Tag Archives: classical mechanics

So, what is a vector?

In my first year of undergraduate physics, one of my professors walked into the lecture hall, placed his notes on the desk, looked around the room, and asked a question that, at first, seemed almost too easy. “What is a … Continue reading

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Deriving the Euler–Lagrange Equation for Particles, Fields, and Curved Spacetime

A good way to understand the laws of motion is not to memorize a separate equation for each situation, but to notice there is really only one trick, and every equation of motion is what falls out when you apply … Continue reading

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So what are tensors, really?

I want to start with a confession. When I first heard the word “tensor,” I assumed it was one of those words that exists to make physicists sound clever. Something you learn in graduate school, surrounded by people who already … Continue reading

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Aristotle on Motion

Aristotle divided motion into two classes: natural motion and violent motion. These ideas are not really part of modern physics anymore, but they are important because they were among the first serious attempts to explain motion logically rather than through … Continue reading

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