Classical Mechanics

I. Introduction

Mechanics is the branch of physics that describes how objects move and how forces make that motion change.

II. Outline

1. Measurement + Modeling
   • Units, vectors vs scalars, significant figures
   • Coordinate systems, components, free-body diagrams
   • Modeling assumptions
2. 1D Motion (Kinematics)
   • Position, velocity, acceleration
   • Constant-acceleration equations
   • $x(t)$, $v(t)$, $a(t)$ and what slopes/areas mean
3. 2D / 3D Kinematics
   • Projectile Motion properties
     • X-Y components, time-of-flight, range, max height
   • Relative motion, circular motion basics
   • Intro vectors: dot product/work, cross product/torque
4. Newton’s Laws (Dynamics)
   • Forces and net force, inertia, mass vs weight
   • Common forces
     • Gravity, normal, tension, friction, spring force
   • Solving systems with FBDs
   • Drag/terminal velocity
5. Work, Energy, and Power
   • Work as energy transfer, work–kinetic energy theorem
   • Potential energy (gravitational, spring)
   • Conservative vs nonconservative forces
   • Conservation of energy, power and efficiency
6. Momentum, Impulse, and Collisions
   • Linear momentum, impulse–momentum theorem
   • Conservation of momentum in systems
   • Elastic vs inelastic collisions, center of mass ideas
7. Rotational Mechanics
   • Angular kinematics: $\theta$, $\omega$, $\alpha$
   • Torque, rotational inertia, $\sum \tau = I\alpha$
   • Rotational energy, rolling without slipping
   • Angular momentum and conservation
8. Gravitation and Orbits
   • Newton’s law of gravitation
   • Circular orbits, escape speed, energy in orbital motion
9. Oscillations and Simple Harmonic Motion
   • Mass–spring systems, small-angle pendulums
   • Frequency, period, energy in SHM
   • Damping and resonance
10. Statics and Fluids
    • Static equilibrium: $\sum \vec F = 0$, $\sum \tau = 0$
    • Pressure, buoyancy, basic fluid flow

III. Free Resources

• Intro to Mechanics, Statics, and Dynamics
  • Intro to Mechanics for Engineers pdf
• LightAndMatter.com - Mechanics
  • Internet Archive pdf
  • Physics Practice Problems pdf
• Computational Physics
• OpenStax
  • OpenStax — University Physics Volume 1
  • OpenStax — Physics (algebra-based option)

IV. Video Series

• GeeklyHub - Mechanics Physics 1
• MIT OCW (YouTube) — 8.01SC playlist
• Flipping Physics — AP Physics 1 (Mechanics topics)
• Khan Academy — AP/College Physics 1 (Mechanics)

V. See Also

Trigonometry, Calculus I, Calculus III, Linear Algebra, Statics, Dynamics, University Physics