Mechanics and Theory of Relativity

by A.N. Matveev

PrefaceThisisthefirstvolume(secondRussianedition)ofacourseongeneralphysics(thesecond,thirdandfourthvolumeswerepublishedin1985(MolecularPhysics),1986(ElectricityandMagnetism)and1988(Optics)respectively;thefifthvolume(AtomicPhysics)isunderpreparation).Thetaskofacourseonphysicscanbesummedupasfollows.Firstly,itshouldcontainthebasicprinciplesandlawsofphysicsandtheirmathematicalformulation,introducethebasicphysicalphenomena,methodsoftheirinvestigationandexperimentalstudies,aproperformofexpressionforphysicalideas,aquantitativeformulationandsolutionofphysicalproblems,estimatesoftheorderofphysicalquantities,andaclearideaaboutthelimitsofapplicabilityofphysicalmodelsandtheories.Secondly,itshouldinculcateinthestudiesaskillinexperimentalwork,indicatethemainmethodsofexactmeasurementofphysicalquantitiesandsimplewaysofana-lyzingtheexperimentalresultsandbasicphysicalinstruments.Thirdly,itshouldprovideaninsightintothephilosophicalandmethodologicalproblemsofmodernphysicsanddescribethevariousstagesofevolution-dfscience.Finally,itshouldpointoutthetrueroleofphysicsinthescientificandtechnicalprogressandarousethestudent'scuriosity,interestandabilitytosolvescientific,engineeringandotherappliedproblems.Theseproblemscanbesolvedonlythroughapropercombinationofexperimentalandtheoreticalinstruction.Ex-perimentalskillisacquiredinlaboratorieswiththehelpofappropriatepracticalguidesforlaboratorywork.Thisbookprovidesthetheoreticalbackground.Ofcourse,italsocon-tainsadescriptionandanalysisofphysicalphenomena,measurementofphysicalquantities,experimentalmethodsofinvestigation,andotheralliedproblems,butonlyfromthepointofviewoftheoreticalunderstanding.Thecurriculumofphysicseducationincollegesatpresentaimsatstrengtheningthebasiclevelofknowledge.Physicsisaleadingdisciplineamongfundamentalsciences.Hencethisbookcontainsadetailedmaterialonthemeasurementanddeterminationofphysicalquantities,theroleofabstractions,andthemethodsofphysicalinvestigation.Kinematicsistreatednotasamathematicaltheory,butfromaphysical6Prefacepointofview.Thisallowstheintroductionofrelativisticconceptsofspaceandtime,aswellasLorentztransformations,rightatthebeginningofthebook.Consequently,theconceptsofspaceandtime,motionandmaterialarelinkedinseparablyinkinematics.ThephysicalcontentofNewton'slawsisdescribedindetail,differentmethodsofsubstantiationofmechanicsarereviewedcritically,andtheconnectionbetweentheconservationlawsandsymmetryofspaceandtimeisestablishedinacomprehensibleform.Amodernspecialistshouldnotonlyacquirethebasicskills,butalsolearntoeffectivelyapplytheresultsofphysicalstudiestoacceleratethepaceofscientificprogress.Inthisconnection,wehavealsoconsideredinthisbookproblemslikemotioninnoninertialreferenceframes,inertialnavigationalsystems,gyroscopicphenomena,motionoftheartificialEarth'ssat-ellites,dynamicsofbodiesofvariablemass,motioninelectromagneticfields,relationbetweenmassandenergy.Thesamemethodologicalapproachhasbeenusedinwritingallthevolumesofthiscourse.Eachchaptercontainsaresumeofthebasicideas,andeachsectioncontainsaformulationofthecruxoftheproblemsdiscussedinit.Exampleshavebeenchoseninsuchawaythattheyillustratethemethodsofsolvingthemostimportantproblems.Problemsforinde-pendentwork-outareincludedattheendofeachchapterandanswersarealsoprovided.Briefformulationsofthemostimportantstatementsandformulasareprovidedthroughoutthebook,andquestionsfQrtestingthelevelofunderstandingofthematerialarealsogivenineachsection.Thematerialissupplementedbyalargenumberofdiagrams.Theappendicescontainthenecessarymaterialforreference.TheauthorisgratefultoProf.S.P.Kapitzaandtothestaffofthedepartmentchairedbyhimforacarefulreviewofthemanuscriptandforvaluablecomments.A.N.Matveev

Kindle Edition

Published May 19, 2018