Some fundamental Definitions:
Space: It is a geometric region occupied by bodies whose positions are described by linear and angular measurements relative to coordinate system.
Time: It is a measure of the succession of events and is a basic quantity in dynamics.
Mass: It is a measure of the inertia of a body, which is its resistance to a change of velocity.
Force : Force is the action of one body on another. A force tends to move the body in the direction of its action. The action of a force is characterized by its magnitude, by the direction of its action and by its points of application.
| Fundamentals of Engineering Mechanics | |
Mechanics is one of the oldest sciences. Earliest recorded writings in mechanics are those of Archimedes (287-212 B.C.) on the principle of lever and the principle of buoyancy. First investigation of a dynamic problem is credited to Galelio (1564-1642) for his experiments with falling stones. Year in which Galileo died Newton was born. Newton (1642-1727) is famous for his three laws of motion. On his name, a portion of classical mechanics is called Newtonian Mechanics. Alternate formulation for mechanics problems was provided by Lagrange (1736-1813) and Hamilton (1805-1865). Their formulation is based on the concept of energy. Classical mechanics fails when a body approaches the speed of light or when body size approaches a size comparable with those of atoms. Relativistic and Quantum Mechanics are used for those situations. In the present course, however, we limit our discussion to classical mechanics. |
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