Equations in Classical Mechanics

[wolfspirit]

hi
i am a bit confused watching lectures and reeding books i quite often come across dx/dt
and i don't know what the "d" is. the full equation is F=ma which was rewritable as F=m*dx/dt
many thanks for any help

 

[Integral]

Sounds like you need to watch some lectures on Math. Calculus specifically. Of course to make sense of that you will need to be familiar with algebra.

Physics is a structure build on math. Without math you cannot do physics.

 

[jedishrfu]

also in your eqn I think you mean dv/dt not dx/dt where v means velocity.

 

[wolfspirit]

it was defiantly dx/dt not dv/dt this is the lecture time 3:50 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h96SW0PfQcg&list=PL189C0DCE90CB6D81&index=2&feature=plpp_

 

[wolfspirit]

what type of Calculus should i be looking at? Differential Calculus, Ap calculus, Lambda Calculus or another type (i only know a bit of Differential Calculus)
Thanks

 

[Integral]

Start with differential calculus.

 

[Nugatory]

There's no substitute for a proper intro textbook, but if you want somewhere to start right now... You could do worse than
http://sydney.edu.au/stuserv/documents/maths_learning_centre/differentialcalculus.pdf

 

[jedishrfu]

in the video he was contrasting Aristotles law with Newton's law. InAristotle's world F=mv and F is a function of x but in Newton's it was F=ma. Aristotle believed that forces cause motion whereas Newton believed that forces cause acceleration.

 

[wolfspirit]

what is x is it location?

 

[jedishrfu]

thats a yes

 

[wolfspirit]

thank you for your help :) it seams i have a bit of reading to do before i get back to the really interesting stuff