Rather than contradicting our experience, Newton’s first law of motion states that there must be a cause (which is a net external force) for there to be any change in velocity (either a change in magnitude or direction). Note the repeated use of the verb “remains.” We can think of this law as preserving the status quo of motion. The movement of everything around us is explained by it, and that is the reason why it is so important.\)Ī body at rest remains at rest, or, if in motion, remains in motion at a constant velocity unless acted on by a net external force. Nowadays, we know how cars work, why buildings don’t collapse, how water flows, all thanks to Newton’s first law. People did not have this knowledge before Newton set his laws. It gives meaning to the forces that surround us, and more importantly, a scientific explanation for them. It explains everything that is happening around us in our everyday lives. By examining all of this, you can see why this law is extremely important for us. If multiple forces work on an object, the net force is calculated as the sum of all of these forces. The net force is the total amount of force that is exerted on an object. The Importanceīesides the external and internal forces, we also have the net force. Internal forces that are found within a particular object can’t create any kind of change in the motion of that object. Our planet has this type of gravity as well. This is considered to be an internal force. However, the moon also has its own inner gravity that it exerts on its outer crust. This type of gravity is an external force exerted by our planet unto the moon. A good example of this would be gravity that the Earth exerts on the moon. We call the units of force Newton, and we use the letter N to mark them.Ī force can be external, meaning it comes from outside of the object. A force is defined as a push or a pull that an object exerts on another object. To better understand this law, we must learn what a force is. Newton’s first law states that an object that is at rest continues to remain at rest, and an object that is moving continues to move at constant velocity until an external force acts upon them. For example, it can hit the side of the table, which might make it slow down or go faster in some cases. This puck will remain at the same constant velocity until a different force acts upon it. However, if we look at air hockey, for example, the air does not allow the puck to touch the table. For example, if something is sliding across the floor, it will slow down because of the force of friction. This cause is most often an external force. It was quite a revolutionary discovery.Īccording to this law, there must be a cause for something to change its velocity. It also made people realize how external forces can influence the way things move. This law explains how the constant status quo of motion is preserved. They force it to move, as well as to slow down. All of these forces influence the velocity of an object. However, people back then did not understand the forces that work in nature or how they work.Īir resistance, gravity, and friction all need to be taken into account when we are trying to explain why something is slowing down. They believed that they did so by themselves because they tend to do so. The force that is exerted upon an object can be either external or internal.īefore Newton’s laws explained how the majority of things in the world work to us, people were not aware of why objects were slowing down.If we were to place an object into space, we could observe how it behaves without any external influences. Newton’s first law explains how things move and how forces work on their movement, which makes it an extremely important discovery.These forces influence the velocity of an object. Air resistance, gravity, and friction, all need to be taken into account when explaining why something is slowing down.
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