SPACE EXPLORATION MERIT BADGE

Newton's Laws

Newton's First Law

• An object at rest will remain at rest
• An object in motion will stay in motion - in a straight line, at the same speed
• As long as no force is applied (more accurately, no unbalanced force).

Newton's Second Law

• An object’s acceleration is proportional to the force applied to it.
• The force to accelerate an object is proportional to the object’s mass.
• In equation form, if we call the force "F", the object’s mass "m" and the acceleration "a", then Newton's Second Law is simply
  
  F = m * a
  
  which is the most famous form of this fundamental principle of physics.
  
  Go To How This Works

Newton's Third Law

"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

Go To How To Demonstrate It

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Questions

Your questions and comments regarding this page are welcome. You can e-mail Randy Culp for inquiries, suggestions, new ideas or just to chat.
Updated 8 September 2008