Equations of motion
This chapter turns to the essential aspects of Newtonian dynamics. It argues that this chapter’s representation of an interaction by a vector means that it is limiting itself to phenomena that do not depend on the position or orientation of the reference frame in which they are studied. Since the algebra of the vector space to which the vectors representing the forces belong is linear, this chapter is de facto limiting itself to interactions which satisfy the superposition principle. The chapter also argues that the law of action and reaction, or Newton’s third law, states that the action of a body P2 on another body P1, described by f21, must be equal and opposite to the action f12 of P1 on P2. Finally, it introduces the principle of Galilean relativity and discusses moving frames and internal forces.