One could make the claim that all branches of physics are basically generalizations of classical mechanics. It is also often the first course which is taught to physics students. The approach of this book is to construct an intermediate discipline between general courses of physics and analytical mechanics, using more sophisticated mathematical tools. The aim of this book is to prepare a self-consistent and compact text that is very useful for teachers as well as for independent study.
One could make the claim that all branches of physics are basically generalizations of classical mechanics. It is also often the first course which is taught to physics students. The approach of this book is to construct an intermediate discipline between general courses of physics and analytical mechanics, using more sophisticated mathematical tools. The aim of this book is to prepare a self-consistent and compact text that is very useful for teachers as well as for independent study.
A beloved introductory physics textbook, now including exercises and an answer key, explains the concepts essential for thorough scientific understanding In this concise book, R. Shankar, a well-known physicist and contagiously enthusiastic educator, explains the essential concepts of Newtonian mechanics, special relativity, waves, fluids, thermodynamics, and statistical mechanics. Now in an expanded edition—complete with problem sets and answers for course use or self-study—this work provides an ideal introduction for college-level students of physics, chemistry, and engineering; for AP Physics students; and for general readers interested in advances in the sciences. The book begins at the simplest level, develops the basics, and reinforces fundamentals, ensuring a solid foundation in the principles and methods of physics.
This exceptionally well-organized book uses solved problems and exercises to help readers understand the underlying concepts of classical mechanics; accordingly, many of the exercises included are of a conceptual rather than practical nature. A minimum of necessary background theory is presented, before readers are asked to solve the theoretical exercises. In this way, readers are effectively invited to discover concepts on their own. While more practical exercises are also included, they are always designed to introduce readers to something conceptually new. Special emphasis is placed on important but often-neglected concepts such as symmetries and invariance, especially when introducing vector analysis in Cartesian and curvilinear coordinates. More difficult concepts, including non-inertial reference frames, rigid body motion, variable mass systems, basic tensorial algebra, and calculus, are covered in detail. The equations of motion in non-inertial reference systems are derived in two independent ways, and alternative deductions of the equations of motion for variable mass problems are presented. Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of mechanics are studied for non-relativistic cases, and further concepts such as inertial reference frames and the equivalence principle are introduced and elaborated on.
This textbook provides lecture materials of a comprehensive course in Classical Mechanics developed by the author over many years with input from students and colleagues alike. The richly illustrated book covers all major aspects of mechanics starting from the traditional Newtonian perspective, over Lagrangian mechanics, variational principles and Hamiltonian mechanics, rigid-body, and continuum mechanics, all the way to deterministic chaos and point-particle mechanics in special relativity. Derivation steps are worked out in detail, illustrated by examples, with ample explanations.Developed by a classroom practitioner, the book provides a comprehensive overview of classical mechanics with judicious material selections that can be covered in a one-semester course thus streamlining the instructor's task of choosing materials for their course. The usefulness for instructors notwithstanding, the primary aim of the book is to help students in their understanding, with detailed derivations and explanations, and provide focused guidance for their studies by repeatedly emphasizing how various topics are tied together by common physics principles.
“Newton’s Gravity” conveys the power of simple mathematics to tell the fundamental truth about nature. Many people, for example, know the tides are caused by the pull of the Moon and to a lesser extent the Sun. But very few can explain exactly how and why that happens. Fewer still can calculate the actual pulls of the Moon and Sun on the oceans. This book shows in clear detail how to do this with simple tools. It uniquely crosses disciplines – history, astronomy, physics and mathematics – and takes pains to explain things frequently passed over or taken for granted in other books. Using a problem-based approach, “Newton’s Gravity” explores the surprisingly basic mathematics behind gravity, the most fundamental force that governs the movements of satellites, planets, and the stars. Author Douglas W. MacDougal uses actual problems from the history of astronomy, as well as original examples, to deepen understanding of how discoveries were made and what they mean. “Newton’s Gravity” concentrates strongly on the development of the science of orbital motion, beginning with Galileo, Kepler, and Newton, each of whom is prominently represented. Quotes and problems from Galileo’s Dialogs Concerning Two New Sciences and particularly Newton’s Principia help the reader get inside the mind of those thinkers and see the problems as they saw them, and experience their concise and typically eloquent writing. This book enables students and curious minds to explore the mysteries of celestial motion without having to know advanced mathematics. It will whet the reader’s curiosity to explore further and provide him or her the tools (mathematical or physical) to do so.
This book provides a rapid overview of the basic methods and concepts in mechanics for beginning Ph.D. students and advanced undergraduates in applied mathematics or related fields. It is based on a graduate course given in 2006-07 at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. Among other topics, the book introduces Newton's law, action principles, Hamilton-Jacobi theory, geometric wave theory, analytical and numerical statistical mechanics, discrete and continuous quantum mechanics, and quantum path-integral methods. The focus is on fundamental mathematical methods that provide connections between seemingly unrelated subjects. An example is Hamilton-Jacobi theory, which appears in the calculus of variations, in Fermat's principle of classical mechanics, and in the geometric theory of dispersive wavetrains. The material is developed in a sequence of simple examples and the book can be used in a one-semester class on classical, statistical, and quantum mechanics. Some familiarity with differential equations is required but otherwise the book is self-contained. In particular, no previous knowledge of physics is assumed. Titles in this series are co-published with the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University.
This textbook provides an introduction to classical mechanics at a level intermediate between the typical undergraduate and advanced graduate level. This text describes the background and tools for use in the fields of modern physics, such as quantum mechanics, astrophysics, particle physics, and relativity. Students who have had basic undergraduate classical mechanics or who have a good understanding of the mathematical methods of physics will benefit from this book.
This book is for students who are familiar with an introductory course in mechanics at the freshman level. With an emphasis on perspectives that are more fundamental and techniques more advanced than those given in most introductory mechanics textbooks, the book illuminates on notions where vectors are coordinate free, presents the importance of reference frames (inertial and non-inertial) to mechanics problems, the role of Galilean Relativity on invariance and covariance of physical quantities, a framework to perform calculations — free from the constraint of a fixed axis — in rotational dynamics, and others. Moreover, it provides clear links between concepts in mechanics and other branches of physics, such as thermodynamics and electrodynamics, so that students can possess a more complete view of what they learn within the confines of physics.
This upper-level undergraduate and beginning graduate textbook primarily covers the theory and application of Newtonian and Lagrangian, but also of Hamiltonian mechanics. In addition, included are elements of continuum mechanics and the accompanying classical field theory, wherein four-vector notation is introduced without explicit reference to special relativity. The author's writing style attempts to ease students through the primary and secondary results, thus building a solid foundation for understanding applications. Numerous examples illustrate the material and often present alternative approaches to the final results.
