Pool Table Physics

Newton's Laws of Motion

• There are three basic laws that govern force and motion.
• Inertia
• Momentum
• Reaction

Pool Table Physics

• An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an applied force.
• Inertia is an object's ability to resist motion based on it's mass.

Inertia

The white cue ball will remain at rest until impacted by the tip of the cue stick.

Second Law - Momentum

• An object in motion will travel in a straight line unless acted upon by an applied force.
• Momentum is an object's ability to remain in motion based on it's mass.

Momentum

The white cue ball will travel in a straight line after being impacted by the tip of the cue stick.

Third Law - Reaction

• For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
• When two objects collide, they exert equal and opposite forces on each other, based on their individual masses.

Reaction

The white cue ball impacts the table rail and moves in the opposite direction in a straight line.

Thank You For Watching
Presentation Prepared By Ronald A. Gilman