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Newton's Three Laws of Motion

Introductory physics flashcards on Newton’s laws, free-body thinking, and common exam applications.

10 cards· by GuruOwl

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  1. 01
    State Newton's First Law (inertia).
    An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion at constant velocity, unless acted on by a net external force.
    law-1
  2. 02
    State Newton's Second Law.
    Net force equals mass times acceleration: ΣF = ma (vector form).
    law-2
  3. 03
    State Newton's Third Law.
    For every action force there is an equal and opposite reaction force (same magnitude, opposite direction, on different objects).
    law-3
  4. 04
    If net force on an object is zero, what is true of its acceleration?
    Acceleration is zero — velocity is constant (including possibly zero).
    law-1
  5. 05
    What is weight in Newtonian mechanics?
    The gravitational force on a mass: W = mg near Earth’s surface.
    forces
  6. 06
    Do action–reaction pairs cancel on a free-body diagram of one object?
    No — they act on different objects, so they do not cancel on a single object’s FBD.
    law-3
  7. 07
    What is the relationship between mass and inertia?
    Mass is the measure of inertia — resistance to changes in motion.
    concepts
  8. 08
    If force doubles and mass is constant, what happens to acceleration?
    Acceleration doubles (a = F/m).
    law-2
  9. 09
    A book rests on a table. What is the reaction pair to the book’s weight?
    The book pulls upward on the Earth with equal gravitational force (not the normal force — normal force is a different interaction).
    law-3
  10. 10
    What does a free-body diagram show?
    All external forces acting on a single chosen object, drawn as vectors from a point/body.
    methods