Introduction to Classical Mechanics

A university textbook by John S. Nkoma and Pushpendra K. Jain covering kinematics, Newtonian mechanics, and Lagrangian mechanics across ten chapters. Mechanics is the science of motion and equilibrium, and its concepts of vectors, forces, work, energy, the conservation laws, gravitation, and oscillation cut across most branches of physics and underpin engineering and technology. Most undergraduate science programmes therefore make basic mechanics a mandatory first-year course, and the book is designed to meet that need. After an introductory chapter, kinematics is treated in chapter two and Newton’s laws in chapter three. Conservation of linear momentum, work and energy, circular motion, gravitation, planetary motion, and oscillations follow. Chapter nine covers rigid body dynamics, and chapter ten introduces Lagrangian mechanics as a foundation for advanced courses.