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Newton's laws

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | 700+ words | Copyright

Newton's laws Three physical laws of motion, formulated by the English scientist Isaac Newton. The first law states that an object remains at rest or moves in a straight line at constant speed unless acted upon by a force. For example, the Moon does not move in a straight line because of the gravity of the Earth and Sun. This property is known as inertia. The second law, which enables force to be calculated, states that force is proportional to the rate of change of momentum. If the mass of a body remains constant, the force F is equal to the product of mass m and acceleration a: F = ma. The third law states that every force has associated with it an equal and opposite force. For example, a computer remains at rest on a desk because the downward force of gravity is offset by the equal upward force of the desk. See also mechanics

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