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Newton’s Three Laws of Motion

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Published: Mar 20, 2024

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Table of contents

First law: law of inertia, second law: law of acceleration, third law: law of action and reaction.

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4.2 Newton’s First Law of Motion: Inertia

Learning objectives.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Define mass and inertia.
• Understand Newton's first law of motion.

Experience suggests that an object at rest will remain at rest if left alone, and that an object in motion tends to slow down and stop unless some effort is made to keep it moving. What Newton’s first law of motion states, however, is the following:

Newton’s First Law of Motion

A body at rest remains at rest, or, if in motion, remains in motion at a constant velocity unless acted on by a net external force.

Note the repeated use of the verb “remains.” We can think of this law as preserving the status quo of motion.

Rather than contradicting our experience, Newton’s first law of motion states that there must be a cause (which is a net external force) for there to be any change in velocity (either a change in magnitude or direction) . We will define net external force in the next section. An object sliding across a table or floor slows down due to the net force of friction acting on the object. If friction disappeared, would the object still slow down?

The idea of cause and effect is crucial in accurately describing what happens in various situations. For example, consider what happens to an object sliding along a rough horizontal surface. The object quickly grinds to a halt. If we spray the surface with talcum powder to make the surface smoother, the object slides farther. If we make the surface even smoother by rubbing lubricating oil on it, the object slides farther yet. Extrapolating to a frictionless surface, we can imagine the object sliding in a straight line indefinitely. Friction is thus the cause of the slowing (consistent with Newton’s first law). The object would not slow down at all if friction were completely eliminated. Consider an air hockey table. When the air is turned off, the puck slides only a short distance before friction slows it to a stop. However, when the air is turned on, it creates a nearly frictionless surface, and the puck glides long distances without slowing down. Additionally, if we know enough about the friction, we can accurately predict how quickly the object will slow down. Friction is an external force.

Newton’s first law is completely general and can be applied to anything from an object sliding on a table to a satellite in orbit to blood pumped from the heart. Experiments have thoroughly verified that any change in velocity (speed or direction) must be caused by an external force. The idea of generally applicable or universal laws is important not only here—it is a basic feature of all laws of physics. Identifying these laws is like recognizing patterns in nature from which further patterns can be discovered. The genius of Galileo, who first developed the idea for the first law, and Newton, who clarified it, was to ask the fundamental question, “What is the cause?” Thinking in terms of cause and effect is a worldview fundamentally different from the typical ancient Greek approach when questions such as “Why does a tiger have stripes?” would have been answered in Aristotelian fashion, “That is the nature of the beast.” True perhaps, but not a useful insight.

The property of a body to remain at rest or to remain in motion with constant velocity is called inertia . Newton’s first law is often called the law of inertia . As we know from experience, some objects have more inertia than others. It is obviously more difficult to change the motion of a large boulder than that of a basketball, for example. The inertia of an object is measured by its mass . Roughly speaking, mass is a measure of the amount of “stuff” (or matter) in something. The quantity or amount of matter in an object is determined by the numbers of atoms and molecules of various types it contains. Unlike weight, mass does not vary with location. The mass of an object is the same on Earth, in orbit, or on the surface of the Moon. In practice, it is very difficult to count and identify all of the atoms and molecules in an object, so masses are not often determined in this manner. Operationally, the masses of objects are determined by comparison with the standard kilogram.

Check Your Understanding

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They are equal. A kilogram of one substance is equal in mass to a kilogram of another substance. The quantities that might differ between them are volume and density.

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What Are Newton's Laws of Motion?

Newton's First, Second and Third Laws of Motion

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Newton's Laws of Motion help us understand how objects behave when standing still; when moving, and when forces act upon them. There are three laws of motion. Here is a description of Sir Isaac Newton's Laws of Motion and a summary of what they mean.

Newton's First Law of Motion

Newton's First Law of Motion states that an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless an external force acts upon it. Similarly, if the object is at rest, it will remain unless an unbalanced force acts upon it. Newton's First Law of Motion is also known as the Law of Inertia .

What Newton's First Law is saying is that objects behave predictably. If a ball is sitting on your table, it isn't going to start rolling or fall off the table unless a force acts upon it to cause it to do so. Moving objects don't change their direction unless a force causes them to move from their path.

As you know, if you slide a block across a table, it eventually stops rather than continuing forever. This is because the frictional force opposes the continued movement. If you throw a ball out in space, there is much less resistance. The ball will continue onward for a much greater distance.

