Physics: Mechanics

Classical mechanics guides covering kinematics and Newton’s laws, work and energy, momentum and collisions, rotational motion, thermodynamics, oscillations, and wave mechanics.

Articles in this section

Kinematics Guide: Motion Descriptions and Equations Explore kinematics — displacement, velocity, acceleration, equations of motion, graphical analysis, and real-world … 8 min Newton's Laws of Motion: Forces and Dynamics Foundation Examine Newton's three laws of motion, their mathematical formulation, real-world applications, and their role as the … 8 min Work, Energy, and Power: Principles and Applications Explore the concepts of work, kinetic and potential energy, the work-energy theorem, conservation of mechanical energy, … 7 min Momentum and Collisions: Impulse, Conservation, and Applications Examine linear momentum, impulse, conservation of momentum, elastic and inelastic collisions, and center of mass … 8 min Rotational Motion: Angular Kinematics and Dynamics Explore rotational motion — angular displacement, velocity, acceleration, torque, moment of inertia, angular momentum, … 7 min Gravitation Guide: Universal Gravity and Orbital Mechanics Examine Newton's law of universal gravitation, gravitational fields, orbital mechanics, escape velocity, tidal forces, … 8 min Thermodynamics in Physics: Heat, Work, and Entropy Explore thermodynamics — temperature, heat transfer, the laws of thermodynamics, entropy, thermodynamic processes, and … 8 min Oscillations and Simple Harmonic Motion: Principles and Applications Examine simple harmonic motion, spring-mass systems, pendulums, damped and driven oscillations, resonance, and the … 7 min Wave Mechanics: Propagation, Interference, and Phenomena Explore wave mechanics — traveling and standing waves, superposition, interference, diffraction, the Doppler effect, and … 7 min Fluid Mechanics: Statics, Dynamics, and Applications Examine fluid mechanics — density, pressure, buoyancy, Pascal's principle, Bernoulli's equation, viscosity, turbulence, … 7 min Elasticity Mechanics: Stress, Strain, and Material Deformation Explore elasticity — stress and strain, Hooke's law, Young's modulus, shear and bulk moduli, elastic deformation, and … 7 min Lagrangian Mechanics: Analytical Dynamics and Variational Principles Examine Lagrangian mechanics — the principle of least action, generalized coordinates, Euler-Lagrange equations, … 7 min Center of Mass Dynamics: Systems of Particles and Motion Explore center of mass — definition, calculation, motion under external forces, internal interactions, and applications … 8 min Conservation Laws in Physics: Energy, Momentum, and Symmetry Examine conservation laws — conservation of energy, linear momentum, angular momentum, the connection to symmetries via … 8 min Force Analysis Guide: Free-Body Diagrams and Equilibrium Explore force analysis — free-body diagrams, vector addition, equilibrium conditions, Newton's laws application, … 8 min Projectile Motion: Trajectories, Range, and Ballistic Analysis Examine projectile motion — parabolic trajectories, initial velocity components, range, maximum height, air resistance … 8 min Circular Motion: Centripetal Force, Angular Velocity, and Applications Examine circular motion — centripetal acceleration and force, angular velocity, period, frequency, banked curves, … 7 min Friction Guide: Types, Coefficients, and Applications Explore friction — static and kinetic friction, coefficients, rolling friction, the angle of repose, lubrication, and … 8 min