This unified approach to the study of wear in mechanical systems concentrates on the methods of physical analysis and the applications of these techniques. This is then illustrated by a discussion of specific tribosystems. The first part of the book provides a thorough introduction to physical analysis that prepares the reader to understand subsequent discussion of applications. Although the description of systems is not exhaustive, the treatment and the theory is universal and will therefore be relevant to individual case studies. Tribologists from a wide variety of disciplines as well as researchers in physics, chemistry, metallurgy and mechanical engineering will benefit from this text.