In most mechanics problems, one has to find a coordinate frame suitable for

the situation. There is no recipe for how to choose the orientation of the
coordinate axes and the position of the origin. However, one can say that
making use of the symmetries of the problem can generally be helpful in
that, as a general rule, these symmetries must be reflected in the equations.
For instance, if the situation is symmetric with respect to a certain line, all
equations involved must display symmetry with respect to this line. If a
system is invariant with respect to rotation about a certain axis about any
angle, then all equations involved must also be.
Note that there is no ‘wrong’ choice of coordinate system. The laws of
mechanics must not change under rotation in space. That is, the solutions of
a problem making use of two different coordinate frames must be physically
equivalent.
2.2 The Laws of Motion
You are now ready to apply the mathematical concepts of vector calculus
you encountered in your mathematical training together with the notation
introduced in the last section on real physics. For a start, this section will
show you how to deal with the most basic laws of mechanics in problems
dealing with motion of single point-like objects.
2.2.1 Newton’s Laws of Motion
Let’s jump