Problems And Solutions In Introductory Mechanics

This textbook aims to provide a clear and concise set of lectures that take one from the introduction and application of Newton's laws up to Hamilton's principle of stationary action and the lagrangian mechanics of continuous systems. An extensive set of accessible problems enhances and extends the coverage.It serves as a prequel to the author's recently published book entitled Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism based on an introductory course taught sometime ago at Stanford with over 400 students enrolled. Both lectures assume a good, concurrent, course in calculus and familiarity with basic concepts in physics; the development is otherwise self-contained.A good introduction to the subject allows one to approach the many more intermediate and advanced texts with better understanding and a deeper sense of appreciation that both students and teachers alike can share.

This problem book is ideal for high-school and college students in search of practice problems with detailed solutions. All of the standard introductory topics in mechanics are covered: kinematics, Newton's laws, energy, momentum, angular momentum, oscillations, gravity, and fictitious forces. The introduction to each chapter provides an overview of the relevant concepts. Students can then warm up with a series of multiple-choice questions before diving into the free-response problems which constitute the bulk of the book. The first few problems in each chapter are derivations of key results/theorems that are useful when solving other problems. While the book is calculus-based, it can also easily be used in algebra-based courses. The problems that require calculus (only a sixth of the total number) are listed in an appendix, allowing students to steer clear of those if they wish. Additional details: (1) Features 150 multiple-choice questions and nearly 250 free-response problems, all with detailed solutions. (2) Includes 350 figures to help students visualize important concepts. (3) Builds on solutions by frequently including extensions/variations and additional remarks. (4) Begins with a chapter devoted to problem-solving strategies in physics. (5) A valuable supplement to the assigned textbook in any introductory mechanics course.

simulated motion on a computer screen, and to study the effects of changing parameters. --

This book will strengthen a student's grasp of the laws of physics by applying them to practical situations, and problems that yield more easily to intuitive insight than brute-force methods and complex mathematics. These intriguing problems, chosen almost exclusively from classical (non-quantum) physics, are posed in accessible non-technical language requiring the student to select the right framework in which to analyse the situation and decide which branches of physics are involved. The level of sophistication needed to tackle most of the two hundred problems is that of the exceptional school student, the good undergraduate, or competent graduate student. The book will be valuable to undergraduates preparing for 'general physics' papers. It is hoped that even some physics professors will find the more difficult questions challenging. By contrast, mathematical demands are minimal, and do not go beyond elementary calculus. This intriguing book of physics problems should prove instructive, challenging and fun.

"It contains more than 250 problems with detailed solutions so students can easily check their understanding of the topic. There are also over 350 unworked exercises, which are ideal for homework assignments. The vast number of problems alone makes it an ideal supplementary book for all levels of undergraduate physics courses in classical mechanics. The text also includes many additional remarks which discuss issues that are often glossed over in other textbooks, and it is thoroughly illustrated with more than 600 figures to help demonstrate key concepts."--Jacket.

This textbook covers all the standard introductory topics in classical mechanics, including Newton's laws, oscillations, energy, momentum, angular momentum, planetary motion, and special relativity. It also explores more advanced topics, such as normal modes, the Lagrangian method, gyroscopic motion, fictitious forces, 4-vectors, and general relativity. It contains more than 250 problems with detailed solutions so students can easily check their understanding of the topic. There are also over 350 unworked exercises which are ideal for homework assignments. Password protected solutions are available to instructors at www.cambridge.org/9780521876223. The vast number of problems alone makes it an ideal supplementary text for all levels of undergraduate physics courses in classical mechanics. Remarks are scattered throughout the text, discussing issues that are often glossed over in other textbooks, and it is thoroughly illustrated with more than 600 figures to help demonstrate key concepts.

Newtonian mechanics : dynamics of a point mass (1001-1108) - Dynamics of a system of point masses (1109-1144) - Dynamics of rigid bodies (1145-1223) - Dynamics of deformable bodies (1224-1272) - Analytical mechanics : Lagrange's equations (2001-2027) - Small oscillations (2028-2067) - Hamilton's canonical equations (2068-2084) - Special relativity (3001-3054).

This book is written for high school and college students learning about special relativity for the first time. It will appeal to the reader who has a healthy level of enthusiasm for understanding how and why the various results of special relativity come about. All of the standard introductory topics in special relativity are covered: historical motivation, loss of simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, velocity addition, Lorentz transformations, Minkowski diagrams, causality, Doppler effect, energy/momentum, collisions/decays, force, and 4-vectors. Additionally, the last chapter provides a brief introduction to the basic ideas of general relativity, including the equivalence principle, gravitational time dilation, and accelerating reference frames. The book features more than 100 worked-out problems in the form of examples in the text and solved problems at the end of each chapter. These problems, along with the discussions in the text, will be a valuable resource in any course on special relativity. The numerous examples also make this book ideal for self-study. Very little physics background is assumed (essentially none in the first half of the book). An intriguing aspect of special relativity is that it is challenging due to its inherent strangeness, as opposed to a heavy set of physics prerequisites. Likewise for the math prerequisite: calculus is used on a few occasions, but it is not essential to the overall flow of the book.

A classic textbook on the principles of Newtonian mechanics for undergraduate students, accompanied by numerous worked examples and problems.