Talk:Classical mechanics

I started this too late and when tired so it's got a lot of work to do! Also didn't start at the start...

My plan is roughly

Newtonian Mechanics

Motion (Introducing velocity, acceleration etc.)

Newton's Laws of motion (introducing force and mass also applications)

Work,Kinetic Energy,Potential Energy and Conservation

Momentum, Impulse and Collisions

Rotation of rigid bodies and dynamics of rotational motion

Equlibrium and elasticity

Gravitation

Periodic motion

Fluid Mechanics

I see this page leading people to a lot of other pages which will have the more modern and in depth stuff. At university this was the introductory stuff in first year leading on to everything else in quantum mechanics. --Alex MacDonald 17:54, 11 August 2007 (CDT)

I'd add classical electrodynamics (Maxwell's equations) - they are a part of classical mechanics. Anthony Argyriou 14:01, 14 August 2007 (CDT)

Wouldn't this be better as individual articles or are you just intending a general overview? There are a huge number of concepts to be covered in a single article and it will be extremely long. I disagree that classical EM should be included: this is really a separate subject to classical mechanics and there are already easily enough topics in the list above to make this a very long article. Roger Moore 16:51, 11 November 2007 (CST)

Newton and Calculus BE CAREFUL!!!

The "invention" of calculus by Newton is a hotly debated subject. We must be very careful not to make this assertion, although it does seem to be the view widely held by Physicists.

In my calculus Book however, the authors state in the introduction to the book that calculus was "created independently" by Newton and Gottfried Leibnitz.

It is probably safe to assert that Newton was "the first to facilitate wide practical use of calculus with his Principia work", but I'm pretty sure there has even been debate of his authorship over sections of that work as well. It's a really touchy subject for a lot of folks, and I know that a big part of the idea of Citizendium is the propogation of accurate information.

Sorry to be a pain here, but I was once chastised by an instructor for asserting in class that Newton invented calculus...and perhaps rightly so.--David Yamakuchi 12:21, 1 January 2008 (CST)