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Formula sheet · PU-101

Newtonian Mechanics — formula sheet

Every boxed result from the 22 derivations of this unit on one page, for revision. Each title links to the full derivation, with its assumptions and where the formula breaks down. Constants: physical constants table.

D-021

Galilean Invariance of Newton's Laws

\[ \mathbf{F}' = m\,\mathbf{a}' \quad\Longleftrightarrow\quad \mathbf{F} = m\,\mathbf{a} \]

Newton's second law written in the primed frame is algebraically indistinguishable from the law in the unprimed frame. The boost \(\mathbf{V}\) and translation \(\mathbf{d}\) leave no residue at all; the rotation \(R\) acts identically on both sides and cancels. No local mechanical measurement can reveal which inertial frame you occupy — only relative motions and relative separations enter, and those are exactly what the force law depends on.

D-022

The Work-Energy Theorem

\[ W_{\text{net}} = \int_{A}^{B}\vec{F}\cdot d\vec{r} = \frac{1}{2}mv_B^{2}-\frac{1}{2}mv_A^{2} = \Delta K \]

The scalar quantity accumulated by projecting the net force onto each step of the path — the net work — is stored entirely as a change in the particle's kinetic energy. Positive net work speeds the particle up; negative net work (force opposing motion) slows it down. Only the endpoint speeds enter, not the intermediate detail.

D-023

Conservative Forces and Potential Energy

\[ \oint_{\mathcal{C}}\vec{F}\cdot d\vec{r}=0 \iff \nabla\times\vec{F}=\vec{0} \iff \vec{F}=-\nabla U,\qquad W_{A\to B}=U(A)-U(B) \]

A force is conservative when, and only when, it curls nowhere; equivalently when its work around any closed trip is exactly zero; equivalently when it is the downhill gradient of a potential-energy landscape \(U(\vec{r})\). The minus sign encodes that a body is pushed toward lower potential energy. Combined with the work–energy theorem, the height in this landscape plus the kinetic energy is a constant of the motion.

D-024

Conservation of Mechanical Energy

\[ E = T + U = \tfrac{1}{2}mv^2 + U(\vec{r}) = \text{const}, \qquad \frac{dE}{dt}=0 \]

As the body moves, kinetic and potential energy trade back and forth, but their sum never changes. A gain in speed is paid for exactly by a drop in potential, and vice versa. The constant value is fixed once and for all by the initial conditions.

D-025

Momentum Conservation from Newton's Third Law

\[ \frac{d\vec{P}}{dt}=\vec{F}^{\text{ext}}\qquad\xrightarrow{\;\vec{F}^{\text{ext}}=\vec{0}\;}\qquad \vec{P}=\sum_{i} m_i\vec{v}_i=\text{const} \]

The total momentum of an isolated system is a fixed vector for all time. Internal forces, however violent, only shuffle momentum between the particles; they can never change the total. Equivalently, the centre of mass moves in a straight line at constant velocity, since \(\vec{P}=M\vec{v}_{\text{cm}}\) with total mass \(M\) constant.

D-026

The Center-of-Mass Theorem

\[ M\,\ddot{\vec{R}}=\vec{F}^{\,\text{ext}} \]

The mass-weighted average position of any system, closed or not, accelerates exactly as a point of mass \(M\) subjected to the resultant of the external forces alone. Internal forces — springs, collisions, explosions, gravity between parts — can never shift the centre of mass on their own; they only redistribute matter around it.

D-027

Angular Momentum, Torque, and Central Forces

\[ \frac{d\vec{L}}{dt}=\vec{\tau}=\vec{r}\times\vec{F},\qquad \vec{F}\ \text{central}\ \Longrightarrow\ \vec{L}=\vec{r}\times\vec{p}=\text{const} \]

The net torque about a point is the time rate of change of angular momentum about that same point — the exact rotational analogue of \(\vec F=d\vec p/dt\). When the force always points along the line to the origin it can spin nothing up, so the angular momentum vector is frozen: fixed in magnitude, and fixed in direction, which pins the orbit to a single plane.