Newton's Second Law of Motion

Newton's Second Law of Motion states that when a force acts on an object, it will cause the object to accelerate. The larger the object's mass, the greater the force will need to be to cause it to accelerate. This Law may be written as force = mass x acceleration or:

F = m * a

Another way to state the Second Law is to say it takes more force to move a heavy object than it does to move a light object. Simple, right? The law also explains deceleration or slowing down. You can think of deceleration as acceleration with a negative sign on it. For example, a ball rolling down a hill moves faster or accelerates as gravity acts on it in the same direction as the motion (acceleration is positive). If a ball is rolled up a hill, the force of gravity acts on it in the opposite direction of the motion (acceleration is negative or the ball decelerates).

Newton's Third Law of Motion

Newton's Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

This means that pushing on an object causes that object to push back against you, the same amount but in the opposite direction. For example, when you are standing on the ground, you are pushing down on the Earth with the same magnitude of force it is pushing back up at you.

History of Newton's Laws of Motion

Sir Isaac Newton introduced the three Newton's laws of motion in 1687 in his book entitled "Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica" (or simply "The Principia"). The same book also discussed the theory of gravity . This one volume described the main rules still used in classical mechanics today.

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• Introduction To Motion
• Law Of Inertia

Law of Inertia - Kinematics

In the world of Physics, Sir Isaac Newton is the man who pioneered classical physics with his laws of motion. In these laws, the first law is also known as the Law of Inertia. Law of inertia is the most important and renowned one. In this piece of article, let us discuss the first law of inertia in detail. Before discussing the law of inertia, let us know the Inertia Definition. Inertia is defined as a property of matter by which it remains at the state of rest or in uniform motion in the same straight line unless acted upon by some external force.

What Is the Law of Inertia?

Law of inertia,  also known as Newton’s first law of motion, states that

An object will continue to be in the state of rest or in a state of motion unless an external force acts on it.

We have read about the Aristotle fallacy, as per which an external force is always required to keep a body in motion. This was proved wrong when the concept of inertia came into the picture. With the following two experiments, Galileo established the concept of inertia.

Understand the Laws of Motion and the concepts behind these theories by watching this intriguing video

Galileo’s Free Fall Experiment

The most accepted theory of motion in Western philosophy, prior to the Renaissance, was the Aristotelian theory which stated that “ In the absence of external power, all objects would come to rest that moving objects only continue to move so long as there is a power inducing them to do so . ” Despite its general acceptance, the Aristotelian theory was discredited by several notable philosophers. Later, Galileo refined the theory of inertia.

Read More: Newton’s First Law of Motion

How Did Galileo Explain Inertia?

Galileo hypothesized that a falling object gains an equal amount of velocity in equal intervals of time. This also means that the speed increases at a constant rate as it falls. But, there was a problem in testing this hypothesis: it was impossible for Galileo to observe the object’s free-falling motion and at the time, technology was unable to record such high speeds. As a result, Galileo attempted to decelerate its motion by replacing the falling object with a ball rolling down an inclined plane. Since free-falling is basically equivalent to a completely vertical ramp, he assumed that a ball rolling down a ramp would speed up in the exact same way as a falling ball would.

Using a water clock, Galileo measured the time it took for the rolling ball to reach a known distance down the inclined plane. After several trials, it was observed that the time it took for the ball to roll the entire length of the ramp was equal to double the amount of time it took for the same ball to only roll a quarter of the distance. In short, if you were to double the amount of distance the ball travelled, it would travel four times as far. Through this experiment, Galileo concluded that

If an object is released from rest and gains speed at a steady rate (as it would in free fall or when rolling down an inclined plane), then the total distance travelled by the object is proportional to the time squared needed for that travel.

Mathematically, this is expressed as \(\begin{array}{l}s\propto t^2\end{array} \)

Read More: Physics Scientists

Interested to learn more about other related topics? Below are the links:

• Newton’s Laws of Motion
• Moment of Inertia
• Aristotle Fallacy
• Uniform Motion

Types of Inertia

Following are the three types of inertia:

Law of Inertia Examples

• Sudden start of the lift.
• The tendency of moving back when the stationary bus starts to move.
• Jerk experienced when the lift operates suddenly.
• Moving forward when a sudden break is applied.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

State the law of inertia, what is the law of inertia also known as, what are the types of inertia.

• Inertia of Rest
• Inertia of Direction
• Inertia of Motion

The resistance is offered by the body to continue to be in the uniform motion unless an external force acts on it is known as?

