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Elementary Classical Physics

v2.0.0 / TOC / 01 apr 02 / greg goebel / public domain

* This document is a short introduction to basic concepts and definitions in classical physics. It assumes no mathematics beyond elementary algebra and geometry. Elementary electricity is not discussed in detail, as that will eventually be the subject of a separate document.

[1.0] Newton's Three Laws Of Motion

• [1.1] COORDINATE SYSTEMS, DISPLACEMENT, VELOCITY, & ACCELERATION
  
• [1.2] GALILEAN RELATIVITY / NEWTON'S THREE LAWS OF MOTION
  
• [1.3] THE FIRST & SECOND LAW / WORK & ENERGY
  
• [1.4] THE THIRD LAW / MOMENTUM IN ACTION
  
• [1.5] ELEMENTARY MECHANICS AND MACHINES / DRAG & FRICTION
  
• [1.6] A BROADER VIEW: FORCES AND FIELDS
  
• [1.7] FOOTNOTE: EXPONENTIAL NOTATION & METRIC PREFIXES
  

[2.0] Rotational Motion

• [2.1] ROTATIONAL MOTION / ANGULAR VELOCITY
  
• [2.2] FUNDAMENTAL QUANTITIES / CENTER OF MASS
  
• [2.3] TORQUE, MOMENT OF INERTIA, & THE SECOND LAW OF MOTION
  
• [2.4] MOMENT OF INERTIA IN DETAIL
  
• [2.5] THIRD LAW OF MOTION / WORK & ENERGY
  
• [2.6] CENTRIPEDAL & CENTRIFUGAL FORCE
  
• [2.7] CONSERVATION OF ANGULAR MOMENTUM
  

[3.0] Gravity & Orbital Mechanics

• [3.1] ELEMENTARY ORBITAL MECHANICS
  
• [3.2] SATELLITE ORBITS
  
• [3.3] INTERPLANETARY SPACECRAFT TRANSFER ORBITS
  
• [3.4] GRAVITY ASSIST TRAJECTORIES
  
• [3.5] GRAVITY AND PLANETS / TIDES
  
• [3.6] GRAVITY IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM / LIBRATION POINTS / STELLAR MASSES
  
• [3.7] LIBRATION POINTS, HALO ORBITS, & MANIFOLDS
  
• [3.8] FOOTNOTE: LARRY NIVEN'S INTEGRAL TREES
  

[4.0] Matter & Atoms

• [4.1] MATTER & ATOMS
  
• [4.2] GROSS PROPERTIES OF SOLIDS
  
• [4.3] STRENGTH OF MATERIALS
  
• [4.4] DESIGN OF STRUCTURES
  
• [4.5] LIQUIDS (1): BUOYANCY
  
• [4.6] LIQUIDS (2): FLUID PRESSURE / SURFACE TENSION
  
• [4.7] GASES / REYNOLDS NUMBER
  

[5.0] Thermal Physics

• [5.1] HEAT / TEMPERATURE SCALES / HEAT ENERGY
  
• [5.2] HEAT & MATTER
  
• [5.3] HEAT TRANSFER
  
• [5.4] THE LAWS OF THERMODYNAMICS
  
• [5.5] HEAT ENGINES & THE SECOND LAW
  
• [5.6] PRACTICAL ENGINES
  
• [5.7] REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS
  
• [5.8] MAXWELL'S DEMON & THE SECOND LAW
  

[6.0] Waves & Sound

• [6.1] WAVE MOTION / STANDING WAVES
  
• [6.2] ACOUSTICS & MUSICAL SOUND / SONAR
  
• [6.3] REFLECTION, REFRACTION, & DIFFRACTION / STANDING WAVES
  
• [6.4] THE DOPPLER SHIFT
  
• [6.5] WAVE INTERFERENCE
  
• [6.6] MECHANICAL RESONANCE
  

[7.0] Light & Optics

• [7.1] THE DISCOVERY OF LIGHT / ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
  
• [7.2] THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM
  
• [7.3] LIGHT EMISSION
  
• [7.4] LIGHT POLARIZATION
  
• [7.5] LIGHT AND MATTER
  
• [7.6] THE EYE AND COLOR
  
• [7.7] INTRODUCTION TO OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY
  
• [7.8] LIGHT & A NEW PHYSICS
  

[8.0] Conversion Factors / Comments & Sources

• [8.1] CONVERSION FACTORS
  
• [8.2] COMMENTS, SOURCES, & REVISION HISTORY