Mechanics - Extending the Wiki - Calvin Lin

$\color{#D61F06} { \text{Updated Nov 11!} }$

I have updated the Mechanics Map. Please check it out, and contribute to the Wiki so that others can learn from you.

I decided against adding Thermodynamics or Fluid Mechanics for now, and we will reconsider again as we add more skills in Physics.

Thanks for your suggestions for the Algebra and Geometry Map. I encourage you to check it out, and contribute to the Wiki where you can.

I am now extending out the Mechanics Map, to (initially) cover the high school syllabus. We can easily add additional skills, if you voice out what you want. Please take a look at Upcoming Skill Maps - Mechanics Extension for the (most updated) proposed extension.

I have the following questions. Please reply to the appropriate comment, to make it easy for me to track.

1) Are there any subtopics that I missed out? What else do you want to see?

2) The Physics skills are very different from the math skills, as they tend to be more descriptive / explaining what the skill is about, as opposed to just stating the skill. Which version do people prefer?

3) What skills do you want to see in the Thermodynamics Chapter?

4) Any other comments?

Note: To keep the discussion on topic, I will be removing irrelevant comments.

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print "hello world"

Math

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Remember to wrap math in $ ... $ or \[ ... \] to ensure proper formatting.

2 \times 3

2 \times 3

2^{34}

2^{34}

a_{i-1}

a_{i-1}

\frac{2}{3}

\frac{2}{3}

\sqrt{2}

\sqrt{2}

\sum_{i=1}^3

\sum_{i=1}^3

\sin \theta

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\boxed{123}

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Markdown	Appears as
`italics` or `_italics_`	italics
`bold` or `__bold__`	bold
- bulleted - list	bulleted list
1. numbered 2. list	numbered list
Note: you must add a full line of space before and after lists for them to show up correctly
paragraph 1 paragraph 2	paragraph 1 paragraph 2
`[example link](https://brilliant.org)`	example link
`> This is a quote`	This is a quote
# I indented these lines # 4 spaces, and now they show # up as a code block. print "hello world"	# I indented these lines # 4 spaces, and now they show # up as a code block. print "hello world"

Math	Appears as
Remember to wrap math in `$` ... `$` or `\[` ... `\]` to ensure proper formatting.
`2 \times 3`	$2 \times 3$
`2^{34}`	$2^{34}$
`a_{i-1}`	$a_{i-1}$
`\frac{2}{3}`	$\frac{2}{3}$
`\sqrt{2}`	$\sqrt{2}$
`\sum_{i=1}^3`	$\sum_{i=1}^3$
`\sin \theta`	$\sin \theta$
`\boxed{123}`	$\boxed{123}$

Comments

Calvin Lin Staff - 6 years, 7 months ago

I would say that much of the conceptual understanding in Physics comes from precise and concise statements. So the second version is what I would go for.

B.S.Bharath Sai Guhan - 6 years, 7 months ago

I think you can just sate the skill. Nouns are more important in Physics than in Mathematics. There are standard name of concepts (e.g. Forces, Friction, Pascal's Law, Gravitation, etc.). You can use those and alike.

Soumo Mukherjee - 6 years, 7 months ago

Some classics like Halliday-Resnick (and Krane) and HCV divide Physics as below

(A)Mechanics

(B)Waves(Including wave optics)

(C)Optics

(D)Heat and Thermodynamics

(E)Electric and Magnetic Phenomena

(F)Modern Physics

Mechanics can be subdivided as below. Also, Concepts are better grasped in such division and order(I almost studied Physics in 11th & 12th on my own and that order helped a lot).Even many problem books follow such a pattern.

(1)Kinematics

(2)Forces

(3)Newton's Laws of Motion

(4)Friction

(5)Circular Motion

(6)Work Energy

(7)Center of Mass,Linear Momentum, Collision

(8)Rotational Mechanics

(9)Gravitation

(10)Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM)

(11)Fluid Mechanics

(12)Mechanical properties of Matter

Some topics that I find missing (only for Mechanics)

1) Kinematics: You have included Angular Kinematics (Circular motion).You may add Linear Kinematics including Motion in 1 dimension (in a straight line and freely falling body) and Motion in two dimension (in plane and Projectile motion).Also,Change of Frames (Relative Motion.)

