Civil Engineering Association

An Introduction to Mechanics ( 2010 Ed. )

In the years since it was first published in 1973 by McGraw-Hill, this classic introductory textbook has established itself as one of the best-known and most highly regarded descriptions of Newtonian mechanics. Intended for undergraduate students with foundation skills in mathematics and a deep interest in physics, it systematically lays out the principles of mechanics: vectors, Newton's laws, momentum, energy, rotational motion, angular momentum and noninertial systems, and includes chapters on central force motion, the harmonic oscillator, and relativity. Numerous worked examples demonstrate how the principles can be applied to a wide range of physical situations, and more than 600 figures illustrate methods for approaching physical problems. The book also contains over 200 challenging problems to help the student develop a strong understanding of the subject. Password-protected solutions are available for instructors at www.cambridge.org/9780521198219 List of examples -- Vectors and kinematics: a few mathematical preliminaries -- Newton's laws: the foundations of Newtonian mechanics -- Momentum -- Work and energy -- Some mathematical aspects of force and energy -- Angular momentum and fixed axis rotation -- Rigid body motion and the conservation of angular momentum -- Noninertial systems and fictitious forces -- Central force motion -- The harmonic oscillator -- The special theory of relativity -- Relativistic kinematics -- Relativistic momentum and energy -- Four-vectors and relativistic invariance