Part IB Advanced Physics Course



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Typos in Hand and Finch

List of typographical errors in the course textbook, Analytical Dynamics by Hand and Finch (C.U.P.).

Typos worth correcting


On page 9, eq 1.33, 1.37 and 1.38 all have the space between alpha and q too small, so it looks like 1.38 for example refers to sin^2 ( alpha q ). In all these equations, the argument of `sin' or `cos' is just alpha [as you can guess on dimensional grounds].
p.70, Problem 9. (Brachistrocrone)

Equation 2.77 is wrong. It should be

 y/r = arcsin[ (x/r)^{1/2} ] - [ (x/r) ( 1-(x/r) ) ]^{1/2}

p.71 Problem 11. (Ski race) This question seems to me to be ill-defined. Are we to assume that the skier proceeds at constant velocity, or that their energy is conserved? The problem is interesting either way, neither assumption seems plausible in real life, and I don't know which they had in mind. I would go for the constant velocity assumption first...

p.374 eqn (9.141) the modes should be (1,1,1), (1,0,-1), and (1,-2,1)


Suggestions for improvement

p.376 "energy stored in pendulum 2" should be "energy transferred (temporarily) to pendulum 2".

p.375 "must be either odd or even" -> "can be chosen to be ...."

p.373 "omega^2 = 0" - should say "this MAY correspond to a translation or rotation".

p.372 "The Phi vectors are real numbers" -> "can be chosen to be real numbers". [There are cases, eg the three masses in a circle, where it can be preferable for symmetry reasons to choose them complex!]

p.364 Emphasize that the single linear transformation is not in general orthogonal.

p.328 Figure 8.22 is confusing since the cylinder looks symmetric.

Unimportant typos

p.417 "extra solar" -> "extra-solar".

p. 142: "centrifugal force, which is repulsive, increasing as...." SHOULD BE "decreasing as......."


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