ABSTRACT
A number of the fundamental laws of continuum mechanics are expressions of the conservation of some physical quantity. These balance laws, as they are often called, are applicable to all material continua and result in equations that must always be satisfied. In this introductory text, we consider only the conservation laws dealing with mass, linear and angular momentum, and energy. With respect to energy, we shall first develop a purely mechanical energy balance and follow that by an energy balance that includes both mechanical and thermal energies, that is, a statement of the first law of thermodynamics. In addition to that, the Clausius-Duhem form of the second law of thermodynamics is covered.
