Free Fall and Air Resistance
In a previous unit, it was stated that all objects (regardless of their mass) free fall with the same acceleration - 9.8 m/s/s. This particular acceleration value is so important in physics…
Are You Infected with the Misconception?
Two students are discussing their physics homework prior to class. They are discussing an object that is being acted upon by two individual forces (both in a vertical direction); the…
The BIG Equation
Newton's second law of motion can be formally stated as follows: The acceleration of an object as produced by a net force is directly proportional to the magnitude of the…
Newton’s Laws of Motion
Newton's first law of motion predicts the behavior of objects for which all existing forces are balanced. The first law - sometimes referred to as the law of inertia - states that if the forces…
Determining the Net Force
If you have been reading through Lessons 1 and 2, then Newton's first law of motion ought to be thoroughly understood. An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an…
Drawing Free-Body Diagrams
Free-body diagrams are diagrams used to show the relative magnitude and direction of all forces acting upon an object in a given situation. A free-body diagram is a special example…
Sliding versus Static Friction
As mentioned above, the friction force is the force exerted by a surface as an object moves across it or makes an effort to move across it. For the purpose of…
Confusion of Mass and Weight
A few further comments should be added about the single force that is a source of much confusion to many students of physics - the force of gravity. As mentioned above,…
Types of Forces
A force is a push or pull acting upon an object as a result of its interaction with another object. There are a variety of types of forces. Previously in this…
Force is a Vector Quantity
A force is a vector quantity. As learned in an earlier unit, a vector quantity is a quantity that has both magnitude and direction. To fully describe the force acting upon an…
