In the case of singular forces, for which some of the higher derivatives do not exist at a given point, it is not generally true that Newton’s equations of motion will give unique solutions for given initial conditions. In this paper, the motion of a particle in a one‐dimensional conservative force field is considered. The necessary and sufficient conditions that ensure unique solutions are determined.
Topics
Newtonian mechanics
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© 1993 American Association of Physics Teachers.
1993
American Association of Physics Teachers
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