Why Is Action Defined as Energy Minus Potential Energy in Physics?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on understanding why the action is defined as the difference between kinetic energy (T) and potential energy (V), which leads to the recovery of Newton's laws of motion. A user seeks clarification on this concept, indicating a need for guidance. The response highlights that the reasoning behind T-V recovering Newton's laws is straightforward and provides links for further reading, including a detailed explanation on a personal website. The conversation emphasizes the importance of the Lagrangian formulation in classical mechanics. Overall, the thread serves as a resource for those looking to grasp the foundational principles of action in physics.
Andrea2
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Hi! I'm new of this forum and I'm searching a way to understand why the action is E-U, but in this moment i don't know how to do...ther's someone who can help me? Thank you
 
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It turns out that if you set the Lagrangian to be T-V then you recover Newton's laws of motion.
 
Andrea2 said:
Hi! I'm new of this forum and I'm searching a way to understand why the action is E-U, but in this moment i don't know how to do...ther's someone who can help me? Thank you

The question is of course: why does T-V recover Newton's laws of motion? As it turns out: that question is not hard to answer.

An abbreviated discussion is in post https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=2975435&postcount=10" of the recent thread called 'Lagrangian'.

A more detailed version (more diagrams) is available on my website: http://www.cleonis.nl/physics/phys256/least_action.php" .
 
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ok, thank you very much!
 
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