What is Newton's First and Second Law?

In summary, Newton's First Law, also known as the Law of Inertia, states that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will continue in motion at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force. An example of this is a book sitting on a table. Newton's Second Law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. This can be represented by the equation F=ma, where F is force, m is mass, and a is acceleration. An example of this is pushing a shopping cart, where the harder you push, the faster the cart will accelerate. These two laws are related in that they both describe how
  • #1
justx007
4
0
I already learned about Newton's Third Law but nowhere in my reference book can I find Newton's First and Second Law. Surely there must be the First and Second Law before the Third Law is taught.
What is Newton's First and Second Law about ?
 
Science news on Phys.org
  • #3


Newton's First Law, also known as the Law of Inertia, states that an object will remain at rest or in motion with a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force. This means that an object will continue to move in a straight line at a constant speed, or remain at rest, unless a force is applied to change its motion.

Newton's Second Law, also known as the Law of Acceleration, states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. This means that the greater the force applied to an object, the greater its acceleration will be, and the more massive an object is, the less it will accelerate for a given force.

These two laws are fundamental principles in classical mechanics and are essential for understanding the behavior of objects in motion. They were developed by Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th century and laid the foundation for our modern understanding of motion and forces. It is important to learn about these laws before Newton's Third Law because they provide the basic framework for understanding how forces and motion work in the physical world.
 

FAQ: What is Newton's First and Second Law?

What is Newton's First Law?

Newton's First Law, also known as the Law of Inertia, states that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will continue in motion at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force.

What is an example of Newton's First Law?

An example of Newton's First Law is a book sitting on a table. It will remain at rest unless a force, such as someone picking it up or wind blowing it, acts upon it.

What is Newton's Second Law?

Newton's Second Law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. This can be represented by the equation F=ma, where F is force, m is mass, and a is acceleration.

What is an example of Newton's Second Law?

An example of Newton's Second Law is pushing a shopping cart. The harder you push, the faster the cart will accelerate. However, if you put more items in the cart (increasing its mass), it will require more force to achieve the same acceleration.

How are Newton's First and Second Law related?

Newton's First and Second Law are related in that they both describe how objects behave in the absence or presence of external forces. The First Law states what will happen if there is no force acting on an object, while the Second Law explains how an object will accelerate when a force is applied. Together, they help to explain the fundamental principles of motion and inertia in physics.

Similar threads

Back
Top