Newton’s Laws Lecture 4

These flashcards cover key concepts and definitions from the lecture on Newton's Laws, providing a concise reference for studying the fundamental principles of motion.

Newton's First Law

An object will only change its motion if there is a nonzero acceleration or net force acting upon it.

Inertia

The tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion when no net force is acting upon it.

Newton's Second Law

The net force acting on an object is equal to its mass times its acceleration (F_net = ma).

Net Force

The vector sum of forces acting on an object, which determines its motion.

Newton's Third Law

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

Dynamic Equations of Motion

Equations that describe motion based on the forces causing it, focusing on net force and acceleration.

Kinematic Equations

Equations that relate position, velocity, acceleration, and time without reference to forces.

Ideal Spring

A hypothetical spring that follows Hooke’s law and is perfectly elastic, with no mass or energy loss.

Hooke’s Law

The force exerted by a spring is proportional to the distance it is stretched or compressed (F_s = -kx).

Differential Equation

An equation that relates a function to its derivatives, often used to describe motion.

Angular Frequency (ω)

The rate of oscillation of a wave, defined as ω = √(k/m), where k is the spring constant and m is mass.

Amplitude (A)

The maximum extent of a vibration or oscillation, measured from the position of equilibrium.

Phase Constant (ϕ)

A constant that represents the initial angle of a sinusoidal function, determining the starting position of oscillation.

Free Body Diagram

A graphical representation used to visualize the forces acting on an object, essential for applying Newton's laws.

Normal Force (n)

The perpendicular force exerted by a surface against an object in contact with it.

Friction Force (f)

The force that resists the relative motion or tendency of such motion of two surfaces in contact.

Tension Force (T)

The pulling force transmitted axially by a string, rope, or cable.

Weight (w)

The force due to gravity acting on an object, calculated as w = mg, where m is mass and g is acceleration due to gravity.