Forced Changes Only: A New Take on the Law of Inertia
History and Philosophy of Physics
2021-12-07 v1 Classical Physics
Abstract
Newton's First Law of Motion is typically understood to govern only the motion of force-free bodies. This paper argues on textual and conceptual grounds that it is in fact a stronger, more general principle. The First Law limits the extent to which any body can change its state of motion -- even if that body is subject to impressed forces. The misunderstanding can be traced back to an error in the first English translation of Newton's Principia, which was published a few years after Newton's death.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2112.02339,
title = {Forced Changes Only: A New Take on the Law of Inertia},
author = {Daniel Hoek},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2112.02339},
year = {2021}
}