Newton's First and Second Laws

Front

What is Newton's First Law of Motion?

Back

An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

Front

What is Newton's Second Law of Motion?

Back

The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass (F = ma).

Front

What is net force?

Back

The overall force acting on an object when all the individual forces are combined.

Front

What does it mean for forces to be balanced?

Back

Balanced forces are equal in size and opposite in direction, resulting in no change in motion.

Front

What does it mean for forces to be unbalanced?

Back

Unbalanced forces are not equal and can cause an object to start moving, stop moving, or change direction.

Front

What is inertia?

Back

The tendency of an object to resist a change in its state of motion.

Front

What is friction?

Back

A force that opposes the motion of an object, acting between surfaces in contact.

Front

How does friction affect motion?

Back

Friction can slow down or stop the motion of an object, depending on the surfaces in contact.

Front

What is gravity?

Back

A force that attracts two bodies towards each other, commonly experienced as the force that pulls objects towards the Earth.

Front

What is an example of an unbalanced force?

Back

A student kicking a ball, where the force applied to the ball is greater than the opposing forces.