Classical Mechanics Lecture - Fundamental Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards covering core terms, definitions, principles, and Newton's laws from Classical Mechanics.

Classical Mechanics

A branch of physics that mathematically describes the motions of bodies and aggregates of bodies, providing a precise and consistent description of the dynamics of particles and systems of particles.

Kinematics

The study of the motion of material bodies without regard to the forces that cause their motion, providing a geometrical description of possible motions.

Rigid Body

A collection of particles linked by a light rigid framework.

Absolute Space

A fixed, three-dimensional, Euclidean, unchanging stage in which physical events occur, remaining always similar and immovable without regard to anything external.

Absolute Time

Time that is universal, independent, and flows equably of itself and from its own nature without relation to anything external.

Reference Frame

A choice of spatial origin and axes used to measure time and physical events.

Inertial Frame

A special frame of reference in which the basic laws of physics hold true in their standard, simple form.

Accelerating Frame

A frame of reference in which the basic laws of physics do not hold in their standard form.

Inertial Mass

An object's resistance to being accelerated or to undergoing a change in motion.

Gravitational Mass

A measure of the pull of gravity on an object.

Mass

The quantity of matter in a body regardless of its volume or any forces acting on it; it remains constant at any place and time.

Weight

A measurement of the gravitational force acting on an object, calculated as mass times the acceleration of gravity ($W = mg$).

Force

A vector quantity that causes changes in motion or tends to change the motion of an object, representing mutual interaction between two objects.

Law of Inertia (Newton's First Law)

The principle stating that in the absence of forces, a particle moves with constant velocity $\vec{v}$.

Law of Acceleration (Newton's Second Law)

The principle stating that for any particle of mass $m$, the net force $\vec{F}$ on the particle equals mass times its acceleration $\vec{a}$ ($\vec{F}_{net} = m\vec{a}$ or $\vec{F} = \dot{\vec{p}}$).

Law of Action-Reaction (Newton's Third Law)

The principle stating that if object 1 exerts a force $\vec{F}_{21}$ on object 2, then object 2 exerts an equal and opposite reaction force $\vec{F}_{12}$ on object 1 ($\vec{F}_{12} = -\vec{F}_{21}$).

Principle of Conservation of Momentum

The law stating that if the net external force $\vec{F}_{ext}$ on an $N$-particle system is zero, the total momentum $p_t = \sum m_{\alpha} v_{\alpha}$ of the system is constant.