Abstract
It is possible to identify all the external forces acting on a simple system and use Newton’s second law (F = ma) to calculate how the system moves. (Applying this technique in a complicated case such as the femur may require the development of a simplified model, because so many muscles, other bones, and ligaments apply forces at so many different points.) In an atomic-size system consisting of a single atom or molecule, it is possible to use the quantum-mechanical equivalent of F = ma, the Schrödinger equation, to do the same thing. (The Schrödinger equation takes into account the wave properties that are important in small systems.)
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Hobbie, R.K., Roth, B.J. (2007). Systems of Many Particles. In: Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-49885-0_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-49885-0_3
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