MODULE 1

CLASSICAL MECHANICS
 INTRODUCTION

 Limitations of classical mechanics:

h
(a) In distances smaller than
4mv
 we must apply principles of quantum mechanics or quantum field theory

(b) Velocities close to the velocity of light

 we must apply relativistic corrections

 Why to study classical mechanics

Range of Applicability : for sizes larger than atoms and smaller than the
solar system, and ordinary velocities, classical mechanics is an excellent
approximation
 Force
A force is a pull or push exerted on a body which changes or attempt
to change, the condition of the rest of a body, or its state of uniform
motion
Balanced and unbalanced forces
When all the forces acting upon an object balance each other,
the object will be at equilibrium; it will not accelerate.

Resultant Force
The Resultant force is the sum of all forces acting on a body at a
specific instant. If the resultant force is zero remains in the state of
constant acceleration
 FRAMES OF REFERENCE
a set of criteria or stated values in relation to
which measurements or judgements can be made
Frames of Reference

Inertial Non-inertial
• Inertial Frame of Reference: The frame of reference
in which Newton’s laws are valid.
E.g: any frame which is at rest or in uniform motion
(one of the most common inertial frame of reference is
earth )
• Non-Inertial Frame of Reference: Any frame which
is accelerated can be termed as non-inertial frame of
reference
NEWTON’S FIRST LAW OF MOTION
A body remains in it’s state of rest
or uniform motion unless acted by
an external force.
 Or


 If the sum of all the force acting

on a particle is zero then and only
then the particle remains
unaccelearated
 i.e. =0 if and only if =0
Newton’s Second Law of Motion
The rate of change of momentum of a
body is proportional to the applied
.
force and takes place in the direction
in which the force act
FREE BODY DIAGRAM
Approach Towards Problem Solving
(a) Identify the system
. (b) Identify the forces

(c) Free body diagram

(d) Choose an axis and write equations

(e) Code the problem
KINEMATICS
 GRAVITATION

The force of gravity is directly

proportional to the mass of
the earth, the mass of the
object and inversely
proportional to the distance
between the object and the
earths centre.
 GRAVITY
G is the force of gravitation which exists between two
bodies of unit mass kept at a unit distance

If they attract
Why they are
not sticking to
each other

Note :The value of G very small and hence

gravitational force is considered to be one of the
weakest force.
 Variation in the Value of g
Acceleration due to gravity is defined
 by
 F
a
m
Force of gravitation for an object at the surface of the earth at a distance h
from the earth surface is given by
 GMm
F  mg
R  h 2


F GM g0
Hence, g  
m R  h 2
 h
2

1  
 2h   R
If h<<R
g  g o 1  
 R

NOTE: g is maximum at the earth surface. The value of g decrease with increasing
in height from the earth surface . The value of g decreases with the increase in
depth
 Weight and Mass

• Mass is the measure of how much material in a

object

• Weight is the gravitational force exerted on that

mass when placed in gravitational field

• Mass will be a constant everywhere, whereas the

weight changes according to the place.
 FRICTION
• When two bodies are in contact with
each other, the particles at the surface
of the two bodies exerts an
electromagnetic force between each
other.

• The force has a normal and horizontal

component

• The normal component is called

normal force or normal contact force

• Friction is the horizontal component of

the contact force
 FRICTION
• Act always surfaces in contact

• Always act tangential on the surface

• Always resist relative motion

• Friction force =-applied force

• Independent of the surface area of the surface at

contact

Types of Friction
 KINEMATIC FRICTION
• When two bodies are in contact and bodies in contact
slip over one another the friction generated is kinematic
friction
STATIC FRICTION
Limiting friction
 WORK AND ENERGY
Energy is the capacity of a physical system to do
work

Work, energy transferred by a force

Or
Force multiplied by displacement of point of the
application of force in the direction of force.
 WORK AND ENERGY

 Work =Force X
displacement
(Nm-Joule)

• UNIT in SI
Work and Energy:
Joule (Nm)=Kgm-
2s-2
DIFFERENT FORMS OF ENERGY

Kinetic Energy Potential Energy

Motion Gravitational
Thermal energy Chemical
Sound Nuclear
Electromagnetic Elastic
Electric -
 KINETIC ENERGY

Kinetic energy is the work done by a force F to

produce movement in an object from its initial
position to the final position
 KINETIC ENERGY

A tangential force is required to make a linear

movement in a body or we need a tangential
component of force to produce kinetic energy
or change in kinetic energy

Change in Kinetic energy =

Work – Energy theorem: Work done on a

particle by the resultant force=the change in
kinetic energy
 POWER

Power: Rate of change of work

 
w   F .d r
d
p w
dt
 
p  F.v
Unit: Watt or Joule/second
 CONSERVATIVE &
NON-CONSERVATIVE FORCE

If the work done by a force depends only on

the initial and final state and not on the path
taken, then it is called a conservative force.
Example of conservative force: Gravity and
coulomb force

Example of non-conservative force : force of

friction
 POTENTIAL ENERGY

the energy possessed by a body by virtue of its

position relative to others, stresses within
itself, electric charge, and other factors.

Potential energy at a constant height

w  mgh
Potential energy due to spring motion, Hooke’s law
1 2
w  kx
2
 LAW OF CONSERVATION OF MECHANICAL
ENERGY
For a system of conservative forces and if there is no
external force acting on the system, work done by the
system to change the potential energy of the body
from its initial position to final position will be
uf  ui   wc  (kf  ki )
Upon rearranging
uf  kf  ki  ui
The total mechanical energy of a system remains
constant if the internal forces are conservative
and external forces do not work
 ROTATIONAL MOTION
Axis of rotation: If each particle in a rigid body moves in a
circle and the centre of the circles lies in a straight line, then
the plane of all the circles traced by the particles are
perpendicular to the straight line. Then the body is said to be
rotating about a line and this line is called the axis of rotation.
E.g. Fan, Gas stove nob etc.

For all the particles exhibit circular motion . The particles near
to the line move less faster as compared to the particles away
from the straight line. Hence all the particles covers one
rotation at the same time
 ROTATIONAL MOTION
 is the Angular position
d
• Angular velocity , 
dt

• SI unit of angular velocity is radian/seconds

• For uniform angular acceleration,   t

 ROTATIONAL MOTION
• If the body is not covering equal angles at
equal intervals of time, then the body is said
to be have a rotational acceleration
d d 2
• Angular acceleration    2
dt dt
• If Angular acceleration is constant
   0  t
1 2
   0  t
2
   0  2
2 2
 ROTATIONAL MOTION
Relation between linear motion and rotation

v  r
a  r
Where, v is the linear velocity and a is the linear acceleration

For Linear acceleration =non-zero force

For Angular acceleration = non-zero torque
 TORQUE
The force responsible to produce angular
momentum is called torque
  rF
Case 1
If F is parallel to AB (axis of rotation )

Then, along the angle of rotation, there wont be any component

of torque due to force F
Case 2

If F and r intersects

rF  0
 TORQUE
The force responsible to produce angular
momentum is called torque
  rF
• Skew lines (Non-Parallel, non- intersecting lines)
B
• F Perpendicular to AB but F and AB won’t intersects
S
  r  F  rF sin   F r sin   O θ P
 F (OS )
  Magnitude of force X common
perpendicular for AB and F
A
F
Skew lines but not perpendicular

 combination of case 1 and case 3

 TORQUE

The total external torque acting on a system can be

defined as the product of angular acceleration and the
momentum of inertia of the system
N
 total  I    M i ri
i 1

OR
 ext
 I