Fundamentals of Applied Dynamics (Advanced Texts in Physics)

A translation of the highly acclaimed text by Roberto Tenenbaum (originally published in Portuguese). Tenenbaum's book covers the full range of topics included in a complete basic course designed for undergraduate students in engineering. Requiring no more than a basic course in calculus, the text employs an intuitive approach, from the point of view of Newtonian mechanics, that avoids the complications of Hamiltonian and Lagrangian formalism. The balance between analysis and practical examples also avoids the tendency of other engineering- oriented texts to assume an antipathy towards abstract thinking among engineers. The analytical approach, presented in a simple but rigorous way, gives the required tools for modeling novel practical situations.