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You are right if you came up with m = F ÷ aĮxample 1: A ball when struck develops a certain degree of acceleration. Try to find the formula to determine mass. In algebra, there is a rule and it is “whatever is done to one side of the equation, you must do the same thing to the other side”. You can find the acceleration by changing the formula to a = F ÷ m. The formula used for Newton’s Second Law is F = ma. Two objects with different weights (mass) will need different forces to move them and the acceleration levels will be different. The greater the mass, the greater the force needed to move the object. This is due to the fact that the car begins to move while the body remains at rest, resulting in a sudden movement, which is an abrupt and brief shift in state.į = ma: The greater the force the greater the acceleration. This is due to the inertia of motion, or Newton’s first rule of motion, which prevents the body from abruptly stopping and forces it to maintain its state of motion.Įxample 2: When a car moves abruptly, the passengers feel a jerk that pulls them backwards. He has to take few more strides and run a few metres past the finish line, otherwise he will fall over. So, the object will stay in one place or keep on moving in the same direction and with the same speed forever, because there is no gravity or air in space to act on the tool, unlike on earth, where without sustained force, the friction of atmosphere will slow and eventually stop an object in motion.Įxample 1: A marathon runner is unable to stop running immediately after he has crossed the finish line. If the astronaut throws an object, it will travel in a straight line and never stop. This is why astronauts can let go of a tool in space and it will stay in one spot until they grab it. Newton’s First Law:Īn object that is sitting at rest will stay at rest, and an object that is in motion will stay in motion until a force acts upon it. Scientists now agree on Newton’s ideas about motion and they have called them Newton’s Three Laws of Motion. Over the years, Newton’s ideas have been tested over and over. So much so, that he is often referred to as the ‘father of modern science’. He discovered so many things and could show how they worked through experiments and mathematics. He explained gravity, motion, the motion of the planets, light, and color. In the 1600s in England, Sir Isaac Newton was busy trying to explain the things that happen on Earth and in nature.
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