Newton’s Laws of Motion

Sir Isaac Newton is considered to be one of the most iconic figures in the field of physics. His ideas have been extremely beneficial in the study of modern physics and form its basis. He greatly excelled in the fields of maths, astronomy and was the inventor of calculus. One of his defining works is the three laws of motion. Newton’s laws of motion explain the motion of massive bodies and their interaction. These laws were so influential that they completely revolutionised Physics. Let us learn all there is to learn about these laws, including Newton’s laws of motion formula. 

Newton’s First Law of Motion

The first among Newton’s laws of motion states that an object in motion shall continue to stay in this state unless there is acting of an external force upon it. Also, if the object is in a position of rest, this state will continue unless a force impacts it. This particular law is also known by physicists as the law of inertia. 

According to this law, the behaviour of an object is very predictable. Consider a ball in a position of rest on a table. A moving object’s direction will not change unless a force results in it doing so. 

If a person slides a block that is kept on a table, it comes to point to the point of halt rather than going on for eternity. The reason for this is the frictional force of the table that reduces and eventually stops the movement. 

Newton’s Second Law of Motion

The second among Newton’s Laws of Motion states that when there is the acting of a force on an object, it will lead to the object’s acceleration. According to this law, the greater the object’s mass, the greater shall be the force required to cause acceleration. The expression of this law can take place as force = mass x acceleration or:

F = m * a

This formula has a lot of uses in the field of engineering, physics, and classical mechanics. This is because it serves the role of translating directly between the acceleration and force that affects a particular object. The application of this formula takes place in different contexts in a large portion of classical mechanics.

Newton’s Third Law of Motion

The third among Newton’s laws of motion states that for every action, a reaction will result in that would be equal and opposite.

This means that if one pushes on an object, it would push back against the force that is pushing it. A good example here can be that of an individual just standing on the ground. An individual standing on the ground pushes down on the Earth. This push is of the same magnitude that the Earth pushes back up at the individual.

The expression of Newton’s third law can be done by analysing two bodies, A and B. Consider that these bodies are interacting. In such a case, FA would be defined as the force whose application happens to body A by body B. Also, FB can be defined as the force whose application to body B by body A. These forces will be opposite as far as direction is concerned. However, as far as magnitude is concerned, they would be equal. Their mathematical expression is as follows:

FB = – FA

or

FA + FB = 0

Conclusion

Sir Isaac Newton, the iconic physicist, came up with the concept of three laws of motion. Newton’s laws of motion brought about a revolution in the field of Physics previously unheard of. According to the first law, an object in motion stays in motion unless there is an acting of external force upon it. The second law states that when there is a force upon an object, it will result in the acceleration of the object. According to the third law, there is an equal and opposite reaction for every action.