Material Detail

In Introduction to particle and continuum mechanics, we study the classical physics of both collections of particles and continuous media. Taking Newton’s laws of motion as our axioms, we develop the theory of motion without the need for prior knowledge, with a particular focus on the laws of conservation of energy, momentum, and angular momentum. The relevant mathematics is provided in an appendix. The text contains various worked examples and a large number of original problems to help the reader develop an intuition for the physics.

In the first part, the focus is on particle physics, with applications to rockets, billiards, fictitious forces, spinning tennis rackets and the solar system. Next to Newtonian mechanics, we also study the Lagrangian formalism, which is particularly useful for systems with constraints, and generalizes to both quantum and relativistic systems. In the second part, we move to continuum systems, studying solid deformations, fluid flows, and the laws of thermodynamics, which give rise, among others, to heat engines, waves, and encounters with viscoelastic materials, with properties in between those of ordinary fluids or solids.

This will delete the comment from the database. This operation is not reversible. Are you sure you want to do it?

Thank you for reporting a broken "Go to Material" link in MERLOT to help us maintain a collection of valuable learning materials.

If you feel this material is inappropriate for the MERLOT Collection, please click SEND REPORT, and the MERLOT Team will investigate. Thank you!

You are being taken to the material on another site. This will open a new window.

Do not show me this again