Mechanics (including force, mass, and acceleration)

A knowledge of classical (Newtonian) mechanics is fundamental to understanding anaesthetic equipment and the world around us. This article introduces essential concepts and illustrates them with practical examples. Topics include: Newton's Laws of Motion; instantaneous and average quantities; the relationships between distance, speed, displacement, velocity and acceleration; gravity, mass and weight; inertia and momentum; energy and power; and translational and rotational motion.