Newton's Laws of Motion

Isaac newton is most famous for discovering the laws of gravity and motion,plus inventing physics and calculus,Isaac is generally regarded as the most original and influential theorist in the history of science. Newton didn't attempt to publish some of his early discoveries,such as his work on the shape of orbits. Eventually Newton's genius came to be widely known. His three laws of motion-inertia,acceleration,and action and reaction.

Isaac newton told the apple story to william stukeley,who relayed it as such:"After dinner,the weather being warm,isaac and I went into the garden,and drank tea under the shade of some apple trees,isaac told me,he was just under the same situation,as when formerly,occasion'd by the fall of an apple,the notion of gravitation came into his mind."Why should that apple always descend perpendicularly to the ground," he thought to himself:as he sat in contemplative mood :"Why should it not go sideways or upwards?but constantly to the earths centre?Assuredly,the reason is,that the earth draws it.There must be a drawing powering matter,and the sum of the drawing power in the matter of the earth must be in the earth's centre,not in any side of the earth.Therefore does this apple fall perpendicularly,or toward the earth's centre.If matter thus draws matter;it must be in proportion of it's quantity.Therefore the apple draws the earth,as well as the earth draws the apple."

Newton's First Law of Motion


Newton's first law of motion states that an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless an external force acts upon on it. Similarly,if the object is at rest it will remain at rest unless an unbalanced force acts upon it.

first law examples

• in a plane taking off you feel pushed back into your seat
• seatbelt stops you from hitting the windshield if you hit the brakes fast
• someone crashes their bike into a rock and is thrown over it to the ground

Newton's Second Law of Motion

Newton's second law of motion states that when a force acts on an object, it will cause the object to accelerate. The larger the mass of the object,the greater the force will need to be to cause it to accelerate.

second law examples

• you have to push a heavy ball harder to get it to go as fast as a small one
• a 12 lb. bowling ball goes faster down the lane than a 15 lb. bowling ball
• pushing a big and a small box with the same force,the small box goes faster

Newton's Third Law of Motion

Newton's third law of motion states that for every action there is an equal or opposite reaction. What this means is that pushing on an object causes that object to push back against you,the exact same amount,but in the opposite direction.

third law examples

• a fireman turns on his hose and is knocked backwards
• if air let out of a balloon quickly,air pushes down and the ballon goes up
• it takes less force to a bike than a motorcycle

How The Laws Apply To People

If you are in a car,moving at 100km/h you are also moving at 100km/h and lets say the driver suddenly applies the brake,you will slide forward and then slam back into the seat.This is because the car stops but you continue moving…how?…because the brakes are applied to the car not to you.That is why you should ALWAYS wear a seatbelt.