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Why is Mechanics Based on Acceleration?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2022

Carl G. Adler
Carl G. Adler*
Affiliation:
East Carolina University
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Abstract

The unique role of the second derivative of position with respect to time in classical mechanics is investigated. It is indicated that mechanics might have been developed around other order derivatives. Examples based on and are presented. Kirchhoff s argument for using ẍ is given and generalized.

Type
Research Article
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 47 , Issue 1 , March 1980 , pp. 146 - 152
Copyright
Copyright © Philosophy of Science Association 1980

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Footnotes

†

I would like to thank the anonymous referee for suggestions which I believe have greatly increased the merits of this paper.

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