7.2. The laws of motion

As well as being parallel, physics is homogeneous. We implement the principle of homogeneity by making sure to derive all of our classes from a base class that has the necessary laws built into it. We give the base class a move(dt) method that encapsulates the laws of motion. And we ensure homogeneity by making move(dt) non-virtual so that the child classes can’t override it.

What are the laws of physical motion that we need to use? Ordinarily we discuss motion in terms of a scalar mass quantity and four vector quantities: position, velocity, acceleration, and force. (Keep in mind that when we say, for instance, that velocity is a vector, we mean that velocity is a scalar speed times a unit direction vector.) The laws ...

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