What do you guys think of my Mechanics final?

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The forum discussion centers around the perceived difficulty of a Mechanics final exam, which consisted of four questions with multiple parts. Participants generally agree that the exam is straightforward, with many describing it as easy or medium difficulty, particularly for a junior-level course. Key topics included Newton's equations, Lagrangian dynamics, and integration techniques. The consensus is that while the exam may appear lengthy, the questions are designed to test basic applications of known concepts rather than requiring deep analytical thinking.

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  • #31
Easier than the one I took on Thursday.
 
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  • #32
mxbob468 said:
problem 5 is an extremely easy pdes problem but i imagine it becomes increasingly difficult when you're not in/haven't taken a pdes class. i don't see the point of this. if mechanics requires knowledge of pdes then require the students to take pdes prior to mechanics but don't hastily try to squeeze it in.

PDEs is covered in one of the prereqs for the course, Math 54 ( Linear algebra/Differential Equations).
 
  • #33
Math 54 isn't a pre-req for H7A.
 
  • #34
Physics for Scientists and Engineers -- Physics (PHYSICS) H7A [4 units]
Course Format: Three hours of lecture, one hour of discussion, and three hours of laboratory per week.
Prerequisites: High school physics; Math 1A or 1AS; Math 1B or 1BS (may be taken concurrently); Math 53; Math 54.
Credit option: Students will received no credit for H7A after taking 7A.
Description: Honors sequence corresponding to 7A-7B-7C, but with a greater emphasis on theory as opposed to problem solving. Recommended for those students who have had advanced Physics on the high school level and who are intending to declare a major in physics. Entrance into H7A is decided on the basis of performance on an examination given during the first week of class or the consent of the instructor, and into H7B-H7C on performance in previous courses in a standard sequence.
(F,SP) Staff


Doesn't it say 54 in the prereqs list?
 
  • #35
edit:oops double post
 
Last edited:
  • #36
That's strange, but the first day of lecture the professor said that the pre-reqs for the class were just to take Math 53 concurrently. Most of the freshman in the class (that I know of) are in 53 or 54 this semester. For the final this year, I wouldn't expect a question similar to #6. #5 is okay without 54 though.

Most of the LA stuff we need are learned in class and you aren't expected to know it beforehand (although it's very simple), such as taking eigenvalues to find angular frequency.
 

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