1: Basic Axioms of Classical Mechanics

(Later, cover all classical mechanics with exact special relativity

corrections.)
A particle is an object of insignificant size (and therefore insignificant
shape). The position of a particle is defined at a time t by its position
vector

r (t )

(with respect to orthogonal base vectors

Ox

Oy

Oz

which specify the frame of reference, and whose intersection is the point
d
v
(
t
)

( r ( t ) ) , its momentum by
taken as the origin), its velocity by
dt
p (t ) m ( t ) v ( t ) , and its acceleration by

a (t )

d ( ) d2 ( )
( v t )= 2 (r t ) .
dt
dt

Newtons laws of motion, the fundamental axioms of classical

mechanics, hold only in special frames of reference that are not
themselves accelerating. Such frames are called inertial frames. Though
no naturally-occurring frame of reference can ever be inertial with
mathematical exactness, for many purposes, deviation from the property
of being an inertial frame is negligible in various cases. (How to correct for
the acceleration vector, a ( t ) , of a non-inertial frame, so that the
Newtonian laws can be applied as with inertial frames?)
The velocity of a frame S ' relative to another frame

is

v ' ( S ' ) ( t ) v ( S ' ) ( t )v (S) ( t ) , defining the notion of relative velocity implicitly.
is an inertial frame, then any other frame S ' in uniform motion
(i.e. at constant velocity) relative to S is also an inertial frame (Proof
If

1.1).
t

In general,

r ( S ) ( t )=r ( S ) ( t ) (( v ( S ' ) ( t )v (S) ( t ) ) dt ) , where

t
'

t0

is the time

at which

v' (S' )( t )

first starts to act, relates the position vector of the

particle in reference frame

to that in frame

S ' . (?)

Newtons 2nd Law is the fundamental equation of classical mechanics:

d
F ( t )= ( p ( t ) ) where F ( t ) is the vector sum of forces (the resultant
dt
force) acting on the particle at a given point in time. Solving this, we find

that between any two times

t0

and

t ,

p (t )= p ( t 0 ) + ( F ( t ) ) , which
t
0

means that if we can establish the forces acting on the particle as a

function of time (e.g. by first establishing the forces as a function of
position or other such quantities), and we know the momentum at one
point in time (such as the initial condition), we can find the momentum as
p (t )
a function of time, and further velocity ( v ( t )= m ( t ) ) as a function of time
t

r ( t ) =r ( t 0 ) + ( v ( t ) ) , as a
t

(which could be integrated to yield position,

function of time).
Proof 1.1
Let the velocity of
relative to

be

be

v ( S) ( t )

S'

and of

be

v (S' ) ( t )

and of

S'

v ' (S ' ) ( t ) .

From the definition of relative velocity of reference frames, we know

'
'
'
'
'
'
that v ( S ) ( t ) v ( S ) ( t )v (S) ( t ) , and therefore v ( S ) ( t ) =v ( S ) ( t )+ v (S) ( t ) .
Now, taking differentials with respect to

t , and using the distributivity

of the differential operator over addition:

d
( v ( S ' ) ( t ) )= d ( v ' ( S' ) ( t )) + d ( v ( S ) ( t ))
dt
dt
dt
d
( v ( S ) ( t )) =0
dt

because

means it does not accelerate;

was defined to be an inertial frame, which

d
( v ' ( S ' ) ( t ) )=0
dt

because

v ' (S ' ) ( t )

to be constant.
d
'
( v ( S ) ( t ) ) =0+ 0=0
dt
S'

does not accelerate; it is an inertial frame of reference.

was said