D-028

The Two-Body Problem and Reduced Mass

\[ M\ddot{\mathbf{R}} = \mathbf{0}, \qquad \mu\,\ddot{\mathbf{r}} = -\nabla_{\mathbf{r}}V(\mathbf{r}), \qquad \mu=\frac{m_1 m_2}{m_1+m_2} \]

The six-dimensional two-body problem factorizes into two independent three-dimensional problems: a free center of mass (trivially solved, \(\mathbf{R}(t)=\mathbf{R}_0+\mathbf{V}t\)) and one fictitious particle of mass \(\mu\) in the potential \(V\). Every result about a single particle in a central field transfers verbatim once \(m\) is replaced by \(\mu\). Note \(\mu \le \min(m_1,m_2)\), and \(\mu\to m_1\) as \(m_2\to\infty\).

D-029

Effective Potential and the Orbit Equation

\[ \tfrac12\mu\dot r^2+\underbrace{U(r)+\frac{L^2}{2\mu r^2}}_{U_{\text{eff}}(r)}=E,\qquad \frac{d^2u}{d\theta^2}+u=-\frac{\mu}{L^2u^2}\,F\!\left(\tfrac1u\right),\ \ u=\frac1r. \]

The first equation says that once \(L\) is fixed, the radial coordinate behaves exactly like a one-dimensional particle of mass \(\mu\) rolling in the well \(U_{\text{eff}}(r)\): the energy \(E\) sets the turning points \(\dot r=0\) (peri- and apoapsis), a minimum of \(U_{\text{eff}}\) marks a circular orbit, and the well depth separates bound from unbound motion. The second equation gives the geometric orbit directly: for the inverse-square force \(F=-k/r^2\) the right-hand side is constant, so \(u(\theta)\) is a shifted cosine and \(r(\theta)\) a conic section.

D-030

Kepler's Three Laws from Gravity

\[ r(\theta)=\frac{a(1-e^2)}{1+e\cos\theta} \quad\Big|\quad \frac{dA}{dt}=\frac{L}{2\mu} \quad\Big|\quad T^2=\frac{4\pi^2 a^3}{G(M+m)} \]

The single inverse-square shape equation produces all three laws at once. First: bound orbits are ellipses with the attracting mass at a focus (not the centre). Second: the line from focus to body sweeps area at a fixed rate, so the body moves fastest at perihelion. Third: the square of the period is set only by the semi-major axis and the total mass — not by the eccentricity, orientation, or (when \(M\gg m\)) the orbiting body's own mass. That mass-independence is why a feather and a moon at the same \(a\) share one period.

D-031

Small Oscillations and Simple Harmonic Motion

\[ \ddot q=-\omega^2 q,\qquad \omega=\sqrt{\frac{U''(x_0)}{m}},\qquad T=\frac{2\pi}{\omega}=2\pi\sqrt{\frac{m}{U''(x_0)}} \]

Near any stable equilibrium the restoring force is proportional to displacement, so the motion is sinusoidal at a single frequency set by the curvature of the well and the inertia. A stiffer well (larger U'') or a lighter mass oscillates faster; crucially, the frequency is independent of amplitude — the hallmark of simple harmonic motion (isochronism).

D-032

Damped, Driven Oscillators and Resonance

\[ A(\omega)=\frac{F_0/m}{\sqrt{(\omega_0^2-\omega^2)^2+\gamma^2\omega^2}},\qquad \tan\delta=\frac{\gamma\omega}{\omega_0^2-\omega^2},\qquad \omega_{\text{res}}=\sqrt{\omega_0^2-\tfrac12\gamma^2},\qquad Q=\frac{\omega_0}{\gamma} \]

The steady response oscillates at the drive frequency with amplitude \(A(\omega)\) and lags the force by \(\delta\). Far below resonance the mass moves in phase with the force (\(\delta\to 0\), spring-controlled); exactly at \(\omega=\omega_0\) the lag is \(\delta=\pi/2\) (damping-controlled, maximum power transfer); far above it the response is antiphase (\(\delta\to\pi\), inertia-controlled). The peak amplitude scales as \(Q\) times the static deflection, and a large \(Q\) means a tall, narrow resonance whose fractional full width at half power is \(\Delta\omega/\omega_0\approx 1/Q\).

