Newton's Laws of Motion

Newton’s First Law of Motion

An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion, unless acted upon by an external force.

Newton’s Second Law of Motion

The law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. This is often summarized by the equation F=ma.

Newton’s Third Law of Motion

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Balanced Forces

when two or more forces of equal strength act on an object in opposite directions, resulting in no change in the object's motion

Unbalanced Forces

two or more unequal forces acting on an object, resulting in a non-zero net force that causes the object to accelerate and change its state of motion (start moving, speed up, slow down, or change direction)

Inertia

the natural tendency of an object to resist any change in its state of motion

Circular Motion

the movement of an object in a circular path, maintaining a constant distance from a central point

Centripetal motion

the force that pulls an object inward toward the center of its curved path, making it move in a circle rather than a straight line. It is essential for maintaining circular motion and works perpendicular to the object's velocity.