Newtonian Mechanics for Undergraduates

Newtonian mechanics is a cornerstone topic in physics. Regardless of the path an aspiring physicist takes, an intimate and intuitive understanding of how objects behave within Newton's law of motion is essential.

Yet the transition from high school physics to university level physics can be — and should be — difficult. The aim of this book is to teach Newtonian mechanics suitable for the first two years of university study. Using carefully chosen and detailed examples to expose areas of frequent misunderstanding, the first two thirds of the book introduces material familiar to high school students from the ground up, with a more mature point of view. The final third of the book contains new material, introducing detailed sections on the rotation of rigid objects and providing an insight into subtleties that can be troubling to the first-time learner. Tabletop physics demonstrations are suggested to assist in understanding the worked examples.

As a teacher and lecturer of physics with experience at both high school and university level, Professor Vijay Tymms offers a lucid and sensitive presentation of Newtonian mechanics to help make the step from high school to university as smooth as possible.

Contents:

• Overview
• Introductory Concepts
• 1D Motion
• Newton's First and Second Laws of Motion
• Types of Force and Free Body Diagrams
• Newton's Third Law of Motion
• Linear Momentum
• Work, Energy and Power
• Potential Energy
• Collisions and Rockets
• Motion on a Curved Path
• Simple Harmonic Motion
• Gravitation
• Rotational Analogues
• Equilibrium and Balance
• Unbalanced Objects
• Rolling and Sliding
• Angular Momentum
• Angular Momentum, Gyroscopes, and Precession

Readership: Undergraduate physics students, high school students looking to study physics or applied physics at university level, high school physics teachers and first year undergraduate physics lecturers.
Key Features:

• Focuses on Newtonian mechanics taught at undergraduate level
• Features dedicated sections on toppling, rolling and sliding that are more detailed than most mechanics textbooks