Newton's Laws of Motion

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What is Newton's First Law of Motion?

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An object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will remain in motion at a constant speed in a straight line unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

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Example of Newton's First Law of Motion

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A book sitting on a table will remain at rest unless someone pushes it. A ball rolling across a smooth floor will continue to roll at a constant speed in a straight line until it is stopped by friction or another force.

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What is Newton's Second Law of Motion?

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The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. THINK OF IT THIS WAY...The harder you push something, the faster it will go. But a heavy object is harder to push than a light one.

So, if you push a ball really hard, it will speed up quickly. But if you push a heavy rock, it won't speed up as much, even if you push with the same force.

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Example of Newton's Second Law of Motion

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A heavier object requires a greater force to accelerate it than a lighter object. A car with a more powerful engine will accelerate faster than a car with a less powerful engine.

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What is Newton's Third Law of Motion?

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For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Think of it like this: If you push on a wall, the wall will push back at you with the same amount of force, but in the opposite direction.

So, if you try to push a door open, the door will push back against you. Or if you jump off a diving board, the diving board will push you up into the air.

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Example of Newton's Third Law of Motion

Back

When you push on a wall, the wall pushes back on you with an equal and opposite force. When a rocket expels hot gases out of its nozzle, the gases exert a force on the rocket, propelling it forward.