Branches
Classical mechanics was traditionally divided into three main branches:
- Statics, the study of equilibrium and its relation to forces
- Dynamics, the study of motion and its relation to forces
- Kinematics, dealing with the implications of observed motions without regard for circumstances causing them
Another division is based on the choice of mathematical formalism:
- Newtonian mechanics
- Lagrangian mechanics
- Hamiltonian mechanics
Alternatively, a division can be made by region of application:
- Celestial mechanics, relating to stars, planets and other celestial bodies
- Continuum mechanics, for materials which are modelled as a continuum, e.g., solids and fluids (i.e., liquids and gases).
- Relativistic mechanics (i.e. including the special and general theories of relativity), for bodies whose speed is close to the speed of light.
- Statistical mechanics, which provides a framework for relating the microscopic properties of individual atoms and molecules to the macroscopic or bulk thermodynamic properties of materials.
Read more about this topic: Classical Mechanics
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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—Denise Levertov (b. 1923)