Classical Mechanics

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 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 seasons, eclipses, etc. At the present time, even though superseded on the very small scale by quantum theory and on the very large scale by the theory of relativity, the mechanics of Newton is perfectly adequate for treating a wide spectrum of problems from the • '"etic theory of gases to the motion of space vehicles. Furthermore, the science of mechanics is regarded by many as the epitome of a good scientific theory and for this reason is studied by philosophers and social scientists alike as an exemplar of the 'scientific method'. We shall commence in Chapter 1 with a brief historical outline of the development of mechanics, mentioning the names and dates of the main participants and summarizing their contributions. Preface vii Chapter 1 Newton's laws 1. 1 Historical introduction Primitive ideas about mechanics were exemplified by the state­ ments of Aristotle (384-322 Be), who asserted that a force was necessary to maintain motion. Furthermore, he believed that there were different laws for heavenly and earthly bodies.

Many problems in classical mechanics can now be readily solved using computers. This text integrates Maple, a general-purpose symbolic computation program, into the traditional sophomore- or junior-level mechanics course. Intended primarily as a supplement to a standard text, it discusses all the topics usually covered in the course and shows how to solve problems using Maple and how to display solutions graphically to gain further insight. The text is self-contained and can also be used for self-study or as the primary text in a mechanics course.

Hundreds of novel and innovative computer algebra "recipes" will enable readers starting at the second year undergraduate level to easily and rapidly solve and explore most problems they encounter in their classical mechanics studies. Using the powerful computer algebra system MAPLE (Release 8) - no prior knowledge of MAPLE is presumed - the relevant command structures are explained on a need-to-know basis as the recipes are developed. This new problem-solving guide can serve in the classroom or for self-study, for reference, or as a text for an on-line course.

“The human body is a machine whose movements are directed by the soul,” wrote René Descartes in the early seventeenth century. The intr- sic mechanisms of this machine gradually became clear through the hard work of Renaissance scientists. Leonardo da Vinci is one such scientist from this period of enlightenment. In pursuit of knowledge, Leonardo dissected the bodies of more than 30 men and women. He sawed the bones lengthwise, to see their internal structure; he sawed the skull, cut through the vertebrae, and showed the spinal cord. In the process, he took extensive notes and made carefully detailed sketches. His drawings d- ferentiated muscles that run across several joints from those muscles that act on a single joint. “Nature has made all the muscles appertaining to the motion of the toes attached to the bone of the leg and not to that of the thigh,” wrote Leonardo in 1504 next to one of his sketches of the lower extremity, “because when the knee joint is flexed, if attached to the bone of the thigh, these muscles would be bound under the knee joint and would not be able to serve the toes. The same occurs in the hand owing to the flexion of the elbow. ” Another Renaissance scholar who made fundamental contributions to the physiology of movement is Giovanni Alfonso Borelli. Born in 1604 in Naples, Borelli was a well-respected mathematician.

This introduction to classical mechanics and thermodynamics provides an accessible and clear treatment of the fundamentals. Starting with particle mechanics and an early introduction to special relativity this textbooks enables the reader to understand the basics in mechanics. The text is written from the experimental physics point of view, giving numerous real life examples and applications of classical mechanics in technology.