Video Lectures

This page presents videos for the first half of the class lectures. These lectures are particularly important because they contain the new kinematics approach.

Note: video is not available for Lecture 6.

Disclaimer from Professor Sarma: A lecture is like a live performance – there are no retakes. So when you watch these videos, please keep in mind that I am human, and I make mistakes. For example, at minute 12 of the video of Lec #2 I make a mistake when I describe why the earth is an approximate inertial frame. What I mean to say is that the Earth, though moving, is accelerating relatively slowly with respect to some imaginary but real inertial frame when compared with, say a space-craft. So we treat it as an inertial frame, and experiments show that that is a good approximation. That's not how I say it in the video, but the students did understand what I meant because the staff of the class interact with the students in a number of ways. So watch these videos but stay alert – and keep in mind that besides making mistakes, I also sometimes joke with my students.

LEC # TOPICS VIDEOS
1

Course information

Begin kinematics: frames of reference and frame notation

(RM - 220K)
2

The "spider on a Frisbee" problem

Kinematics using first principles: "downconvert" to ground frame

(RM - 220K)
3 Pulley problem, angular velocity, magic formula (RM - 220K)
4 Magic and super-magic formulae (RM - 220K)
5 Super-magic formula, degrees of freedom, non-standard coordinates, kinematic constraints (RM - 220K)
6 Single particle: momentum, Newton's laws, work-energy principle, collisions  
7 Impulse, skier separation problem (RM - 220K)
8

Single particle: angular momentum, example problem

Two particles: dumbbell problem, torque

(RM - 220K)
9 Dumbbell problem, multiple particle systems, rigid bodies, derivation of torque = I*alpha (RM - 220K)
10 Three cases, rolling disc problem (RM - 220K)