Physics I is an introduction to Classical Mechanics. The noun “mechanics” here refers to the motion of objects: we will study how the motion of an object can be understood and predicted in terms of the forces that are acting on the object. The adjective “classical,” in this context, means that we will restrict our study to speeds that are slow compared to the speed of light, so we will not have to take into account the effects of relativity. It also means that we will restrict our study to objects which are generally large, compared to atoms or molecules, so that we will not need to consider the effects of quantum theory. Fortunately, almost any situation we are likely to meet in everyday life satisfies these restrictions, so the results of classical mechanics have a wide variety of applications in science and engineering.
This course has been designed for independent study. It includes all of the materials you will need to understand the concepts covered in this subject. The materials in this course include:
The content has been organized for linear progression through each of the Course Modules, starting with Introduction to Mechanics and concluding with Central Force Motion. It is a self-study course that you can work through at your own pace.
Dr. Peter Dourmashkin
Prof. Walter Lewin
Prof. Thomas Greytak
Craig Watkins
Andy Neely
Dr. Sahana Murthy
Prof. David Litster
Matthew Strafuss