Physics is a subject based on laws and theories that find applications in everyday life. Our everyday activities are based on these principles. For instance, the reason why we are able to walk and keep everything in one place is because of the gravitational force. The change in seasons, the tides formation in the ocean, etc are all because of Physics. In this article, we will study one such law which we come across every day, laws of motion.
What are Laws of Motion?
There are 3 laws of motion that laid a foundation for classical mechanics. The laws that describe the relationship between an object and the forces acting on it which is responsible for its motion is known as laws of motion. There are three laws of motion, and they are:
- Newton’s first law of motion
- Newton’s second law of motion
- Newton’s third law of motion
Newton’s First Law of Motion
Newton’s first law of motion states that a body is either at rest or continues to be in uniform motion until an external force acts on the body. Newton’s first law is also known as the law of inertia.
Conditions on which Newton’s First Law of Motion Depends
There are two conditions on which Newton’s first law of motion depend, and they are:
- Objects at rest: When the object is at rest, the velocity and acceleration are zero, thus the object continues to stay in rest.
- Objects in motion: When the object is in motion, the velocity of the object is not equal to zero however acceleration of the object is equal to zero making the object to continue to be in motion.
Application of Newton’s First Law of Motion
- The ball continues to roll over the ground while playing with it until an external force is applied to it.
- Passengers travelling by bus also experience Newton’s first law of motion. When the bus is stopped or brakes are applied, passengers tend to move as they are under the application of external force. Once the brakes are applied, they do not continue to be in the state of rest.
Newton’s Second Law of Motion
According to Newton’s second law of motion, the net force acting on an object is equal to the product of the mass of an object and acceleration of the object. The mathematical representation of Newton’s second law of motion is:
F = ma
Application of Newton’s Second Law of Motion
- Kicking a ball is an example of Newton’s second law of motion. The stronger the ball is kicked, the stronger will be the force experienced by the ball. Also, it travels further away from the initial point.
Newton’s Third Law of Motion
According to Newton’s third law of motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Application of Newton’s Third Law of Motion
- When a bullet is fired from the gun, the bullet moves forward with an accelerating force at the same time, the gun recoils back. This is an example of Newton’s third law of motion.
- Walking on the ground is another example of Newton’s third law of motion. In order to move forward, we apply force on the ground so that we experience a forward push from the ground.
These were some everyday applications of Newton’s laws of motion. To learn more about other laws and their applications, stay tuned with BYJU’S.
