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Newton’s 1st Law Of Motion Definition

Newton's 1st Law of Motion states that an object's motion won't change unless acted upon by a force. For example, a moving object continues straight unless a force alters its path.

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Newton’s Laws of Motion

LESSON MATERIALSmove

Fun Facts

  • A still ball remains still until kicked.
  • A rolling rock continues unless it hits a tree.
  • Newton's 1st law of motion is sometimes called the law of inertia.

Why Do We Need To Know About Newton's 1st Law Of Motion

Learning about Newton’s 1st law of motion helps us understand why things move or don’t move. Engineers use this knowledge to make sure things like cars, buildings, and bridges work correctly and safely under different conditions.

This law is also really important for making cars safer. For example, engineers use it to design safety features like airbags and areas in cars that can crumple in a crash. These features help keep people safe by managing the forces involved when a car stops quickly or crashes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Newton’s first law of motion states that an object's motion remains the same unless a force acts upon it. What would be an example of this law in action?
If a ball is still, it will remain still until a force, such as a kick, makes it move.
Newton’s second law of motion states that larger things need more force to move them than lighter things. What would be an example of this law in action?
One example is pushing a car or pushing a shopping cart. You would need much more force to push a car the same distance as a shopping cart.
Why do people need to know about Newton’s Laws of Motion?
Newton’s laws of motion are helpful when making predictions of motion. This might be important if you were trying to step off a boat onto a dock. If you push off the boat, it will move away from the dock a little, which would be important to know if you don’t want to end up in the water.
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