Give two examples to prove the law of inertia..

• Moving forward when a sudden brake is applied.

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20 Examples of Law of Inertia In Everyday Life

Last Updated on August 27, 2024 by Nourhan Essam

The principle of inertia is one of the fundamental principles in classical physics that are still used today to describe the motion of objects and how they are affected by the applied forces on them. Inertia comes from the Latin word, iners, meaning idle, sluggish.

In this article, we will discuss inertia, its concept and will focus on the examples of law of inertia in everyday life.

Inertia is a passive property and does not enable a body to do anything except oppose such active agents as forces and torques .

On the surface of the Earth, inertia is often masked by gravity and the effects of friction and air resistance, both of which tend to decrease the speed of moving objects (commonly to the point of rest). This misled the philosopher Aristotle to believe that objects would move only as long as force was applied to them.

Table of Contents

What is Inertia of Motion?

From Newton’s first law of motion , it is clear that a body has a tendency to remain at rest or in uniform motion. This property of the body is known as inertia. Thus inertia is that property of a body due to which it opposes or resists any change in its state of rest or uniform motion.

The term inertia may be referred to as “the amount of resistance of an object to a change in velocity” or “resistance to change in motion.” This includes changes in the speed of the object or the direction of motion. One aspect of this property is the tendency of things to continue to move in a straight line at a constant speed, when no forces are affecting them.

There are Two Numerical Measures of the Inertia of a Body:

1- The Body Mass:

which governs its resistance to the action of a force.

Mass is the measure of inertia of the body; i.e., greater the mass, greater will be inertia. Thus inertia of a body depends upon its mass.

That is, massive objects possessed more inertia than lighter ones. E.g., Mass of a stone is more than a mass of a rubber ball for the same size. Therefore, the inertia of the stone is more than that of a rubber ball.

The inertial mass is a measure of the tendency of an object to resist acceleration . The more mass something has, the more it resists acceleration.

There is also gravitational mass , which as far as we can tell experimentally is identical to inertial mass.

2- The Body Moment of Inertia about a Specified Axis:

  The Moment of Inertia is a measure of an object’s resistance to changes to its rotation. Also it can be defined as the capacity of a cross-section to resist bending.

 It measures its resistance to the action of a torque about the same axis and i t must be specified with respect to a chosen axis of rotation and It is usually quantified in m4 or kgm2.

Moment of inertia

Moment of inertia is the name given to rotational inertia, the rotational analog of mass for linear motion. It appears in the relationships for the dynamics of rotational motion.

The moment of inertia must be specified with respect to a chosen axis of rotation. For a point mass, the moment of inertia is just the mass times the square of perpendicular distance to the rotation axis, I = mr 2 . That point mass relationship becomes the basis for all other moments of inertia since any object can be built up from a collection of point masses.

Since the moment of inertia of an ordinary object involves a continuous distribution of mass at a continually varying distance from any rotation axis, the calculation of moments of inertia generally involves calculus, the discipline of mathematics which can handle such continuous variables. Since the moment of inertia of a point mass is defined by

The moment of inertia plays the same role in angular motion as the mass in linear motion. It may be noted that moment of inertia depends not only on mass m but also on r².

 The Concept of Inertia

  The concept of inertia is a fundamental concept in physics. It is bounded with other fundamental concepts as:

–      The concept of state : the state of the system can be mechanical (statical, kinematical, dynamical and of deformation), thermodynamic, electromagnetic, etc. The state of a system is defined by the state parameters.

–      The concept of interaction.

–      The concept of process (transformation) : Depending on the nature of the system,. The process consists in the transition of a system from a state to another. Given the causality principle, the process is the effect of interaction.

Depending on the nature of the systems and the nature of the states implied there are many types of processes: mechanical (equilibrium, motion and deformation), electromagnetic, gravitational, chemical, thermodynamic etc.

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Types of Inertia with Examples

Inertia of rest.

 An object stays where it is placed, and it will stay there until you or something else moves it. The property of a body to oppose any change in its state of rest is known as inertia of rest.

