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Laws of Motion
Laws of Motion
Laws of Motion
Motion
Sir Isaac Newton
(F = ma).
3. For every action there is an equal
and opposite reaction.
Newton’s First Law
If the forces on an object are equal and opposite, they are said
to be balanced, and the object experiences no change in
motion. If they are not equal and opposite, then the forces are
unbalanced and the motion of the object changes.
Some Examples from Real Life
A soccer ball is sitting at rest. It
takes an unbalanced force of a kick
to change its motion.
• Inertia is the
tendency of an
object to resist
changes in its
velocity:
whether in
motion or These pumpkins will not move unless
motionless. acted on by an unbalanced force.
1 Law
st
• Once airborne,
unless acted on
by an
unbalanced
force (gravity
and air – fluid
friction), it would
never stop!
1 Law
st
• Unless acted
upon by an
unbalanced
force, this golf
ball would sit
on the tee
forever.
Why then, do we observe
every day objects in motion
slowing down and becoming
motionless seemingly without
an outside force?
It’s a force we sometimes cannot see –
friction.
Slide a book
across a table and
watch it slide to a rest
position. The book
comes to a rest
because of the
presence of a force -
that force being the
force of friction -
which brings the book
to a rest position.
• In the absence of a force of friction, the
book would continue in motion with the
same speed and direction - forever! (Or at
least to the end of the table top.)
Newtons’s 1 Law and You st
F = ma
Acceleration: a measurement of how quickly an
object is changing speed.
What does F = ma mean?
Force is directly proportional to mass and acceleration.
Imagine a ball of a certain mass moving at a certain
acceleration. This ball has a certain force.
(2m)(2a) = 4F