Demystifying the Equation: Understanding the Meaning of Variables in dp/dt=F

[mart]

I was watching a video and this guy comes up with a formula which I should know and it is not very strange to me, but there is this 'd' variable, which I believe we don't use in my country... perhaps we give it another name or so and I'm getting quite confused reading american/english materials anyways :
\frac{dp}{dt}=F

Could you kindly do a legend of this equation? I mean what the variables stand for.
Thanks for the support this is a great forum

 

[jtbell]

"d" isn't a variable in this case. dp/dt is the derivative of momentum with respect to time, i.e. the rate of change of momentum with respect to time, from calculus.

 

[mart]

so isn't that equivalent to delta?
I got it if that is the case, it makes much more sense now :)

 

[Naty1]

delta and "d" are very similar depending on how they are used...
often delta is a larger displacement than a tiny infinitesimal displacement "d".

see here alongside the first diagram:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative

"change in y"/ " change in x" is delta y/delta x and the derivative is defined as the limit as delta approaches zero...