⚡ PHYSICS · CLASS 9

Newton's Laws of Motion

Three laws that explain how the universe moves — all animated

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🏛️ Sir Isaac Newton (1687)

Newton published Principia Mathematica in 1687, containing his famous three laws that form the foundation of classical mechanics.

  • 1st Law — Law of Inertia
  • 2nd Law — Law of Force & Acceleration
  • 3rd Law — Law of Action & Reaction
The 3 laws together explain why things move, how fast, and what happens when forces interact
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⚖️ The Three Laws

🟢 1st Law — Inertia

An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion, unless acted upon by an external unbalanced force.

Σ F = 0 → no change in motion

🟡 2nd Law — F = ma

The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass.

F = m × a

🔴 3rd Law — Action & Reaction

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Forces always occur in pairs.

F_action = − F_reaction
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🎯 F = ma Visualised

Watch the same force applied to different masses — lighter object accelerates more!

Same Force (F) → Light mass: more acceleration  |  Heavy mass: less acceleration
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🚗 Real-Life Examples

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Seatbelts (1st Law)

When a car stops suddenly, you lurch forward — your body wants to stay in motion (inertia). Seatbelts apply external force to stop you.

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Cricket Ball (2nd Law)

A heavier ball needs more force to achieve the same acceleration. Bowlers put more force into bowling a heavier ball harder.

3

Rocket Propulsion (3rd Law)

Rocket exhaust gases pushed backward → reaction force pushes rocket forward!

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Walking (3rd Law)

You push the ground backward → ground pushes you forward!

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✏️ Solved Example

Q: A force of 50 N acts on a body of mass 10 kg. What is the acceleration? If friction is 10 N, find net acceleration.

1

Given

F = 50 N, m = 10 kg, friction f = 10 N

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Without friction

a = F/m = 50/10 = 5 m/s²

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Net force with friction

F_net = 50 − 10 = 40 N

4

Net acceleration

a = F_net/m = 40/10 = 4 m/s²

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🧠 Quick Quiz

Q: A 5 kg object accelerates at 3 m/s². What force is applied?

Newton's Laws mastered! 🎉

← Motion