2) Newton's Laws of Motion and its application, Pseudo Forces, Recognizing system... ,etc.

3) Friction: Direction of friction, Laws of friction.

4) Circular Motion: Relation between linear and angular parameter, Tangential and Radial Acceleration, Uniform and non-uniform circular motion, Dynamics of circular motion, Circular turnings, Centrifugal Forces.

5) Work & Energy: Calculation of work done, Work-Energy theorem.Potential energy (Gravitational and Spring). Conservation of energy.

6) Center of Mass: Motion of center of mass, Linear momentum and its Conservation principle, Collision(Elastic and Inelastic) in one as well as two dimensions, Impulse and Impulsive Force, Equilibrium.

7) Rotational: Equilibrium, Theorems on Moment of Inertia (Parallel and Perpendicular Axis Theorem).

8) Gravitation: Gravitational Potential Energy, Gravitational Potential and Field (Calculation and application and relation between them), Variation in the value of g, Escape Velocity.

9) SHM: SHM as projection of circular motion, Angular SHM, Physical Pendulum, Torsional Pendulum, Compositon of two SHM.

10) Fluid Mechanics:Pressure in fluid, Pascal's Law, Archimedes Principle, Pressure difference and Bouyant Force in Accelerating Fluids, Equation of Continuity, Bernoulli's Equation.

Vectors and Calculus are very basic to Physics. We have a Calculus section, can we have a Vector section?

Thanks for your thorough feedback.

We will look into extending the other topics of Physics. For now, we feel that it is better to focus on Mechanics and E&M which are more popular / cover a wider range of topics. When the community gets more mature, we will add optics, thermodynamics, modern physics, etc.

The topics which you feel are missing, like Dynamics, Kinematrics, Newton's Laws, Friction, are already available in the Mechanics map. Other topics like Circular motion, Center of Mass, Wave oscillations, Rotational Motion, Gratitational motion, SHM, have been included in the Mechanics Extension. I did not get as far as Fluid Dynamics as yet, but we intend to put that in too.

There is a Vectors section in Geometry. I have yet to decide what the Mechanics-Vectors section should look like. There will be slight overlap between the two.

@Calvin Lin – Yes, I agree with you, students need to spend more time on Mechanics and Electromagnetism. In most examinations more Question are asked from those two.

Oh! I may have overlooked some topics at 'Mechanics Extension', never mind. I just wanted to surface some of the sub-topics.

Vectors In Mechanics(Physics) $\subset$ Vectors in Geometry(Mathematics). That is what makes physics a bit tricky. Acceleration has it's own identity, own characteristic. Problem Maker and Examiners use such implicit or latent characteristics to make problems tricky. Yes, it may overlap a bit. But, that is a + point, students either way learn from both sections. We learn more. Vectors are new, we need more practice on them. Having two section even with a bit overlap may come out to be a boon.

Good luck @Calvin Lin :)

You could probably add concepts related to Liquids and fluids also like buoyant force, viscous force etc.

Ishan Singh - 6 years, 7 months ago

@Calvin Lin : Do you plan to add Special and General Relativity?

Agnishom Chattopadhyay - 6 years, 6 months ago

I want to suggest you to Please add Optics as an different Topic since it is very interesting Topic .. (If Possible)

Deepanshu Gupta - 6 years, 7 months ago

Do we sort of limit mechanics in Brilliant to 1st and 2nd year undergraduate material? The next level would be relativistic and quantum physics, as well as statistical mechanics (which tie into classical thermodynamics). And what about Hamiltonian and Lagrangian mechanics? And Optics, or will that be under EM?

