Multiparticle Systems

Abstract

So far we have studied the motion of mass-points, particles, or extended objects that move as a particle. But this does not seem to be a good description of everyday phenomena around us. If you throw a ball, it may wobble and spin on its path. Even on the microscopic level objects are not only translated: Molecules may vibrate, spin, or wobble as they move. When the world is so complex, can we still use the simple descriptions and models we have developed so far? Yes! Newton’s second law is valid for any system of particles, and therefore for any object. In this chapter we introduce the description of multi-particle systems, including Newton’s second law for multi-particle systems, the center of mass, and momentum conservation in multi-particle systems.