There we have it! The acceleration of the ball is 5 m/s2. Now, we're going to input that data into the equation. Assuming the direction of the total force is perpendicular to the hill's slope, what's the ball's acceleration?įrom that question, we can conclude that: We're going to use the question we asked earlier as an example.Ī ball with a mass of 10 kg is barreling downhill with the total force of 50 N. Now, because we're solving for acceleration (a), we can rearrange that equation to: The second law of Newton leads us to a beautifully simple equation: Determining the source and magnitude of forces acting on an object can be much more challenging than executing the equation. In an academic sense, we often gloss over this variable as a constant. The vector sum means the total of the force's direction after it's all added up. Wind direction and strength, gravity, and ground friction are some of the many factors. In the real world, many different forces are acting on an object, even if this force is standing still. What this means is that the vector sum of the forces (F = newtons) applied on an object is equal to its mass (m = kilograms) times its acceleration (a = meter/second). In its pure form, the law states, "The alteration of motion is ever proportional to the motive force impress'd, and is made in the direction of the right line in which that force is impress'd." His second law, in particular, is what makes our calculation work. He developed three laws of motion in his book, "Principia Mathematica Philosophiae Naturalis." Mathematician and physicist Sir Isaac Newton the groundwork for the basic principles of physics. We measure acceleration in meter per second squared (m/s2) Calculating Acceleration Newton's Second Law A ball rolling on a level field is a deceleration because the ball gets slower and slower as the ground applies friction to the ball, which is also amplified by gravity. A ball rolling downhill experiences an acceleration because it goes faster and faster as the ball rolls. AccelerationĪcceleration is an object's change in velocity. A force's direction is measured in degree or radian. We measure a force's magnitude in Newtons or Kgm/s2 (Kilogram meter per second squared), named after the father of physics, Isaac Newton. A force acting on an object makes the object move, accelerate, stop, slow, or change direction. Forceįorce is the push and/or pull acting on an object. But, the object will always retain the same mass. An object's weight is different on other planetary bodies where the gravity varies. You can calculate weight by multiplying the mass by gravity. Mass is more fundamental, a total count of an object's matter expressed in the form of kilograms. In an atom, protons, neutrons, and electrons account for its total mass.Ī common misconception is that mass equals weight. Mass is the total amount of matter in an object. How do we measure the acceleration of the ball and apple? Someone already answered this question for us.Įvery object in this universe has mass, except photons (the particle that carries light). What caused the apple to fall from the tree? Why did the ball move faster when it rolled downhill? These simple questions evolve into more complex questions. As is usually the case in mathematics and physics, formulas and experiments usually begin with curiosity - even if it's something profoundly simple.
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