Newton’s

Laws of
Motion
I. Law of Inertia
II. F=ma
III. Action-Reaction
 While most people know
what Newton's laws say,
many people do not know
what they mean (or simply do
not believe what they mean).
 Newton’s Laws of Motion
 1st Law – An object at rest will stay at rest,
and an object in motion will stay in
motion at constant velocity, unless acted
upon by an unbalanced force.
 2nd Law – Force equals mass times
acceleration.
 3rd Law – For every action there is an
equal and opposite reaction.
 1st Law of Motion
(Law of Inertia)

An object at rest will stay at

rest, and an object in motion
will stay in motion at
constant velocity, unless acted
upon by an unbalanced force.
 1 Law
st

 Inertia is the
tendency of an
object to resist
changes in its
velocity:
whether in
motion or
These pumpkins will not move unless acted on
motionless. by an unbalanced force.
 1 Law
st

 Once airborne,
unless acted on
by an
unbalanced force
(gravity and air
– fluid friction),
it would never
stop!
1 Law
st

 Unless acted
upon by an
unbalanced
force, this golf
ball would sit on
the tee forever.
Top view of a person standing in the aisle of a bus.
(A) The bus is at rest, and then starts to move forward.
Inertia causes the person to remain in the original position,
appearing to fall backward.
(B) The bus turns to the right, but inertia causes the
person to retain the original straight line motion until
forced in a new direction by the side of the bus.
 Slide a book
across a table and
watch it slide to a rest
position. The book
comes to a rest
because of the
presence of a force -
that force being the
force of friction -
which brings the book
to a rest position.
 In the absence of a force of friction, the book
would continue in motion with the same speed
and direction - forever! (Or at least to the end
of the table top.)
Newtons’s 1 Law and You st

Don’t let this be you. Wear seat belts.

Because of inertia, objects (including you) resist changes
in their motion. When the car going 80 km/hour is stopped
by the brick wall, your body keeps moving at 80 km/hour.
 Newton's Second Law of
Motion
 A net force acting on an object produces an
acceleration (a change in the motion of the object)
F = ma m = mass of the object
a = acceleration
F = net force acting on the object
 the acceleration is:

 directly proportional to the net force acting on the

object
 inversely proportional to the mass of the object
2 Law
nd
 2 Law
nd

 When mass is in kilograms and acceleration is

in m/s/s, the unit of force is in newtons (N).
 One newton is equal to the force required to
accelerate one kilogram of mass at one
meter/second/second.
 2 Law (F = m x a)
nd

 How much force is needed to accelerate a 1400

kilogram car 2 meters per second/per second?
 Write the formula
 F=mxa
 Fill in given numbers and units
 F = 1400 kg x 2 meters per second/second
 Solve for the unknown

2800 kg-meters/second/second or 2800 N
 1. What net force is required to accelerate a car
at a rate of 2 m/s2 if the car has a mass of 3,000
kg?
 2. 5. What is the mass of a truck if it produces a
force of 14,000 N while accelerating at a rate of
5 m/s2 ?
 3. What is the acceleration of softball if it has a
mass of 0.5 kg and hits the catcher's glove with a
force of 25 N?
 4. A softball has a mass of 1.5 kg and hits the
catcher's glove with a force of 30 N? What is
the acceleration of the softball?
 5. What is the mass of a truck if it produces a
force of 15000 N while accelerating at a rate
of 6 m/s2?
 1. What net force is required to accelerate a car
at a rate of 2 m/s2 if the car has a mass of 3,000
kg?
 2. 5. What is the mass of a truck if it produces a
force of 14,000 N while accelerating at a rate of
5 m/s2 ?
 3. What is the acceleration of softball if it has a
mass of 0.5 kg and hits the catcher's glove with a
force of 25 N?
If mass remains constant, doubling the acceleration, doubles the force. If force remains
constant, doubling the mass, halves the acceleration.
Newton’s 2nd Law proves that different masses
accelerate to the earth at the same rate, but with
different forces.

