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ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2007/ia/paper-4/12c/i/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 ia Paper 4 12C i Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
For constant particle masses define the centre of mass by , with . Summing Newton's second law over all particles givesEach pair of internal forces cancels by Newton's third law. HenceOnly the action-reaction condition is needed for this translation law; centrality of the internal forces is needed for the angular momentum result in part (ii).
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