8.01 Physics I: Classical Mechanics, Fall 1999 (Complete Lectures by Walter Lewin)

8.01 is a first-semester freshman physics class in Newtonian Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics, and Kinetic Gas Theory. Created by MIT OpenCourseWare.


Average Course Length

35 hours


Skill Level

Intermediate



Pick a lesson


1: Introduction
2: Powers of 10, Units, Dimensions, Uncertainties, Scaling Arguments
3: 1D Kinematics - Speed, Velocity, Acceleration
4: Vectors - Dot Products - Cross Products - 3D Kinematics
5: 3D Kinematics, Free Falling Reference Frames
6: Circular Motion, Centrifugal Forces, Perceived Gravity
7: Newton's Laws
8: Weight, Weightlessness in Free Fall, Weight in Orbit
9: Friction
10: First Exam Review
11: Hooke's Law, Springs, Pendulums, Simple Harmonic Motion
12: Work, Kinetic & Potential Energy, Gravitation, Conservative Forces
13: Air Drag, Resistive Forces, Conservative Forces, Terminal Velocity
14: Potential Energy, Derive Simple Harmonic Motion using Energy
15: Escape Velocities, Circular Orbits, Bound and Unbound Orbits, Power
16: Momentum, Conservation of Momentum, Center of Mass
17: Elastic & Inelastic Collisions, Center of Mass Frame of Reference
18: Impulse, Rockets
19: 2nd Exam Review
20: Rotating Objects, Moment of Inertia, Rotational KE, Neutron Stars
21: Angular Momentum, Torques, Conservation of Angular Momentum
22: Torques, Oscillating Bodies, Physical Pendulums
23: Kepler's Laws, Elliptical Orbits, Satellites, Orbital Changes
24: Doppler Effect, Binary Stars, Neutron Stars & Black Holes
25: Rolling Motion, Gyroscopes, VERY NON-INTUITIVE
26: Static Equilibrium, Stability, Rope Warker
27: Elasticity, Young's Modulus
28: Fluid Mechanics, Hydrostatics, Pascal's Principle, Atmosph. Pressure
29: Hydrostatics, Archimedes' Principle, Bernoulli's Equation
30: Third Exam Review
31: Simple Harmonic Motion, Energy Considerations, Torsional Pendulum
32: Forced Oscillations, Normal Modes, Resonances, Musical Instruments
33: Heat, Thermal Expansion
34: Kinetic Gas Theory, Ideal Gas Law, Phase Transitions
35: The Wonderful Quantum World, Breakdown of Classical Mechanics
36: Farewell Special, My Early Days in Astrophysics, Huge Balloons