Examples of Inertia of Rest in Our Daily Life

Now we will show some examples of law of inertia

•     If an index card is placed on top of a glass with a penny on top of it, the index card can be quickly removed while the penny falls straight into the glass, as The cardboard moves away due to the force applied by the finger but the coin remains at its position due to inertia of rest and hence falls into the glass.
•     When a bus or a train starts suddenly, the passenger standing inside it falls backward: It happens because the feet of the passenger being in contact with the floor of the bus come in motion along with the bus but the upper part of the body remains at rest due to inertia of rest. Hence the passenger falls backward.
•         When a tree is vigorously shaken, some of the leaves fall from the tree: When the branch of a tree is vigorously shaken, the branch comes in motion as the force is applied on the branch. But the leaves want to remain at rest due to inertia of rest and fall down.
•     The carpet is beaten with a stick to remove the dust particles: When carpet is beaten with stick, the carpet comes in motion but the dust particles remain at rest due to inertia of rest.

•     A pile of a carom coins remains intact when the lowest coin in the pile is struck quickly by a striker.

Inertia of Motion

  An object will continue at the same speed until a force acts on it. The property of a body to oppose any change in its state of uniform motion is known as inertia of motion.

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Examples of Law of Inertia in Everyday Life (Inertia of Motion)

•     When the bus stops suddenly, people fall forward. When the driver of a bus brakes suddenly, the lower part of the body comes to rest as the bus comes to rest but the upper part of the body continues to move forward due to inertia of motion. As a result, a forward force is exerted on the body and we fall in the forward direction.
•         The electric fan continues to move for a period after the electricity is turned off.  The blades of the fan were in motion. Hence, they will take time to come to rest after being switched off.
•     If you are on a train and the train is moving at a constant speed, a toy tossed into the air will go straight up and then come down. This is because the toy has inertia like the train and you.
•     Luggage is usually tied with a rope on the roof of a bus. When the bus stops suddenly, the luggage kept on the roof may fall from the roof of the bus due to inertia of motion therefore, it is advised to tie any luggage kept on the roof of a bus with a rope.

Inertia of Direction

An object will stay moving in the same direction unless a force acts on it. The property of a body to oppose any change in its direction of motion is known as inertia of direction.

5 Examples of Inertia of Direction

1-If you jump from a car or bus that is moving, your body is still moving in the direction of the vehicle. When your feet hit the ground, the grounds act on your feet and they stop moving. You will fall because the upper part of your body didn’t stop, and you will fall in the direction you were moving.

2-The water particles sticking to the cycle tire are found to fly off tangentially whenever a driver is negotiating a curve; the passengers experience a force acting away from the center of the curve.

3-When a bus driver is negotiating a curve on the road, passengers fall towards the center of the curved road. Whenever a driver is negotiating a curve, the passengers experience a force acting away from the center of the curve; it happens due to the tendency of the passengers to continue moving in a straight line.

4-When you stir coffee or tea and stop, the swirling motion continues due to inertia.

5- Satellites (that establish orbit around the earth) continue on their trajectory due to inertia.

  Explanatory Video for Examples of law of inertia in Every day Life

Importance of Inertia in Our Daily Life – Law of Inertia Examples

The inertia of an object enables us to maintain patterns of functioning, maintain relationships, and get through the day without questioning everything. There are many examples of law of inertia that reflect several and important uses:

•   The design of safety devices for vehicles, including but not limited to seat belts, that can provide an external force to stop a body’s motion in the event of a sudden change in the physics of the immediate environment.
• In space travel, for example, once a device escapes Earth’s gravity , it will continue on its given trajectory until it encounters another gravitational field or object.
• Space probes can be sent great distances without any additional fuel required other than that needed to “escape” Earth, enact minor navigational changes or land on another object.

Examples of the Law of Inertia in Sports

One of good examples of law of inertia in daily life is the body of a player quickly sprinting down the field will tend to want to retain that motion unless muscular forces can overcome this inertia.

A skater gliding on ice will continue gliding with the same speed and in the same direction, barring the action of an external force.

In gymnastics, athletes are constantly changing their body configuration. By increasing the radius from the axis of rotation , the moment of inertia increases thus slowing down the speed of rotation.

If an athlete wants to increase the speed of rotation, then they must decrease the radius by bringing the segments of the body closer to the axis of rotation thus decreasing the radius and moment of inertia.

