Topic:
The purpose of the Term Paper is to have you study one practical application of classical mechanics that was not discussed in the lectures . There are many novel topics that could be selected from science, engineering, bioengineering, fluid mechanics, sports, etc. Select a topic that most interests you.. It is strongly recommended that you select a topic that involves dynamics of the system, rather than statics which usually are of less interest. Check with me (Professor Cline) before you start in order to ensure that the relevance and scope of your project is appropriate to P235W.
Examples of topics that have been submitted to me as P235W term papers in recent years are:
Science
Celestial mechanics, satellite orbits, spiral galaxies, comet orbits, asteroid orbits, Hohmann transfer, protostar, gravitational redshift.. Coulomb scattering. Mechanics of a scientific instrument, e.g. gravimeter. Historical aspect of classical mechanics. Charged particle motion in beam transport systems. Speed of sound in a three-dimensional crystalline lattice. Three--body motion. Hurricanes, tornados, and other weather phenomena
Engineering
Dynamics in engineering such as bridge vibrations, automobile suspension system. Projectile motion, rockets, Space Shuttle. Kinematics of a roller coaster, mechanical toy, gyroscopes, trebucket, pinball machine.
Bioengineering
Kinematics of biomedical systems such as the eardrum.
Music
Mechanics of a musical instrument. Normal modes of coupled strings on a piano, a violin, a drum.
Sports
Dynamics and stability of a bicycle, skate board, parachute, windsurfer etc. Dynamics of movement in a fluid, e.g., skydivers, flight, diving, bungee jumping, boomerang, frisbee. The dynamics of a sport such as rowing, baseball, billiards, skiing, snowboarding, tennis, soccer, gymnastics, juggling, karate, dance.
Other
Applications of Euler-Lagrange equations to economics.
Writing requirement:
The term paper will be used to satisfy the College Writing Requirement. A description of these requirements plus links to the articles on scientific communication and writing of reports can be found on the College Writing Requirement link on the P235W website.
The term paper should be about 5 pages long and under no circumstances, longer than 10 pages. This length is insufficient to give a comprehensive discussion of any of the topics listed. Therefore, restrict your paper to one very specific and localized aspect of the topic chosen. That is, it is much better to discuss, in detail, one specific aspect of the topic rather than presenting an overview. The discussion of the phenomenon chosen should include a schematic derivation starting from the basic equations of motion. If the mathematics is too complicated for an exact derivation, indicate the basic steps and assumptions in the derivation and reference the source of your final equations. Computer simulations of the classical equations of motion are especially illuminating in describing the behavior of many systems in classical mechanics. Performing such computer simulations as part of the term paper is encouraged, but great care must be taken not to waste too much of your valuable time since such computer simulations can be very time consuming. Put numbers in your equations to indicate the order of magnitude of the effects being studied. Minimize the engineering or biological aspects of your problem; it is the underlying physics of the problem, and how it relates to P235, that is of most interest to me. Please type the text but the equations may be hand written if you prefer since the equation editor for Word is primative and inconvenient to use.
This term paper will carry 12% of the grade for the course and I will grade all the term papers. Possible starting references for most of the topics mentioned are "Scientific American" or "Physics Today" and the web. The problem you will encounter is that such starting references are too elementary for P235, therefore you will need to look at advanced reference texts on your topic. Check with the Librarian in the POA Library if you need assistance in locating references. List the references that you used for your paper. The final version of this paper must be handed in by Monday 10 December 2007. In order to satisfy the College Writing Requirement you must submit about a half page outline of the term paper for prior approval. Students must submit their first full draft of the Term Paper to a Writing Fellow at the College Writing center to evaluate the clarity of message, and adherance to accepted norms of language and format. The final revised term paper is due for grading on Monday 10 December. The first draft signed by the Writing Fellow who read this draft must be submitted with the final paper.
In summary, the following steps must be taken.
1) Discuss your proposed topic with me to ensure that the scope and topic are appropiate for P235
2) Submit about a half page long outline of the proposed term paper for approval.
3) Meet with a Writing Fellow of College Writing Center to discuss your first draft of the term paper.
4) Submit the revised final version by Monday 10 December. Attached the signed first draft with you final paper.