Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
1161441 Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 2007 44 Pages PDF
Abstract

The idealization of primitive mechanical experience is shown to lead to four mutually related formulations of classical mechanics based on connections, action at a distance, stresses, and collisions. For a given structure of spacetime and a given characterization of mechanical systems, fundamental laws (including Newton's law of acceleration and d’Alembert's principle) are derived from a few general principles regarding the comprehensibility of motion. Special emphasis is placed on the “secular principle,” according to which the evolution of a system at the relevant time scale should not depend on finer details of the applied forces.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Physics and Astronomy Physics and Astronomy (General)
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