Limitations of Law of Inertia

There are many limitations of the law of inertia, as this law was given three and a half centuries ago. Some of the limitations of this law are:

• Limited to Non-Relativistic Speeds: The Law of Inertia is only valid for objects moving at non-relativistic speeds i.e., speed not closer to the speed of light. At very high speeds, close to the speed of light, the laws of physics change, and the concept of inertia is no longer applicable.
• Only Applicable in Inertial Frames: The Law of Inertia is only applicable in inertial frames of reference, which are frames that are not accelerating. In other words, the Law of Inertia doesn’t hold for non-inertial frames of Reference.
• Neglects Friction and Other Forces: The Law of Inertia assumes that there are no external forces acting on an object, but in reality, there are always some forces acting on an object. Friction, air resistance, and other forces can significantly affect the motion of an object and are not taken into account in the Law of Inertia.
• Applicability at Microscopic Level: As the size of the particle goes to the microscopic, atomic, or subatomic scale, then also the law of inertia fails to hold as there are various other forces that come into play that don’t have any effect on everyday objects.

Source: GeeksforGeeks (2024) Inertia: Law of inertia, examples, and faqs , GeeksforGeeks . Available at: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/law-of-inertia/ (Accessed: 04 August 2024).

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Inertia Demystified: FAQs Illustrated with Examples

What is Inertia Definition?

Inertia refers to “resistance to change in motion.” or “the amount of resistance of an object to a change in velocity” This includes changes in the direction of the object or the speed of motion.

In simple words, inertia is the property that describes the tendency of objects to continue to move in a straight line at a constant speed, when no forces are affecting them.

There are 3 types of Inertia:

• Inertia of rest 
• Inertia of motion 
• Inertia of direction 

What is Law of Inertia?

The law of inertia is Newton’s first law, which states that “An object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted on by a net external force” .

This means  that if a body is moving at a constant speed in a straight line or at rest, it will keep moving in a straight line at constant speed or remain at rest unless it is acted upon by an unbalanced force.

What are 5 examples of the law of inertia?

•     Satellites that establish orbit around the ُEarth, keep moving in a circular motion.
•     The electric fan continues to move for a period after the electricity is turned off.
•     Falling forward in a bus when sudden breaks are applied.
•     A skater gliding on ice will continue gliding with the same speed and in the same direction, barring the action of an external force.
•     An athlete taking a short run before a jump.

What are the 10 examples of inertia of direction?

•     Jumping from a moving car or bus. When your feet hit the ground, the grounds act on your feet and they stop moving. You will fall because the upper part of your body didn’t stop (still moving in the direction of the vehicle), and you will fall in the direction you were moving.
•     When a bus driver is negotiating a curve on the road at high speed, passengers fall towards the center of the curved road.
•     The mud from the wheels of a moving vehicle flies off tangentially.
•     Stirring coffee or tea and then stopping, the swirling motion continues due to inertia.
•     Bags and things on the bus can be thrown sideways during a turn (if not tied) due to inertia of direction.
•     Satellites continue on their trajectory due to inertia.
•     On  flowing water, if you place a rotating wheel ,particles of water fly of tangentially due to inertia of direction.
•     When you turn a bicycle, your body naturally wants to continue moving in a straight line.
•     During swimming, when you change your direction, your body initially tends to keep moving in the direction you were going due to inertia of direction, requiring you to adjust your stroke to change course.
•   When a skateboarder turns, their body tends to continue moving in the direction he was initially moving, requiring them to adjust his balance and lean to maintain equilibrium.

What is an example of inertia in real life?

If you jump from a car or bus that is moving, your body is still moving in the direction of the vehicle. When your feet hit the ground, the ground acts on your feet and they stop moving. You will fall because the upper part of your body didn’t stop, and you will fall in the direction you were moving.

What are 5 examples of Newton’s first law?

1-     The concept of car airbags

2-     The motion of a ball falling through the atmosphere

3-     The motion of a model rocket launched into the atmosphere.

4-     A  book on the table stays in place unless it is dislodged.

5-     While riding a bike, you fly forward away from the bike when you hit a rock or anything else that suddenly stops the bike.

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5 The Law of Inertia

• Published: January 2012
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This chapter analyzes the law of inertia. The law of inertia says that if it were not for outside influence everything would be immortal—not just uniform motion in a straight line but every other property of things. It is never internal to any attribute that it should spontaneously cease to be instantiated. All change of properties is imposed from outside those properties. Complete isolation would thus ensure universal perseverance, if only it were possible. The law of inertia, when generalized, asserts a fundamental permanence at the core of things. Eternity is written into every fact.

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Newton’s Laws of Motion

Sir Isaac Newton’s laws of motion explain the relationship between a physical object and the forces acting upon it. Understanding this information provides us with the basis of modern physics.

What are Newton’s Laws of Motion?

