Newton's laws of motion – basic principles
How it works
The three Newtonian laws of motion describe how bodies move under the influence of forces. The 1th law (law of inertia) states that a body remains at rest or moves in a straight line at constant speed as long as the resultant external force is zero. The 2th law describes the relationship between resultant force, mass and acceleration: F = m·a. The 3th law (law of interaction) states that forces always occur in pairs: every force is accompanied by an equal and oppositely directed counterforce. These laws apply in inertial systems and are a foundation of classical mechanics.
The Newtonian laws explain motion as follows: Without a resultant external force, a body remains at rest or moves in a straight line at constant speed. A resultant force causes acceleration; in this case a = F/m applies. If one body exerts a force on another, the other simultaneously exerts an equal and oppositely directed force back.
An example
A body with a mass of 2 kg is pulled with a constant force of 6 N. What acceleration does it experience?
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50 Exercises · three difficulty levels · selection and number input
To the learning unit →Own explanation and own practice exercises by AmyMath. Subject reference framework: KMK Educational Standards Mathematics ESA/MSA. The topic assignment may vary by federal state.