Newton's Laws of Motion
Newton's Second Law of Motion
Newton's Second Law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. Mathematically, it is expressed as: F = ma, where F is the force, m is the mass, and a is the acceleration.
Example: Imagine pushing a shopping cart. If you push it lightly, it accelerates slowly. If you push it harder, it accelerates faster. This is because the force you apply is directly affecting the cart's acceleration.
Newton's Third Law of Motion
Newton's Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that if one object exerts a force on another, the second object exerts a force of the same magnitude but in the opposite direction on the first object.
Example: When you walk, your foot pushes against the ground, and the ground pushes back with an equal and opposite force. This reaction force propels you forward. Similarly, a rocket's thrust is a result of the exhaust gases pushing against the atmosphere, which in turn pushes the rocket forward.