Newton's Laws-Practical Applications?

[ilmareofthemai]

Hello all!
I recently read The Universe in Zero Words, a book about the history and influence of important equations. In it, it said that Newton's Laws have made possible the launching of spacecraft s and the construction of tall buildings.
With the spacecraft s, I might guess that he was talking about the calculation of the trajectory (when used together with Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation), but I don't see how these Laws have helped in building tall buildings.
Thoughts?
R

 

[AlephZero]

Two applications:

Designing tall buildings to withstand the forces produced by earthquakes.
The wind loads on tall buildings are calculated from Newton's laws applied to the air.

 

[the_emi_guy]

Newton's laws of motion do not just apply to systems in motion. In particular, the 3rd law (action/reaction) applies to static structures. When I was in school, one of the required classes was "statics". The entire class involved analyzing the forces within physical structures such as bridges, buildings, cranes etc. Newton's 3rd law was invoked everywhere yet nothing was ever moving.

Maybe we should not call it "Newton's third law of motion".

 

[sophiecentaur]

Hello all!
I recently read The Universe in Zero Words, a book about the history and influence of important equations. In it, it said that Newton's Laws have made possible the launching of spacecraft s and the construction of tall buildings.
With the spacecraft s, I might guess that he was talking about the calculation of the trajectory (when used together with Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation), but I don't see how these Laws have helped in building tall buildings.
Thoughts?
R

You have to be a bit sympathetic towards the author. He is selling a general idea and he has needed to stretch things a little bit in order to justify himself. He's not actually 'wrong' in his statement but it may not be very meaningful or relevant. My advice is not to hang your hopes of 'understanding Physics' on books like that one. If you are looking for errors in popular Science books you can find much worse than that statement, btw. Those books are for entertainment and not for learning good solid Science.

 

[PJC01]

Hello R,

Thank you for bringing up the practical applications of Newton's Laws. I can definitely attest to the significant impact these laws have had on our understanding of the physical world and their practical applications in various fields such as engineering and physics.

You are correct in your assumption that Newton's Laws, specifically the Law of Universal Gravitation, have played a crucial role in the launching of spacecrafts. By understanding the gravitational force between two objects, scientists and engineers are able to calculate the necessary velocity and trajectory for a spacecraft to reach its intended destination.

As for the construction of tall buildings, Newton's Laws also play a key role. The first law, also known as the Law of Inertia, states that an object will remain at rest or in motion at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force. This is particularly relevant in the construction of tall buildings, as engineers must take into account the forces acting on the structure, such as wind and gravity, to ensure its stability and safety.

Furthermore, the second law, which states that force is equal to mass times acceleration, is crucial in determining the strength and stability of building materials. By understanding this law, engineers are able to design structures that can withstand the forces acting upon them.

In conclusion, Newton's Laws have not only revolutionized our understanding of the physical world, but also have practical applications in various fields, including the launching of spacecrafts and the construction of tall buildings. I hope this helps clarify the role of Newton's Laws in these areas. Thank you for your question and interest in science!

Best,