Keith R. Symon
Addison Wesley; edition 3 | 1971-01-11 | ISBN-10: 0201073927 | ISBN-13: 9780201073928 | English | PDF | 639 pages | 6.7 Mb
From the Preface This text is intended as the basis for an intermediate course in mechanics at the undergraduate level. Such a course, as essential preparation for advanced work in physics, has several major objectives. It must develop in the student a thorough understanding of the fundamental principles of mechanics. It should treat in detail certain specific problems of primary importance in physics, for example, the harmonic oscillator and the motion of a particle under a central force. The prob- lems suggested and those worked out in the text have been chosen with regard to their interest and importance in physics, as well as to their instructive value. The choice of topics and their treatment throughout the book are intended to emphasize the modern point of view. Applications to atomic physics are made wherever possible, with an indication as to the extent of the validity of the results of classical mechanics. The inadequacies in classical mechanics are carefully pointed out, and the points of departure for quantum mechanics and for the theory of relativity are indicated. The last two chapters then develop special relativistic mechanics. The development, except for the last six chapters, proceeds directly from Newton\'s laws of motion, which form a suitable basis from which to attack most mechanical problems. More adVanced methods, using Lagrange\'s equations and tensor algebra, are introduced in Chapters 8 to 12. An important objective of a first course in mechanics is to train the student to think about physical phenomena in mathematical terms. Most students have a fairly good intuitive feeling for mechanical phenomena in a qualitative way. The study of mechanics should aim at developing an almost equally intuitive feeling for the precise mathematical formulation of physical problenls and for the physical interpretation of the mathematical solutions. The examples treated in the text have been worked out so as to integrate, as far as possible, the mathematical treatment with the physical interpretation. After working an assigned problem, the student should study it until he is sure he understands the physical interpreta- tion of every feature of the mathematical treatment. He should decide whether the result agrees with his physical intuition about the problem. If not, then either his solution or his intuition should be appropriately corrected. If the answer is fairly complicated, he should try to see whether it can be simplified in certain special or limiting cases. He should try to formulate and solve similar problems on his own...
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