Section Summary

In this section, we have studied a second kind of differential equation, that with right-hand side involving the independent variable only. We started our discussion of falling bodies from the physical principle embodied in Newton's Second Law of Motion. That led us to the observation that a formula for distance fallen is just the end result of solving two simple initial value problems, one to get the velocity formula from acceleration, the other to get the position formula from the velocity formula. We continue this discussion in a later chapter, where we bring in air resistance as another force acting on our falling object.