Classical Mechanics /

The study of mechanics plays a central role in physics for a whole variety of reasons. It was one of the earliest of the quantitative sciences, and had immediate practical applications. These ranged from the study of the motion of projectiles in warfare to the motion of the planets, predicting the s...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Cowan, B. P
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands, 1984
Series:Student physics series
Subjects:
Table of Contents:
  • 1 Newton's laws
  • 1.1 Historical introduction
  • 1.2 Kinematics and the use of vectors
  • 1.3 Newton's laws of motion
  • 1.4 Galilean relativity
  • 1.5 The formulation of Mach
  • 2 Energy and momentum
  • 2.1 Conservation laws
  • 2.2 Kinetic energy and work
  • 2.3 Conservative forces
  • 2.4 Momentum and momentum conservation
  • 2.5 Angular momentum
  • 3 Dynamics of a single particle
  • 3.1 One-dimensional motion
  • 3.2 General solution of one-dimensional motion
  • 3.3 Harmonic motion
  • small oscillations
  • 3.4 Central forces
  • 3.5 Qualitative features of motion under a central force
  • 3.6 The Kepler problem
  • 3.7 Kepler's laws
  • 4 Many-particle systems
  • 4.1 Centre of mass
  • 4.2 The two-body problem
  • 4.3 Energy of a many-particle system
  • 4.4 Angular momentum
  • 4.5 Friction and dissipation
  • 4.6 Scattering
  • 4.7 Rutherford scattering
  • 4.8 Rockets and variable-mass systems
  • 5 Rigid bodies and non-inertial frames
  • 5.1 Rigid bodies
  • 5.2 Rotating vectors
  • 5.3 The inertia tensor
  • 5.4 The Euler equations for rigid-body motion
  • 5.5 The symmetrical top
  • 5.6 Stability of rotational motion
  • 5.7 Particle in a rotating frame
  • 6 Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics
  • 6.1 Principle of least action
  • 6.2 Calculus of variations
  • 6.3 Recovery of Newton's laws
  • 6.4 Symmetry and conservation laws
  • 6.5 Hamilton's equations
  • 6.6 Charged particle in an electromagnetic field
  • 6.7 Poisson brackets
  • 6.8 Connections with quantum mechanics
  • Appendix 1 Exercises
  • Appendix 2 Answers to exercises