Sir Isaac Newton was a physicist and mathematician from the 17th century. He is famous, among other things, for his laws of motion. These laws explain why objects move (or don’t move) as they do.
First law:
Newton's first law, also known as the law of inertia, states that every object in motion or at rest remains in that state unless an unbalanced force is applied to it.
The following video from ESA (European Space Agency) explains very clearly this law:
Second law:
Newton's second law states that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of that object times its acceleration. As the force acting upon an object is increased, the acceleration of the object is increased.
F=m·a
Watch this second video, also from ESA, to better understand the second law:
Watch this second video, also from ESA, to better understand the second law:
Third law:
This law is also known as the "action-reaction law". It says that all forces in the universe occur in equal but oppositely directed pairs. There are no isolated forces: when one body exerts a force on a second body (action), the second body simultaneously exerts a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction on the first body (reaction).
Our students from the 4th year of ESO have produced this great video that illustrates the third law with an everyday event.
Enjoy it!