D-033

Coupled Oscillators and Normal Modes

\[ \mathbf{K}\,\mathbf{a}^{(r)}=\omega_r^2\,\mathbf{M}\,\mathbf{a}^{(r)},\qquad \mathbf{q}(t)=\sum_{r=1}^{n}\mathbf{a}^{(r)}\big(A_r\cos\omega_r t+B_r\sin\omega_r t\big),\qquad \big(\mathbf{a}^{(r)}\big)^{\mathsf T}\mathbf{M}\,\mathbf{a}^{(s)}=\delta_{rs} \]

The eigenvalues of the pair \( (\mathbf K,\mathbf M) \) are the squared normal frequencies and the eigenvectors are the normal modes — spatial patterns in which every coordinate moves at the same frequency, passing through equilibrium together. Any free motion is a weighted sum of these modes; the weights (normal coordinates) each obey independent simple harmonic motion, so energy sloshes within a mode but never leaks between modes. The modes form an \( \mathbf M \)-orthonormal basis, guaranteeing the decomposition is unique.

D-034

The Tsiolkovsky Rocket Equation

\[ \Delta v = v_{\mathrm{ex}}\,\ln\!\left(\frac{m_0}{m_f}\right) \]

The velocity a rocket can gain equals its exhaust speed times the natural logarithm of the mass ratio (initial mass over final mass). Every factor-of-\(e\approx 2.718\) increase in mass ratio buys one more \(v_{\mathrm{ex}}\) of \(\Delta v\). The relation is independent of burn rate, thrust profile and time — only the endpoints \(m_0\), \(m_f\) and the exhaust speed matter.

D-035

The Moment-of-Inertia Tensor

\[ \vec{L}=\mathbf{I}\,\vec{\omega},\qquad I_{jk}=\sum_i m_i\big(r_i^2\,\delta_{jk}-x_{i,j}x_{i,k}\big)=\int \rho(\vec{r})\big(r^2\,\delta_{jk}-x_j x_k\big)\,dV,\qquad \mathbf{I}=\mathbf{I}^{\mathsf T} \]

Angular momentum is a linear map of angular velocity. The diagonal entries \(I_{xx}=\sum m(y^2+z^2)\) are ordinary moments of inertia about each axis; the off-diagonal entries \(I_{xy}=-\sum m\,xy\) are the products of inertia that measure mass imbalance and tilt \(\vec{L}\) off \(\vec{\omega}\). Because \(\mathbf{I}\) is symmetric there always exists a body-fixed orthonormal frame (the principal axes) in which the products vanish and \(L_a=I_a\omega_a\) decouples axis by axis.

D-036

Euler's Equations and Torque-Free Precession

\[ I_i\dot{\omega}_i-(I_j-I_k)\,\omega_j\omega_k=\tau_i \qquad \Omega=\frac{I_3-I_1}{I_1}\,\omega_3 \qquad K=\frac{(I_3-I_1)(I_1-I_2)}{I_2 I_3}\,\omega_0^{2} \]

The three Euler equations are Newton's second law for rotation written in axes that turn with the body. Each says: torque about a principal axis equals the direct angular acceleration \(I_i\dot\omega_i\) plus a gyroscopic term coupling the other two spin components through the difference of their moments. With no torque, a symmetric body keeps its spin \(\omega_3\) fixed and its transverse angular velocity circles the symmetry axis at rate \(\Omega\), positive for an oblate body (\(I_3>I_1\), flattened, like the Earth or a disc) and negative for a prolate body (\(I_3<I_1\), elongated). Steady spin is stable about the extreme axes (\(K<0\)) and unstable about the intermediate one (\(K>0\)), which flips the body end over end.

D-037

Rotating Frames: Centrifugal and Coriolis Forces

\[ m\,\vec{a}_R = \vec{F} \;\underbrace{-\,2m\,\vec{\omega}\times\vec{v}_R}_{\text{Coriolis}} \;\underbrace{-\,m\,\vec{\omega}\times(\vec{\omega}\times\vec{r})}_{\text{centrifugal}} \;\underbrace{-\,m\,\dot{\vec{\omega}}\times\vec{r}}_{\text{Euler}} \]

In the rotating frame, Newton's second law keeps its form provided we add three fictitious forces. The Coriolis force \(-2m\vec{\omega}\times\vec{v}_R\) acts only on moving bodies and is perpendicular to their velocity, deflecting motion sideways. The centrifugal force \(-m\vec{\omega}\times(\vec{\omega}\times\vec{r})=m\omega^2\vec{\rho}\) points radially outward from the rotation axis (\(\vec{\rho}\) is the perpendicular vector from axis to particle) and depends only on position. The Euler force \(-m\dot{\vec{\omega}}\times\vec{r}\) appears only while the rotation rate changes.

