Classical Mechanics

( General Denitions )
Alejandro A. Torassa
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License (2011) Buenos Aires, Argentina atorassa@gmail.com

Denitions for a single particle A m = mA r = rA v = vA a = aA Work

r2

W=
r1

1 m a dr W = 2 m v 2

Impulse
t2

I =
t1

m a dt I = m v

Conservation of Energy E = 1 m v2 2
r2 r1

m a dr E = 0 E = const

Conservation of Momentum M = mv
t2 t1

m a dt M = 0 M = const

Principle of Least Action

t2

t1

1 2

m v 2 dt +

t2 t1

m a r dt = 0

Denitions for a single biparticle AB m = mA mB r = rA rB v = vA vB a = aA aB Work

r2

W=
r1

1 m a dr W = 2 m v 2

Impulse
t2

I =
t1

m a dt I = m v

Conservation of Energy E = 1 m v2 2
r2 r1

m a dr E = 0 E = const

Conservation of Momentum M = mv
t2 t1

m a dt M = 0 M = const

Principle of Least Action

t2

t1

1 2

m v 2 dt +

t2 t1

m a r dt = 0

Denitions for a single particle A ( vector u ) m = mA u = or (rA ) or (vA ) or (aA ) or u = du /dt u = d 2 u /dt 2 Work
u2

W=
u1

1 m u du W = 2 m u 2

Impulse
t2

I =
t1

m u dt I = m u

Conservation of Energy E = 1 m u2 2
u2 u1

m u du E = 0 E = const

Conservation of Momentum M = mu
t2 t1

m u dt M = 0 M = const

Principle of Least Action

t2

t1

1 2

m u 2 dt +

t2 t1

m u u dt = 0

Denitions for a single biparticle AB ( vector u ) m = mA mB u = or (rA rB ) or (vA vB ) or (aA aB ) or u = du /dt u = d 2 u /dt 2 Work
u2

W=
u1

1 m u du W = 2 m u 2

Impulse
t2

I =
t1

m u dt I = m u

Conservation of Energy E = 1 m u2 2
u2 u1

m u du E = 0 E = const

Conservation of Momentum M = mu
t2 t1

m u dt M = 0 M = const

Principle of Least Action

t2

t1

1 2

m u 2 dt +

t2 t1

m u u dt = 0

Appendix
If we consider a single particle of mass m then aa = 0 mama = 0 (m a m a) r = 0
t2 1 2

(1) (2) (3) (4)

t1

m v 2 dt +

t2 t1

m a r dt = 0

d dt

1 2 m v2 qk

1 2 m v2 r = ma qk qk

(5)

Equation (3) is the DAlemberts Principle. Equation (4) is the Hamiltons Principle. Equations (5) are the Euler-Lagrange Equations.

DAlemberts Principle
In equation (3) if a = F/m then (F m a) r = 0 6

Hamiltons Principle
In equation (4) if a = F/m then
t2

t1

1 2

m v 2 dt +

t2 t1

F r dt = 0

1 If V = F r and since T = 2 m v 2 then t2

t1 t2

(T V ) dt = 0

Since L = T V then
t1

L dt = 0

Euler-Lagrange Equations
In equations (5) if a = F/m and Qk = F r/ qk then d dt
1 2 m v2 qk

1 2 m v2 = Qk qk

1 If V / qk = Qk and V / qk = 0 and since T = 2 m v 2 then

d dt

(T V ) (T V ) =0 qk qk

Since L = T V then L d L =0 dt qk qk 7

Appendix II
k = or (mA ) or k = or (mA mB ) or u = or (rA ) or (vA ) or (aA ) or u = or (rA rB ) or (vA vB ) or (aA aB ) or u = du /dt u = d 2 u /dt 2

Conservation of Scalar U
1 U = 2 k u2 u2 u1

k u du / (k)

U = 0 U = const

Conservation of Vector U
U = k u U = 0 U = const 8
t2

k u dt / (k)
t1