second quarter onwards.]
• Reading list and syllabus 2012 | Textbooks
• Class representatives | Declaration on plagiarism
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• 2012 PHY2014F VW lecture notes: vw01 | vw02 | vw03 | vw04 | vw05 | vw06 | vw07 | vw08 | vw06(ab/dga)... | vw07(ab/dga)... | ....
• MIT Physics 8.03 Vibrations and Waves lecture videos are worth watching
• Course marks 2012 (lab marks, classtests, problem sets, pop quiz etc) .xls
• Problem sets (and maybe some hints, and, later, solutions)
• Tutorials (whiteboard tutorials)
• The Mathematics Centre is a useful resource for review of some of the basic mathematics that you need
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• Pop Quiz 1 | Pop Quiz 2 | Pop Quiz 3 | Pop Quiz 4 |
• PHY2014F Vibrations and Waves revision sheet contains a set of problems that EVERY student coming into PHY2014F should attempt. PHY2014F is a difficult course, and good preparation is crucial. You MUST understand vectors and trigonometry well.
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• Some good vibrations and waves courses on the web
• Animations
  • UNSW animation of simple harmonic motion
  • UNSW animations - waves and sound
  • Falstad maths and physics animations
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• Glossary of terms and words used in a scientific context.
• Terms used in examinations.
• Past class tests and exams (not complete)
• ...
• Semi-popular physics journals: Physics Today | Physics World | Cern Courier | SLAC Beamline | Scientific American | Physical Review Focus | What is new? | Computing in Science and Engineering | Physics News Update | Reviews of Modern Physics | Nature | New Scientist | American Scientist | Science | American Journal of Physics | Quantum Diaries |