- UCAS course code
- F345
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Science (BSc)
BSc Physics with Theoretical Physics
Duration: 3 years
Year of entry: 2025
UCAS course code: F345 / Institution code: M20
- Key features:
Scholarships available
Accredited course
- Typical A-level offer: A*A*A including specific subjects
- Typical contextual A-level offer: A*AA including specific subjects
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: AAA including specific subjects
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 38 points overall with 7,7,6 at HL, including specific requirements
Fees and funding
Fees
Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £36,500 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
The University of Manchester is committed to attracting and supporting the very best students. We have a focus on nurturing talent and ability and we want to make sure that you have the opportunity to study here, regardless of your financial circumstances.
For information about scholarships and bursaries please visit our undergraduate student finance pages and our Department funding pages .Course unit details:
Advanced Dynamics
| Unit code | PHYS10672 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 10 |
| Unit level | Level 1 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Offered by | Department of Physics & Astronomy |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
Advanced Dynamics
Pre/co-requisites
| Unit title | Unit code | Requirement type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics 1 | PHYS10071 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
| Dynamics | PHYS10101 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
| Quantum Physics and Relativity | PHYS10121 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
Aims
To enhance knowledge and understanding of classical mechanics and relativity.
Learning outcomes
On completion successful students will be able to:
- apply Newton's theory of gravitation to problems of planetary motion and space travel.
- use inertial forces to explain motion from the viewpoint of rotating frames of reference.
- derive the general relation between the angular velocity and angular momentum of a rigid body, and use this to solve problems in rotational dynamics.
- solve problems in relativistic dynamics using the covariant formalism and energy-momentum four vectors.
Syllabus
1. Preliminaries (3 Lectures)
Newton’s laws of motion
Linear and angular momentum, force and torque
The two-body system
2. Gravitation (6 Lectures)
Force fields and potentials
Newtonian gravity
Kepler’s motion in a central force field
Particle orbits as conic sections and Kepler's laws
3. Noninertial Frames of Reference (3 Lectures)
Motion in rotating frames
Centrifugal and coriolis forces
4. Rigid-Body Motion (6 Lectures)
Angular velocity and angular momentum vectors
Moment-of-inertia tensor
Principal moments of inertia
Euler's equations
Free rotation and stability
Gyroscopes
5. Relativistic Dynamics (6 Lectures)
Principles of special relativity
The covariant formalism
Lorentz transformations and relativistic invariance
Relativistic momentum and energy
Applications to relativistic kinematics
Assessment methods
| Method | Weight |
|---|---|
| Written exam | 100% |
Feedback methods
Feedback will be provided via solutions to the problem sheets, which will be made available electronically on Teachweb and Blackboard. More detailed feedback will be provided in the exercise class which are integrated within the 24 lectures.
Recommended reading
Barger, V. D. & Olsson, M. G. Classical Mechanics: a Modern Perspective, (McGraw-Hill)
Forshaw, J. & Smith, A. G. Dynamics and Relativity, (Wiley)
Marion, J. B. & Thornton, S. T. Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems, (Academic)
Spiegel, M. R. Schaum’s Outline of Theoretical Mechanics, (McGraw-Hill Book Company).
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Assessment written exam | 1.5 |
| Lectures | 24 |
| Seminars | 6 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 68.5 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Richard Battye | Unit coordinator |