Inertia And Newton’s Third Law Flashcards
What does Newton’s First Law state about the motion of objects?
objects at rest remain at rest, and objects moving at a steady speed continue to move at that speed, unless acted upon by an external resultant force.
What is inertia?
the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion
What does an object’s inertial mass measure?
An object’s inertial mass measures how resistant it is to changes in velocity
How can inertial mass be calculated using Newton’s Second Law?
-Inertial mass can be calculated using Newton’s Second Law equation, F = ma. -By rearranging this equation to m = F/a, inertial mass is found by dividing the force acting on an object by its acceleration.
What does Newton’s Third Law state about the forces exerted between two objects?
when two objects interact, the forces they exert on each other are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.
How does Newton’s Third Law apply to the interaction between two skaters pushing against each other on an ice rink?
-when Skater A pushes Skater B, Skater B exerts an equal and opposite force back on Skater A, according to Newton’s Third Law.
-Both skaters experience forces of the same magnitude but in opposite directions, causing them to accelerate away from each other.
-Due to their different masses, Skater A will experience a greater acceleration than Skater B as a= F/m
Give an example of Newton’s third law in an equilibrium situation?
when a person pushes against a wall the person applies a force on the wall, and in return, the wall exerts an equal and opposite force back on the person.
What is an example of an object in equilibrium where Newton’s Third Law does not apply?
-An example is a book resting on the ground. The weight of the book and the normal contact force from the ground are equal and opposite, which might seem like Newton’s Third Law in action. -However, these forces are different types (gravitational and contact forces) and both act on the book, so they do not represent an interaction between two different objects as required by Newton’s Third Law.
