We explain what mechanics is in physics and the interests on which he focuses his studies. Also, how this discipline is classified.
What is Mechanics?
In physics, it is known as mechanics. study and analysis of the movement and rest of bodies as well as its temporal evolution under the action of one or more forces. Its name comes from Latin mechanicswhich means “the art of building machines.”
The dynamics of physical systems are also of interest to mechanics such as electromagnetic fields or particle systems, even though they cannot properly be considered bodies.
Just like the rest of physics, this discipline borrows its formal language from mathematics to express its contents and, at the same time, lays the foundations for most of the knowledge of classical engineering.
See also: Energy in physics
How is mechanics classified?
The mechanics are subdivided into four large blocks of content:
- Classic mechanics Also known as “Newtonian mechanics” (it is based on the studies of Isaac Newton), it deals with macroscopic bodies that move at speeds small compared to the speed of light (300,000 km/s).
- Relativistic mechanics Its name comes from the famous Theory of Relativity formulated by Albert Einstein, whose studies revolutionized the field of physics. Special Relativity, formulated in 1905, describes the behavior of bodies that move with speeds close to that of light. In 1915 Einstein proposed a new explanation of gravity with what is known as “general relativity”, which studies bodies with masses on the order of planetary masses (or greater) or with very high densities, and is based on the principle of that the dimensions of time and space (which in classical mechanics are considered fixed and universal) depend on the movement of the observer and are therefore relative.
- Quantum mechanics This branch of physics deals with phenomena involving atoms and fundamental particles (for example, electrons). This theory is capable of explaining all the fundamental interactions of matter, with the exception of the gravitational force. Within quantum mechanics there is the relativistic quantum mechanics which studies the behavior of subatomic particles that move at speeds close to the speed of light.
- Quantum field theory This branch of mechanics is the most recent (first half of the 20th century) and its approach attempts to apply the principles of quantum mechanics by treating particles as continuous fields. This theory is very useful, for example, when studying the electromagnetic field and is capable of incorporating the principles of special relativity.
