Transcript force

Describing Motion
Newton’s Laws
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First we need to define the
word FORCE:
• The cause of motion (what
causes objects to move)
• Two types of forces
– Pushes
– Pulls
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Forces are measured in
newtons
• SI unit of force
• Symbol: N
• Measured by using a spring scale
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Forces may be balanced or
unbalanced
• Balanced forces – all forces acting
on an object are equal
– There is NO MOTION 
• Unbalanced forces – one or more
forces acting on an object are
stronger than others 
– There is MOTION
• A NET FORCE
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Newton’s 3 Laws
descriptive names
• First Law – Inertia
• Second Law – Acceleration,
Force & Mass
• Third Law – Action-Reaction
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First Law
• Inertia
– An object at rest
[not moving]
remains at rest
unless acted on by
a force [push or
pull]
– An object in
motion remains in
motion unless
acted on by a force
[push or pull]
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more First Law
• Inertia & Mass
– Mass is the amount of matter in an
object
– The more MASS an object has, the
more INERTIA the object has.
– Bigger objects are harder to start &
stop
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Second Law
force = mass x acceleration
• Acceleration & Mass Definitions
– Acceleration is a change in velocity
[speed or direction]
– Mass is the amount of matter in an
object
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more Second Law
• Acceleration & Force
– The more force placed on an object,
the more it will accelerate [change its
motion]
• Acceleration & Mass
– The more mass [or inertia] an object
has, the more force it takes to
accelerate the object
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Third Law
• Action – Reaction
– Forces are always produced in pairs
with opposite directions & equal
strengths
– For every force there is an equal and
opposite force
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The truck is in motion. What is the force
that causes it to stop?
The push of the stopped car.
The car is at rest. What is the force that
causes it to move?
The push of the truck.
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What about the ladder on top of the truck?
The ladder is in motion because the truck is in
motion.
When the truck stops, the ladder stays in motion.
The truck is stopped by the force of the car, but the
ladder is not.
What force makes the ladder fall while it is moving
horizontally?
Gravity.
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The truck is in motion, the car is at rest. How do
each of these vehicles accelerate?
The truck stops moving. The car starts moving.
Which one will be the hardest to accelerate?
The truck because it has the most mass.
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left
right
In which direction does the truck push the car?
To the right.
In which direction does the car push the truck?
To the left.
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left
right
The truck hits the car. Let’s call this an action
force (to the right).
What is the equal and opposite reaction force?
The car’s force on the truck (to the left).
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