The problem is that the higher up you go in physics, the further removed it becomes from practical problems with numerical answers, and the more abstract it becomes. Where does one draw the line for Brilliant? I think the line is somewhere early during a 4-year undergraduate study of physics. It'd be great to include a topic like the connection between symmetry and conservation laws, but maybe that should be handled with a Wiki note.

Michael Mendrin - 6 years, 7 months ago

As far as possible, I would not like to limit the material. Even though numerical answers become less relevant, and MCQ options can only test so much, I believe that there is a lot to be gained through a discussion of advanced topics, where the solution is more explanatory / exposition / proof-based. We will likely see a higher concentration of Wiki/Notes in these topics.

We are currently building the Physics section "from the ground up", as opposed to directly jumping into the more advanced topics. Having said that, I certainly welcome wiki notes in any area of Physics.

Optics will (eventually) become its own topic.

nuclear physics can be added along with radioactivity and other stuff!!

A Former Brilliant Member - 6 years, 7 months ago

Calculation of thermodynamic potentials from each other.

Snehal Shekatkar - 6 years, 7 months ago

I feel the kinetic theory of gases should be added to this topic...

Beakal Tiliksew - 6 years, 7 months ago

That would fall under statistical mechanics.

I think mechanics portion of the upcoming skill maps is fairly complete with all that is needed,, and it has become more advanced and wider as compared to the present really easy skills,, So it will be fun,,, But the thermodynamics portion seems too defficient,, theres so much more that can be added i feel,, such as--

1) The black body concept , (many people do not properly understand it i think) 2) Stefans law, Weins displacement law 3) The oscillations of air baloons and the concepts of lapse rate for temperature (questions related to these are interesting and often come in physics olympiads, eg- INPHO) etc,

In the end, i would also like to suggest to make thermodynamics an independent topic,, it is so much more interesting,, and not really a subset of mechanics

Mvs Saketh - 6 years, 7 months ago

Rightly said by @Mvs Saketh . Thermodynamics is a much promising and expanding area of engineering and science...It ought to be a topic in itself.

Nishant Sharma - 6 years, 7 months ago

Thanks, this is helpful.

I did not have time to build out the Thermodynamics part, and I felt it was better to start getting feedback on the other sections. I will take your suggestions into consideration when I flesh out Thermodynamics even more.

Also Add ICR or IAOR ( Instantaneous Axis/Centre of rotation ) In subtopic Rotational Motion Since It is very useful Technique while solving Rotational Motion Problem !!

@josh silverman @Mardokay Mosazghi @Mvs Saketh @Michael Mendrin @Ronak Agarwal @Steven Zheng @jatin yadav @Beakal Tiliksew @MilunModge

Feedback on the Mechanics Wiki would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Please can you tell me how to find a mechanics wiki or a list of wikis related to mechanics.

Ronak Agarwal - 6 years, 7 months ago

See the Mechanics map.

@Calvin Lin – Sir u should add the stuff lapse rate and oscillation of ballon in air , it seems to be quite for people ( especialy me ) while solving inpho papers . Thanks sir !!!

Rudraksh Sisodia - 5 years, 4 months ago

@Rudraksh Sisodia – You can contribute wikis directly.

Calvin Lin Staff - 5 years, 4 months ago

@Calvin Lin – sir as i want to write the wiki on geometrical and optical isomerism of chemistry ,,, so how can i approach it ??

@Rudraksh Sisodia – I'm not sure what you mean by "how can i approach it". Can you elaborate?

Math	Appears as
Remember to wrap math in `\(` ... `\)` or `\[` ... `\]` to ensure proper formatting.
`2 \times 3`	$2 \times 3$
`2^{34}`	$2^{34}$
`a_{i-1}`	$a_{i-1}$
`\frac{2}{3}`	$\frac{2}{3}$
`\sqrt{2}`	$\sqrt{2}$
`\sum_{i=1}^3`	$\sum_{i=1}^3$
`\sin \theta`	$\sin \theta$
`\boxed{123}`	$\boxed{123}$