Module on Three Laws Motion
INTRODUCTION:
In the seventeenth century inspired by the work of Galileo, Isaac Newton
developed three important laws that deal with the force and mass. Collectively
they are called “Newton’s law of motion”. These Newton’s Law are Law of
Inertia, Law of Acceleration and law of Interaction.
Sir Isaac Newton is a scientists who worked on many areas of Mathematics and
Physics. Newton to successfully developed the three Laws of Motion, he
revolutionized science. Newton’s law together with Kepler’s Law explain why
planets move in elliptical orbits rather than in circle.
The three Laws of Motion demonstrated the relationship between the motion of
an object and the forces acting on it. The Law of Inertia states that if no net force
acts on an object , the velocity of the object does not change. The Second law
which is the law of Acceleration says that the acceleration of an object is directly
proportional to the net external force acting on the object and inversely
proportional to the mass of an object. The third law, the Law of Interaction is
described as when an object exert a force , the second object exerts on the first
force of the same magnitude but in the opposite direction.
Let us try to find out in this module the relationship occurring in the motion,
objects and force.
Learning Outcomes:
After the completion of the lesson on Three Laws of Motion, the students
should be able to
1. state the Three Laws of Motion
2. give examples of the Three Laws of Motion
3. cite the importance of the Three Laws of Motion
Course Materials:
The scientist who is behind the discovery of the Three Laws of Motion is Sir
Isaac Newton . These Laws are Law of Inertia, Law of Acceleration and law
of Interactions
The FIRST LAW OF MOTION – THE LAW OF INERTIA
Newton’s First Law of motion is often stated as an object at rest tends to
stay at rest and an object is motion tends to stay motion with the same
speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced
force.
In fact , it is the natural tendency of objects to resist changes in their state
of motion. This tendency is described as inertia. A more massive object
has a greater tendency to resist changes in the state of motion.
The First Law states that all objects have Inertia. The more mass has an
object has the more inertia it has and harder it is to change its motion,
Forces are said to be balanced when the net force has to a change it its
state of motion.
Forces are said to be balanced when the net force on the object are zero.
That it is when all the forces are added up the result is zero. For example
when yuu are standing the force of gravity is balanced by the force of
Floor holding you up.
.
Activity iCritical Thinking Question
1. If the forces are balanced what is the resulting acceleration?
2. An objects’s resistance to change in motion is dependent soley on what
quantity. ?
3. Inertia is the resistance to change in motion so inertia depends on soley on
what?
4. Why doesn’t a ball roll on foreever after being kicked at a soccer game?
THE SECOND LAW OF MOTION – THE LAW OF ACCELERATION
As stated on the first law, the presence of unbalanced force will accelerate
an object, changing either its speed , its direction , or both its speed and
direction
Newton’s Second law of motion pertains to the behavior of objects for
which all existing forces are not balanced.
The second law states that the accelaration of an object is dependent upon
two variables- the net force acting upon the object and the mass of the
object. The acceleration is always in the same direction as the net force
The relationship of the physical quantities force, mass and acceleration are
stated in Newton’s Law of Motion
Force = mass x acceleration
Acceleration - increase in the rate or speed of something plural
Rate at which velocity changes with time in terms of
both speed and direciton
A 3.5 kg papaya is pushed across a tabel if the acceelration of the papaya is 2,2
m/sec2 to the left, what is the net external force exerted on the papaya?
Given: m = 3.5 kg a= 2.2 m/s2 to the left
F= ma
Fnet = (3.5 kg a) ( 2,2 m/s2)
Fnet = 7.7 kg .m/s2 or 7.7 N to the left
Activity 2
1. How much force needed to accelerate a 68kg skier at a rate of of
1,2m/sec2?
2. What is the masss of an object that requires a force of 30N to accelerate at
a rate of 5 m/sec2 ?
3. What is the acceleration of a 0,30 kilogram ball that is hit with a force of
25N?
THE THIRD LAW OF MOTION : THE LAW OF INTERACTION
A force is a push or a pull upon an object. This implies there must be two
objects : one being pushed ad one doing pushing. Thus forces result from
interactions between objects.
According to Newton’s Law , whenevr objects interact with each other they
exert forces upon each other. These two forces the objects exert on each
other are called action and reaction forces. Friction on is one type of
reaction force.
FOR EVERY ACTIOM , THERE IS AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTOIN
When the object exerts a force on another object, the second object exerts
on the first a force of the same magnitude but in the opposite direction.
For every force (action) there is anequal and opposite direction (reaction)
The third motion always applies to two different forces ot two different
bodies
The forces always occur in pairs.
The forces in each pair are opposing forces that do not act on the same
object
Activity 3 Answer the following:
1. All forces result because of _______________ between objects
2. Forces come in pairs. What are these pairs called
3. Differentiate the third law of motion from the second law of motion the
action of the forces in the objects
4.
