Newton’s Laws of Motion
1. Newton’s First Law (Law of Inertia)
Definition: A body at rest stays at rest, and a body in motion stays in motion with a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external force.
Examples:
- A book on a table remains stationary unless pushed.
- A rolling ball eventually stops due to friction, an external force.
2. Newton’s Second Law (F = ma)
Definition: The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass.
Formula: F = ma
Examples:
- Pushing a light object causes it to accelerate faster than a heavy object.
- A rocket accelerates faster as its fuel burns and its mass decreases.
3. Newton’s Third Law (Action and Reaction)
Definition: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Examples:
- A swimmer pushes water backward, and the water pushes them forward.
- When a gun is fired, the bullet moves forward while the gun recoils backward.
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