An Introduction to Mechanics

by Daniel Kleppner, Robert Kolenkow

Overview

For 40 years, Kleppner and Kolenkow's classic text has introduced students to the principles of mechanics. Now brought up to date, this revised and improved second edition is ideal for classical mechanics courses for first- and second-year undergraduates with foundation skills in mathematics. The book retains all the features of the first edition, including numerous worked examples, challenging problems and extensive illustrations, and has been restructured to improve the flow of ideas. It now features new examples taken from recent developments, such as laser slowing of atoms, exoplanets and black holes; a 'Hints, Clues and Answers' section for the end-of-chapter problems to support student learning; and a solutions manual for instructors at www.cambridge.org/kandk.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781107459960
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	11/18/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	25 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Daniel Kleppner is Lester Wolfe Professor of Physics Emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For his contributions to teaching he has been awarded the Oersted Medal by the American Association of Physics Teachers and the Lilienfeld Prize of the American Physical Society. He has also received the Wolf Prize in Physics and the National Medal of Science.
Robert Kolenkow was Associate Professor of Physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Renowned for his skills as a teacher, Kolenkow was awarded the Everett Moore Baker Award for Outstanding Teaching.

Table of Contents

1. Vectors and kinematics; 2. Newton's laws; 3. Forces and equations of motion; 4. Momentum; 5. Work and energy; 6. Small oscillations, stability, and collisions; 7. Angular momentum and fixed axis rotation; 8. Rigid body motion; 9. Noninertial systems and fictitious forces; 10. Central force motion; 11. The harmonic oscillator; 12. The special theory of relativity; 13. Relativistic dynamics; 14. Spacetime physics; Index.

Editorial Reviews

Endorsement:
"Kleppner and Kolenkow's An Introduction to Dynamics is a classic textbook as useful today as when it was first published in 1973. It covers classical mechanics and energy through planetary orbits and oscillators as well as special relativity helping well-prepared freshmen to develop the conceptual understanding and mathematical confidence to tackle the analytical dynamics and quantum mechanics that is to come. Of particular note is the treatment of the difficult subject of rigid body dynamics. The worked examples and problems thoughtfully confront and resolve many of the confusions that students typically encounter."
Roger Blandford, Stanford University

Endorsement:
"… the 'gold standard' for a mechanics text at this level and should be on the bookshelf of every serious student, alongside other classic books like Jackson's "Classical Electrodynamics" and Goldstein's "Classical Mechanics". I am glad to see it is to be re-issued by Cambridge at a more sensible price. This addresses the only negative feature of the book."
David Hanna, McGill University

Endorsement:
"Kleppner and Kolenkow is a great textbook for advanced freshmen studying classical mechanics. It does a wonderful job of developing conceptual, mathematical intuition. The text, the examples, and the problems are all engaging and provide students with a strong foundation to become master problem-solvers. It is particularly good for developing an intuition for multivariable calculus in the context of classical mechanics."
Kathryn Moler, Stanford University

Endorsement:
"An Introduction to Mechanics by Kleppner and Kolenkow is a great book. It is original and beautifully written and is really the only choice for a serious introduction to mechanics for well prepared physics majors. I very much enjoy the book every time I teach freshman mechanics."
Bruce Winstein, University of Chicago

From the Publisher