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Newtonian dynamics

physical science Maturity 11-13 Next article →

We can study how things move. This study is called Newtonian dynamics. It uses the laws of motion from Isaac Newton. These laws help us track small bits of matter.

Most of the time, we look at bits in a flat space. We call this space Euclidean space. We can group many small bits together. We can treat them as one big bit with a single mass. This makes the math easier to use.

Sometimes, things cannot move freely. A frame or a tool might hold them. These are called constraints. Constraints can limit how the bits move. A constraint might reduce the degrees of freedom. This means it limits the ways a system can move.

When things are held in place, new forces appear. One is called a normal force. This force keeps the system on its path. We can also use math to find the kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is the power of motion. It helps us understand the whole system. Scientists use these rules to map how everything moves.

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