D-038

Euler-Lagrange Equations from d'Alembert

\[ \boxed{\;\frac{d}{dt}\!\left(\frac{\partial L}{\partial \dot q_j}\right) - \frac{\partial L}{\partial q_j} = 0, \qquad L = T - V, \qquad j=1,\dots,n\;} \]

Each generalized coordinate obeys one second-order equation of motion: the rate of change of the generalized momentum \( p_j = \partial L/\partial\dot q_j \) equals the generalized force \( \partial L/\partial q_j \). All ideal constraint forces have been eliminated, and the dynamics are packed into the single scalar \( L \). If \( L \) is independent of a coordinate \( q_j \) (cyclic), then \( p_j \) is conserved — the seed of Noether's theorem.

D-420

Projectile Motion from Constant-Acceleration Kinematics

\[ y(x) = x\tan\theta - \frac{g\,x^2}{2v_0^2\cos^2\theta},\qquad T = \frac{2v_0\sin\theta}{g},\qquad H = \frac{v_0^2\sin^2\theta}{2g},\qquad R = \frac{v_0^2\sin 2\theta}{g} \]

The trajectory is a downward-opening parabola in \(x\). The time of flight depends only on the vertical component of the initial velocity. The maximum height depends only on the vertical component. The range depends on both components through \(\sin 2\theta\), which is maximised at \(\theta=45^\circ\). Complementary angles \(\theta\) and \(90^\circ-\theta\) give the same range but different flight times and heights.

D-421

Uniform Circular Motion and Centripetal Acceleration

\[ a_c = \frac{v^2}{R} = \omega^2 R, \qquad F_c = \frac{m v^2}{R} = m\omega^2 R, \qquad T = \frac{2\pi R}{v} \]

A particle moving at constant speed \(v\) around a circle of radius \(R\) accelerates toward the centre with magnitude \(v^2/R\). The net force on the particle must point inward with magnitude \(mv^2/R\); whatever physical interaction supplies that force (tension, friction, gravity, normal reaction) is doing the job of “centripetal force.” The period is the time for one full revolution.

D-422

Friction: the Coulomb Model and the Inclined Plane

\[ \begin{aligned} &\text{Static:} \quad \tan\theta \le \mu_s \\ &\text{Sliding down:} \quad a = g(\sin\theta - \mu_k\cos\theta) \\ &\text{Sliding up:} \quad a = -g(\sin\theta + \mu_k\cos\theta) \\ &\text{Work by friction:} \quad W_f = -\mu_k mg\cos\theta\, d \end{aligned} \]

The block remains at rest if the incline angle is below the angle of repose \(\theta_r = \arctan(\mu_s)\). Once sliding, the acceleration down the slope is \(g(\sin\theta - \mu_k\cos\theta)\), and the acceleration while moving up is \(-g(\sin\theta + \mu_k\cos\theta)\). Friction does negative work, dissipating mechanical energy as heat.

D-423

Gravitational Field, Potential, Circular Orbits and Escape Velocity

\[ \vec{g} = -\frac{GM}{r^2}\,\hat{\vec{r}},\quad \phi = -\frac{GM}{r},\quad U = -\frac{GMm}{r},\quad v_{\text{circ}} = \sqrt{\frac{GM}{r}},\quad v_{\text{esc}} = \sqrt{\frac{2GM}{R}} \]

The gravitational field points inward and falls as \(1/r^2\). The potential is negative and increases toward zero at infinity. A circular orbit requires speed \(\sqrt{GM/r}\), independent of the orbiting mass. Escape from the surface demands \(\sqrt{2}\) times the circular speed, reflecting the extra energy needed to reach zero total energy at infinity.

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