There is good reason for the tradition that students of science and engineering start college physics with the study of mechanics: mechanics is the cornerstone of pure and applied science. The concept of energy, for example, is essential for the study of the evolution of the universe, the properties of elementary particles, and the mechanisms of biochemical reactions. The concept of energy is also essential to the design of a cardiac pacemaker and to the analysis of the limits of growth of industrial society. However, there are difficulties in presenting an introductory course in mechanics which is both exciting and intellectually rewarding. Mechanics is a mature science and a satisfying discussion of its principles is easily lost in a superficial treatment. At the other extreme, attempts to “enrich” the subject by emphasizing advanced topics can produce a false sophistication which emphasizes technique rather than understanding.

This text was developed from a first-year course which we taught for a number of years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and, earlier, at Harvard University. We have tried to present mechanics in an engaging form which offers a strong base for future work in pure and applied science. Our approach departs from tradition more in depth and style than in the choice of topics; nevertheless, it reflects a view of mechanics held by twentieth-century physicists.