LAW OF ACCELERATION – Gotta Go Fast
LAW ACCELERATION – In this topic, we will discuss the second law from Isaac Newton’s Law of Motion: the Law of Acceleration.
Following up in our continuation with the Laws of Motion, let’s recap the first law. Again it states that:
“An object at rest will stay at rest, forever, as long as nothing pushes or pulls on it. An object in motion will stay in motion, traveling in a straight line, forever, until something pushes or pulls on it. “
Now, we will discuss the second law of motion, which states that:
” The acceleration of an object as produced by a net force is directly proportional to the magnitude of the net force, in the same direction as the net force, and inversely proportional to the mass of the object. “
This law can be expressed in the scientific notation:
F = ma
Where:
- F = force | Unit = Newton (N or kg(m/s 2 )
- m = mass | Unit = kilograms (kg)
- a = acceleration | Unit = meters per second square (m/s 2 or m/s/s)
It can also be rearranged to find the acceleration:
a = F/m
Examples:
Find the given:
- F = 10
- m = 2kg
- a= ?
a = F/m
a = 10 kg (m/s 2 ) / 2kg
a = 10m/s 2 / 2
a = 5 m/s 2
- F = ?
- m = 4
- a = 10
F = ma
F = 4 kg (10 m/s 2 )
F = 40 kg(m/s 2) or 40N
NEWTON’S LAWS OF MOTION
LAW OF ACCELERATION