Physics/Newton's Laws
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Newton is the scientist who founded the physics of motion by stating five fundamental laws of physics.
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[edit] Newton's First Law
An object at rest or in uniform motion will remain at rest or in uniform motion unless an external force is applied to the object.
According to Newton's First Law, in the absence of an applied external force an object at rest will remain at rest.
[edit] Newton's Second Law
To change an object's state of rest or uniform motion, a force must act on the object.
To make an object accelerate, a force must act on the object. This force is proportional to the object's mass and acceleration:
- F = m a
[edit] Newton's Third Law
When a force acts on an object, the object exerts an opposing force of equal magnitude but opposite direction to the force acting on the object.
- F = - f = - m a
[edit] Newton's Law of Equilibrium
At equilibrium, the net force acting on an object is 0.
[edit] Newton's Law of Gravitation
The gravitational force of the Earth acts on any object on Earth and is directly proportional to the mass of the Earth and the mass of the object and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the Earth and the object.
