Examples of Newton's Laws of Motion

Front

What is Newton's 1st 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 inertia?

Back

Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion.

Front

Give an example of Newton's 1st Law of Motion.

Back

A frog leaping off a lily pad continues to move upward until gravity pulls it down.

Front

What is Newton's 2nd 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 does the equation F=ma represent?

Back

It represents Newton's 2nd Law of Motion, where F is force, m is mass, and a is acceleration.

Front

Give an example of Newton's 2nd Law of Motion.

Back

When you push a shopping cart, it accelerates faster if it is empty (less mass) than if it is full (more mass).

Front

What is Newton's 3rd Law of Motion?

Back

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Front

Give an example of Newton's 3rd Law of Motion.

Back

When a rocket ignites its fuel, the gas pushes out the back, and the rocket moves forward.

Front

What is the relationship between action and reaction in Newton's 3rd Law?

Back

Action and reaction forces are equal in size but opposite in direction.

Front

How does Newton's 1st Law explain why passengers lurch forward in a car that suddenly stops?

Back

Their bodies continue moving forward due to inertia, even though the car has stopped.