Newton 's Laws

Read the Information and answer the questions relevant to Newton's Laws of Motions. 

Newton’s First Law Newton's first law of motion is often stated as an object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. In fact, it is the natural tendency of objects to resist changes in their state of motion. This tendency is described as inertia. A more massive object has a greater tendency to resist changes in its state of motion. Inertia: the resistance an object has to a change in its state of motion. Forces are said to be balanced when the net force on the object are zero. That is when all the forces are added up the result is zero. For example when you are standing the force of gravity is balanced by the force of the floor holding you up. Forces are unbalanced when the net force is not zero. In a tug-of-war both teams apply forces. For a team to win the forces must be unequal or unbalanced. You want the net force to be in your direction. 

Critical Thinking Questions – 

1. Restate Newton’s first law in terms of acceleration. 

2. If the forces are balanced what is the resulting acceleration?

 3. An object’s resistance to change in motion is dependent solely on what quantity? 

4. Inertia is the resistance to change in motion so inertia depends solely on what? 5. What is required to cause acceleration?