3Forces
IA Dynamics and Relativity
3 Forces
Force is a central concept in Newtonian mechanics. As described by Newton’s
laws of motion, forces are what causes objects to accelerate, according to the
formula
F
=
ma
. To completely specify the dynamics of a system, one only
needs to know what forces act on what bodies.
However, unlike in Star Wars, the force is given a secondary importance in
modern treatments of mechanics. Instead, the potential is what is considered to
be fundamental, with force being a derived concept. In quantum mechanics, we
cannot even meaningfully define forces.
Yet, there are certain systems that must be described with forces instead
of potentials, the most important of which is a system that involves friction of
some sort.