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Full-Text Articles in Physics

Mechani-Kits Senior Design Project, Jake Utley, Sophie Carson, Vincent Seguin Jun 2020

Mechani-Kits Senior Design Project, Jake Utley, Sophie Carson, Vincent Seguin

Mechanical Engineering

Studies suggest that when designed and executed well, hands-on activities can enhance student understanding of key mechanics concepts. Current products are expensive and typically not designed to meet a variety of learning objectives. Through the Mechanics of Inclusion and Inclusivity in Mechanics grant, the Cal Poly Physics and Engineering Departments are seeking to incorporate new hands-on activities into their courses. Our team has designed three inexpensive ”MechaniKits” to be used in physics, statics and dynamics courses [1]. This Final Design Review outlines our findings, objectives, and final designs for this project. It also explains our manufacturing and design verification plans. …


Understanding Noether’S Theorem By Visualizing The Lagrangian, Seth Moser Apr 2020

Understanding Noether’S Theorem By Visualizing The Lagrangian, Seth Moser

Physics Capstone Projects

By approaching Lagrangian mechanics from a graphical perspective the implications of Noether’s Theorem can be made easier to understand. Plotting the Lagrangian for classical single particle systems for one coordinate onto a position-velocity phase space along with the corresponding equations of motion can demonstrate how a system is invariant under continuous transforms in that coordinate. This invariance can be shown to be associated with a quantity in the system that’s conserved via Noether’s Theorem. The relationship between the symmetry of the system and conserved quantities can then be extended to fields. Invariance in this case is extended to include invariance …