Equation of motion


Equation of motion, mathematical formula that describes the position, velocity, or acceleration of a body relative to a given frame of reference. Newton’s second law, which states that the force F acting on a body is equal to the mass m of the body multiplied by the acceleration a of its centre of mass, F = ma, is the basic equation of motion in classical mechanics. If the force acting on a body is known as a function of time, the velocity and position of the body as functions of time can, theoretically, be derived from Newton’s equation by a process known as integration. For example, a falling body accelerates at a constant rate, g. Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with respect to time, so that by integration the velocity v in terms of time t is given by v = gt. Velocity is the time rate of change of position S, and, consequently, integration of the velocity equation yields S = 1/2gt2.

If the force acting on a body is specified as a function of position or velocity, the integration of Newton’s equation may be more difficult. When a body is constrained to move in a specified manner on a fixed path, it may be possible to derive the position-time equation; from this equation the velocity-time and acceleration-time equations can, theoretically, be obtained by a process known as differentiation.

Learn More in these related articles:

Figure 3: Variation of gravitational acceleration across a finite-sized body leading to differential acceleration relative to its centre (see text).
Uniformly accelerated motion; s = speed, a = acceleration, t = time, and v = velocity.
Differentiation and integration.
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