Sunday 20 February 2011

Without force, I can still move...

Just not start or stop, in other words accelerate. I'd be going on and on forever at a constant velocity. Luckily there's forces such as friction to stop me doing this - otherwise we'd be able to create perpetual motion. However, it is interesting (or at least I think so,) that I can still move at a constant velocity without a resultant force. It is only when forces are unbalanced, (skewed in one direction) that I will accelerate, either with a positive or negative magnitude. This is the essence of Newton's first law.

His second law covers this too, with the simple equation F= ma (Resultant force = mass x acceleration)

If my F= 0, it is clear to see that I will not accelerate.

What I think is more important about this second law is that it links acceleration to mass, and thus gives mass (a very hard concept to explain) a definition (though there are several); the measure of an objects resistance to acceleration.

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