• We know that objects

with different masses
accelerate to the
ground at the same
rate.
• However, because of
the 2nd Law we know
that they don’t hit the
ground with the same
force.
F = ma F = ma
98 N = 10 kg x 9.8 m/s/s 9.8 N = 1 kg x 9.8
m/s/s
 3 Law
rd

 For every action, there is an

equal and opposite reaction.
3 Law
rd

According to Newton,
whenever objects A and
B interact with each
other, they exert forces
upon each other. When
you sit in your chair,
your body exerts a
downward force on the
chair and the chair
exerts an upward force
on your body.
 3 Law
rd

There are two forces

resulting from this
interaction - a force on
the chair and a force on
your body. These two
forces are called action
and reaction forces.
 Newton’s 3rd Law in Nature
 Consider the propulsion of a
fish through the water. A fish
uses its fins to push water
backwards. In turn, the water
reacts by pushing the fish
forwards, propelling the fish
through the water.
 The size of the force on the
water equals the size of the
force on the fish; the direction
of the force on the water
(backwards) is opposite the
direction of the force on the
fish (forwards).
3 Law
rd

Flying gracefully
through the air, birds
depend on Newton’s
third law of motion. As
the birds push down on
the air with their wings,
the air pushes their
wings up and gives
them lift.
 Consider the flying motion of birds. A bird flies by
use of its wings. The wings of a bird push air
downwards. In turn, the air reacts by pushing the bird
upwards.
 The size of the force on the air equals the size of the
force on the bird; the direction of the force on the air
(downwards) is opposite the direction of the force on
the bird (upwards).
 Action-reaction force pairs make it possible for birds
to fly.
 Other examples of Newton’s
Third Law
 The baseball forces the
bat to the left (an
action); the bat forces
the ball to the right (the
reaction).
 3 Law
rd

 Consider the motion of

a car on the way to
school. A car is
equipped with wheels
which spin backwards.
As the wheels spin
backwards, they grip the
road and push the road
backwards.
3 Law
rd

The reaction of a rocket is

an application of the third
law of motion. Various
fuels are burned in the
engine, producing hot
gases.
The hot gases push against
the inside tube of the rocket
and escape out the bottom
of the tube. As the gases
move downward, the rocket
moves in the opposite
direction.
 Newton’s Second Law
 A body accelerates when acted upon by a net external
force.The acceleration is proportional to the net force
and is in the direction which the net force acts.
 ∑F = ma
 where ∑F is the net force measured in Newtons
(N)
 m is mass (kg)
 a is acceleration (m/s2)
 1. What acceleration will result
when a 12 N net force applied to
a 3 kg object?
4 m/s/s
 2. A net force of 16 N causes a
mass to accelerate at a rate of 5
m/s2. Determine the mass.
 3.2 kg
 3. How much force is needed to
accelerate a 66 kg skier 1 m/sec/sec?
66 kg-m/sec/sec or 66 N

 4. What is the force on a 1000 kg

elevator that is falling freely at 9.8
m/sec/sec?

  9800 kg-m/sec/sec or 9800 N

 5. A 40- kg body was acted upon by a net
force of 50 N. If the body was originally at
rest, what was its final velocity after
 6s?
 7.5 m/s

 6. Determine the horizontal force needed to

accelerate a 30-kg object from rest to a
velocity of 1.50 x 102 cm /s in 2 s.
 22.5 N
 7. A 1500-kg car moving at a velocity of
25 km/h along a level road is accelerated

by a force of 1800 N. What will be its

velocity after 11 s ?
13.2 m/s
8.A truck weighs 10000 N. What force will
give it an acceleration of 1.5 m/s2 ?

1530.612 N
 9. A force of 12 N is applied to a 4-kg
object w/c is at rest. Find
 a) its acceleration

 3 m/s2
 b) its velocity after 3s

 9 m/s
 c) distance it has traveled after 3s.

