Master of Physics (MPhys)

MPhys Physics

Join a physics Department of international renown that offers great choice and flexibility, leading to master's qualification.

  • Duration: 4 years
  • Year of entry: 2025
  • UCAS course code: F305 / Institution code: M20
  • Key features:
  • Scholarships available
  • Accredited course

Full entry requirementsHow to apply

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:
Dynamics

Course unit fact file
Unit code PHYS10101
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 1
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

Dynamics

Pre/co-requisites

Late penalties for weekly Mastering Physics quizes

The weekly online quizzes will each contribute 1% of the marks when answered to a sufficient level (mark >40%). Late penalties apply as implemented in the software.  

Aims

To introduce the fundamental concepts of Newtonian mechanics.

Learning outcomes

On completion successful students will be able to explain the role of, and solve problems involving, the following concepts: 

1. frame of reference and its associated coordinate systems. 

2. Newton's laws and the motion of simple systems. 

3. energy, work, power, momentum, force, impulse, angular velocity, angular acceleration and torque. 

4. conservation of energy, momentum, and angular momentum. 

  • Furthermore, they will be able to solve problems involving: 

5. the rotation of rigid bodies. 

6. motion in a gravitational field.

 

Syllabus

1: Motion in 2D and 3D 1

Position, velocity and acceleration as vectors; simple vector calculus. 

Accelerated motion in 2D (canon ball and circular motion)

2: Motion in 2D and 3D 2

Description of motion using polar coordinates

Reference frames, relative velocity, change of frame.

3: Newton's Laws

Newton I, II and III; application to circular motion.

4: Friction

Static and Dynamic Friction (also, motion in a vertical circle).

5: Work and Energy

Work energy theorem, centre of mass, reduced mass.

7: Potential Energy

Forms of potential energy and their application.

8: Momentum and Collisions

Momentum and its conservation.

Elastic and inelastic collisions.

9: Rotation of Rigid Bodies 1

Rigid body rotation

The vector product

Moments of inertia and their calculation

Torque and Newton II

10: Rotation of Rigid Bodies 2

Rolling without slipping

Combining rotation and translation

Angular momentum

Vector form

11: Gravitation

Newton’s Law of Gravitation 

Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion 

Gravitational Potential Energy 

Spherical mass distributions 

Tidal forces 

 

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Other 10%
Written exam 80%
Written assignment (inc essay) 10%

* Other

10% Weekly online 

10% Tutorial Work/attendance 

Feedback methods

Feedback will be offered by tutors on students’ written solutions to weekly examples sheets, and model answers will be issued.

Online quizzes will also be incorporated into the weekly learning material to give students instant feedback on their understanding and ability to apply their knowledge and skills. 

Recommended reading

Compulsory Text book

Young, H.D. & Freedman, R.A. University Physics (Addison-Wesley)

 

Recommended texts

Forshaw, J.R. & Smith, A.G. Dynamics & Relativity (Wiley)

French, A.P. Newtonian Mechanics (Norton)

Halliday, D., Resnick, R. & Walker, J. Fundamentals of Physics (Wiley)

Kleppner, D. & Kolenkow, R. An Introduction to Mechanics (McGraw-Hill)

Tipler, P.A., Physics for Scientists and Engineers (W.H. Freeman and company)

 

Supplementary maths text

Tinker, M. & Lambourne, R. Further Mathematics for the Physical Sciences (Wiley)

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Assessment written exam 1.5
Lectures 11
Practical classes & workshops 11
Tutorials 6
Independent study hours
Independent study 70.5

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Niels Walet Unit coordinator
Timothy O'Brien Unit coordinator

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