The Science of Mechanics: A Critical and Historical Account of Its Development

by Ernst Mach, T.J. McCormack (Translator)

An Unabridged Printing Of The Fourth Edition To Include All Illustrations: Chapter 1: THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRINCIPLES OF STATICS - The Principle Of The Lever - The Principle Of The Inclined Plane - The Principle Of The Composition Of Forces - The Principle Of Virtual Velocities - Retrospect Of The Development Of Statics - The Principles Of Statics In Their Application To Fluids - The Principle Of Statics In Their Application To Gaseous Bodies - Chapter 2: THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRINCIPLES OF DYNAMICS - Galileo's Achievements - The Achievements Of Huygens - The Achievements Of Newton - Discussion And Illustration Of The Principle Of Reaction - Criticism Of The Principle Of Reaction And Of The Concept Of Mass - Newton's Views Of Time, Space, And Motion - Synoptical Critique Of The Newtonian Enunciations - Retrospect Of The Development Of Dynamics - Chapter 3: THE EXTENDED APPLICATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF MECHANICS AND THE DEDUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCIENCE - Scope Of The Newtonian Principles - The Formulae And Units Of Mechanics - The Laws Of The Conservation Of Momentum, Of The Conservation Of The Center Of Gravity, And Of The Conservation Of Areas - The Laws Of Impact - D'Alembert's Principle - The Principle Of Vis Viva - The Principle Of Least Constraint - The Principle Of Least Action - Hamilton's Principle - Some Applications Of The Principles Of Mechanics To Hydrostatic And Hydrodynamic Questions - Chapter 4: THE FORMAL DEVELOPMENT OF MECHANICS - The Isoperimetrical problems - theological, animistic, and mystical points of view in mechanics - analytical mechanics - the economy of science - Chapter 5: THE RELATION OF MECHANICS TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF KNOWLEDGE - The Relations Of Mechanics To Physics - The Relations Of Mechanics To Physiology - Appendix - Chronological Table Of A Few Eminent Inquirers And Of Their More Important Mechanical Works - Comprehensive Index

Genres: Science, Physics, History, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Mathematics

628 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1883

About the author

Ernst Mach was an Austrian physicist and philosopher and is the namesake for the "Mach number" (also known as Mach speed) and the optical illusion known as Mach bands.

Reviews

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok physics buffs! This is a hard book, kinda like physics bootcamp. But you'll be better for it--especially the young 'uns. I slugged it out with it under professorial supervision when I was an undergraduate over 30 years ago. Not that I was all that good a physics student, doing well on examinations and churning out reams of completed problem sets. Frankly, that was quite boring and I wonder that anyone could really love physics after several years of such drudgery. Perhaps that is why Americans have shied away from the subject in recent decades? Perhaps it is also the reason those nations whose ancient ancestors' success was determined by difficult imperial examinations are currently dominant in the field now? If Americans ever want to apply their native inventiveness and regain lost ground in physics, this is the book to start with. But find someone to read it with for maximum benefit.

[Andrew Noselli · Rating 3 out of 5]

From my rather shallow and, I admit, not very facile mathematically, understanding of the history of science, as related this treatise of Ernst Mach's which dated from 1905, I understand that time as a unit of experimental measurement was introduced by Galileo, who first postulated the acceleration of bodies and extemporized the laws of motion which were based on his observations. In the next stage, it was Sir Isaac Newton who used time to extrapolate his scientific philosophy, setting down the laws of gravity which were to extend even to the celestial bodies in the heavens. Newton would proceed to lay down the laws of thermodynamics, which stipulated that the motion of gases could not be determined by the classical laws of mechanics but were determined on the basis of their specific heat. Although Mach's book was published the same year as Einstein's "miracle year" of 1905, it would fall to Albert's special theory of relativity, which came out in 1915, in which he would elucidate the relationship between energy, time and mass - a theory which would puzzle scientists and laymen alike for one hundred years - this relationship that was not static as according to mechanical principles, either, but was as fluid and dynamic at the speed of light, insofar as time and light could be said to blur their properties into a shared status where they were no longer separate phenomena that could be perceived by an observer. Three stars.

[Michal Paszkiewicz · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read that exposes how Mach changed his book 'Mechanics'. All of the modifications and additions are interesting and expose a lot of thought added to the project.

The edition of the book isn't particularly nice. I wouldn't have minded the photocopied pages so much if the blurb didn't claim it had no photocopies.

[Ami Iida · Rating 4 out of 5]

it is written about power .