 13.5 m
10. A 10-kg mass at rest on a frictionless
table is acted upon by a constant force
of 20 N.
a. What is the acceleration of the mass?
 2 m/s2
b. How far will it travel in 2 s ?
4m

11.When a shot-putter exerts a
net fore of 140 N on a shot,
the shot has an acceleration of
19 m/s2. What is the mass of
the shot?
7.368 kg
12. What net force should act on a 20-
kg body that is initially at rest to
move 60 m in 2 s ?
 600 N
13. What accelerarion will a
1.50 x 103 –kg can experience when
acted upon by a force of 1.8 x 103 N.
14. A 10-kg body, initially at rest is
acted upon by a constant force of 20 N
for 4 s. What velocity is acquired at the
end of 4?
 8 m/s
15. A force of 50 000 dynes acts on a
body of mass 400 g. Find the
acceleration given to the body.
125 cm /s2
16. A 2-ton truck is running at 72 km/h.
What retarding force will stop this truck
in exactly 5s ?
 - 8 000 N
17 A constant net force of 5 N is exerted to
accelerate a cart from rest to a velocity of
40 m/s in 10 s. What is the mass of the
cart?
1.25 kg
 Check Your Understanding

1. What acceleration will result when a 1.2

N net force applied to a 300 g object?


 
2. A net force of 6 N causes a mass to
accelerate at a rate of 2.5 m/s2. Determine
the mass.

 3. A net horizontal force of 4 000 N is
applied to a 1 400- kg car. What will the
car’s speed after 10 s, if it started from rest
?


 4. A bicycle and its rider together have a

mass of 80 kg. If the speed of the bicycle
is 6.0 m/s how much force is needed to
bring it to a stop in 4 s ?

5. What net force in dynes is required to
accelerate a 1500-kg rice at
300 cm/s2 ?


6. A net horizontal force of 4000 N is

applied to a 1400-kg car. What will the
car’s speed be after 10 s if it started
from rest?
7. A 250-g body starts from rest and
acquires a velocity of 100 cm/s in 4 s.
Find the force acting on the body.


8. A car, mass 1225 kg, traveling a 105

km/h slows to a stop in 53 m . What is
the size of the force acted on the car?

9. When a constant force of 200 N
is applied to a 300- kg body for
20 s and the body is traveling
before that with a velocity of 40
m/s, find the final velocity.
10. A retarding force reduces
the velocity of a 5-kg box
sliding across the floor
from 8 m/s to 4 m/s in 1.5
s. Find the magnitude of
this force.
 Check Your Understanding

 1. What acceleration will result when a

1.2 N net force applied to a 300 g object?
 4 m/s/s
 
 2. A net force of 6 N causes a mass to
accelerate at a rate of 2.5 m/s2. Determine
the mass.
 2.4 kg
 3. A net horizontal force of 4 000 N is
applied to a 1 400- kg car. What will the
car’s speed after 10 s, if it started from rest
?
 28.57 m/s
 4. A bicycle and its rider together have a
mass of 80 kg. If the speed of the bicycle
is 6.0 m/s how much force is needed to
bring it to a stop in 4 s ?
 - 120 N
5. What net force is required to accelerate a
1500-kg rice at
300 cm/s2 ?
 4.5 x 108 dynes

6. A net horizontal force of 4000 N is applied

to a 1400-kg car. What will the car’s speed
be after 10 s if it started from rest?
28.57 m/s
7. A 250-g body starts from rest and
acquires a velocity of 100 cm/s in 4 s.
Find the force acting on the body.
 6 250 dynes
8. A car, mass 1225 kg, traveling a 105
km/h slows to a stop in 53 m . What is
the size of the force acted on the car?
 - 9 831.36 N
9. When a constant force of 200 N
is applied to a 300- kg body for
20 s and the body is traveling
before that with a velocity of 40
m/s, find the final velocity.
53.33 m/s
10. A retarding force reduces
the velocity of a 5-kg box
sliding across the floor
from 8 m/s to 4 m/s in 1.5
s. Find the magnitude of
this force.
- 13.33 N