PHYS-C0110: Mechanics
| Course name | Mechanics |
|---|---|
| Course code | PHYS-C0110 |
| Abbreviation | Mechanics |
| Period | I |
| Lecturer | Jani-Petri Martikainen |
Description
Mechanics is a 5 ECTS introductory university physics course covering classical mechanics at a calculus-based level. It is one of the core physics courses for first- and second-year students in engineering and science programmes. The course covers kinematics and dynamics of particles, Newton’s laws, work and energy, momentum and collisions, rotational motion, and oscillations. The treatment is quantitative and relies on calculus; concurrent enrolment in Differential and Integral Calculus 1 is typical. The course builds the physical intuition and problem-solving skills required for all subsequent physics courses at Aalto.
Course material
Official material
Lecture slides are distributed via MyCourses and track the textbook chapters. Weekly exercise sheets as theory. Students are expected to attempt problems independently before exercise sessions.
Extra material
Contents and workload
Overall workload
The course runs in Period I and is 5 ECTS compressed into roughly 6–7 weeks. The workload is around 12–15 hours per week. The early weeks on kinematics and Newton’s laws are more straightforward, while rotational dynamics and oscillations in the later weeks require significantly more effort. Students who have not studied physics in upper secondary school at a high level often find the initial conceptual jump significant despite the mathematical tools being relatively simple.
Weekly contents
| Week | Topics |
|---|---|
| 1 | Measurement and units; kinematics in one dimension; displacement, velocity, acceleration; constant acceleration. |
| 2 | Vectors; kinematics in two and three dimensions; projectile motion; uniform circular motion. |
| 3 | Newton’s laws; free body diagrams; friction; applications to inclined planes and pulley systems. |
| 4 | Work and kinetic energy; work–energy theorem; potential energy; conservation of energy. |
| 5 | Linear momentum and collisions; impulse; conservation of momentum; elastic and inelastic collisions; centre of mass. |
| 6 | Rotational kinematics; moment of inertia; torque; rotational dynamics; angular momentum; conservation of angular momentum. |
| 7 | Oscillations; simple harmonic motion; pendulums; energy in SHM; revision and exam preparation. |
Practicalities
The course is completed via weekly exercises and a final written exam. Exercise sessions are organised in small groups and provide guided problem-solving support. Attending exercise sessions is voluntary (cross check with MyCo) but strongly recommended, especially for the harder weeks. The exam is written, closed-book. The grade is weighted between exercise points and the final exam.
Related courses
Official prerequisites
High school physics and mathematics. Concurrent enrolment in MS-A0111 Differential and Integral Calculus 1 is common and effectively required for following the derivations.
Additional prerequisites
More like this
- PHYS-C0130 Electromagnetism — the natural follow-up covering electric and magnetic fields using similar methods.
- PHYS-C0220 Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics — another core physics course building on the same mathematical base.
- MS-A0111 Differential and Integral Calculus 1 — the mathematics course whose tools are used throughout Mechanics.
- PHYS-C0230 Classical Dynamics — a more advanced treatment of mechanics using Lagrangian and Hamiltonian methods.
Trivia
Mechanics is one of the oldest and most universal introductory physics courses +Jani is the GOAT