The three laws of motion on which Newtonian mechanics is based. (1) A body continues in a state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line unless it is acted upon by external forces. (2) The rate of change of momentum of a moving body is proportional to and in the same direction as the force acting on it, i.e. F=d(mv)/dt, where F is the applied force, v is the velocity of the body, and m its mass. If the mass remains constant, F=mdv/dt or F=ma, where a is the acceleration. (3) If one body exerts a force on another, there is an equal and opposite force, called a reaction, exerted on the first body by the second.