NEWTON’S LAWS AND APPLICATION OF NEWTON’S LAWS

Normal force

The force or the component of a force which a surface exerts on an object with which it is in contact, and which is perpendicular to the surface.

Frictional force

The force that opposes the motion of an object and which acts parallel to the surface.

Static frictional force

The force that opposes the tendency of motion of a stationary object relative to a surface.

Coefficient of static friction

The ratio of the maximum static friction force to the normal force.

Kinetic frictional force

The force that opposes the motion of a moving object relative to a surface.

Coefficient of kinetic friction

The ratio of the kinetic friction force to the normal force.

Newton’s first law of motion

A body will remain in its state of rest or motion at constant velocity unless a non-zero resultant/net force acts on it.

Inertia

The resistance of an object to any change in its state of motion. The mass of an object is a quantitative measure of its inertia.

Newton’s second law of motion

When a non-zero resultant/net force acts on an object, the object will accelerate in the direction of the force at an acceleration directly proportional to the force and inversely proportional to the mass of the object.

Newton’s third law of motion

When object A exerts a force on object B, object B simultaneously exerts an oppositely directed force of equal magnitude on object A.

Newton’s law of universal gravitation

Each body in the universe attracts every other body with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centres.

Mass

The amount of matter in a body measured in kilogram (kg).

Weight

The gravitational force the Earth exerts on any object on or near its surface.

Weightlessness

The sensation experienced when all contact forces are removed, i.e. no external objects touch one’s body.