Mechanics
Mechanics is a branch of physics which looks at objects that are moved by forces (including other bodies, or forces of nature). A person working in this discipline is known as a mechanician.
Mechanics started in ancient Greece where Aristotle studied how things moved when they were thrown through the air. Since then Galileo, Kepler and Newton figured out a lot more about mechanics.
Significance
Mechanics started out as the study of parts of the world that are big enough for humans to see them. Mechanics studies the movement of all Matter in the universe. It studies gravity, strong and weak interactions, and Electromagnetism.
Different Types of classical mechanics
- Kinematics, the study of motion
- Astrodynamics, spacecraft navigation, orbital eccentricity, etc.
- Celestial mechanics, motions of planets and other astronomical objects
- Solid mechanics, elasticity, the properties of (semi-)rigid bodies
- Acoustics, sound in solids, fluids, etc.
- Hydraulics, fluids in equilibrium
- Applied / Engineering mechanics
- Statistical mechanics, large assemblies of particles
- Relativistic or Einsteinian mechanics, universal gravitation
Newton
Newton proposed three laws of motion.
- An object will stay at a constant speed unless a force acts on it.
- F= Ma: the overall force acting on an object is the mass of the object times the object's acceleration.
- For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction.
Quantum mechanics
The following are categorized as being part of Quantum mechanics:
- Particle physics, the motion, structure, and reactions of particles
- Nuclear physics, the motion, structure, and reactions of nuclei
- Condensed matter physics, quantum gases, solids, liquids, etc.
- Quantum statistical mechanics, large assemblies of particles