An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed and in a straight line unless acted on by an unbalanced force., the acceleration of an object depends on the mass of the object and the amount of force applied..

• Whenever one object exerts a force on another object, the second object exerts an equal and opposite on the first.

Sir Isaac Newton worked in many areas of mathematics and physics. He developed the theories of gravitation in 1666 when he was only 23 years old. In 1686, he presented his three laws of motion in the “Principia Mathematica Philosophiae Naturalis.”

By developing his three laws of motion, Newton revolutionized science. Newton’s laws together with Kepler’s Laws explained why planets move in elliptical orbits rather than in circles.

Below is a short movie featuring Orville and Wilbur Wright and a discussion about how Newton’s Laws of Motion applied to the flight of their aircraft.

Newton’s First Law: Inertia

Newton’s first law states that every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change its state by the action of an external force. This tendency to resist changes in a state of motion is  inertia . If all the external forces cancel each other out, then there is no net force acting on the object.  If there is no net force acting on the object, then the object will maintain a constant velocity.

Examples of inertia involving aerodynamics:

• The motion of an airplane when a pilot changes the throttle setting of an engine.
• The motion of a ball falling down through the atmosphere.
• A model rocket being launched up into the atmosphere.
• The motion of a kite when the wind changes.

Newton’s Second Law: Force

His second law defines a  force  to be equal to change in  momentum  (mass times velocity) per change in time. Momentum is defined to be the mass  m  of an object times its velocity  V .

Let us assume that we have an airplane at a point “0” defined by its location  X 0  and time  t 0 . The airplane has a mass  m 0  and travels at velocity  V 0 . An external force F to the airplane shown above moves it to point “1”. The airplane’s new location is X 1 and time t 1 .

The mass and velocity of the airplane change during the flight to values  m 1  and  V1 . Newton’s second law can help us determine the new values of  V 1  and  m 1 , if we know how big the force  F  is. Let us just take the difference between the conditions at point “1” and the conditions at point “0”.

\(\LARGE F = \frac{m_1 \cdot V_1 – m_0 \cdot V_0}{t_1 – t_0} \)

Newton’s second law talks about changes in momentum (m V). So, at this point, we can’t separate out how much the mass changed and how much the velocity changed. We only know how much product (m V) changed.

Let us assume that the mass stays at a constant value equal to m . This assumption is rather good for an airplane because the only change in mass would be for the fuel burned between point “1” and point “0”. The weight of the fuel is probably small relative to the weight of the rest of the airplane, especially if we only look at small changes in time. If we were discussing the flight of a baseball, then certainly the mass remains a constant. But if we were discussing the flight of a bottle rocket, then the mass does not remain a constant and we can only look at changes in momentum. For a constant mass  m , Newton’s second law looks like:

\(\LARGE F = \frac{m \cdot (V_1 – V_0)}{t_1 – t_0} \)

The change in velocity divided by the change in time is the definition of the acceleration  a . The second law then reduces to the more familiar product of a mass and an acceleration:

\(\LARGE F = m \cdot a \)

Remember that this relation is only good for objects that have a constant mass. This equation tells us that an object subjected to an external force will accelerate and that the amount of the acceleration is proportional to the size of the force. The amount of acceleration is also inversely proportional to the mass of the object; for equal forces, a heavier object will experience less acceleration than a lighter object. Considering the momentum equation, a force causes a change in velocity; and likewise, a change in velocity generates a force. The equation works both ways.

The velocity, force, acceleration, and momentum have both a  magnitude  and a  direction  associated with them. Scientists and mathematicians call this a vector quantity. The equations shown here are actually vector equations and can be applied in each of the component directions. We have only looked at one direction, and, in general, an object moves in all three directions (up-down, left-right, forward-back).

Example of force involving aerodynamics:

• An aircraft’s motion resulting from aerodynamic forces, aircraft weight, and thrust.

Newton’s Third Law: Action & Reaction

Whenever one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object exerts an equal and opposite force on the first..

His third law states that for every action (force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction . If object A exerts a force on object B, object B also exerts an equal and opposite force on object A. In other words, forces result from interactions.

Examples of action and reaction involving aerodynamics:

• The motion of lift from an airfoil, the air is deflected downward by the airfoil’s action, and in reaction, the wing is pushed upward.
• The motion of a spinning ball, the air is deflected to one side, and the ball reacts by moving in the opposite direction.
• The motion of a jet engine produces thrust and hot exhaust gases flow out the back of the engine, and a thrusting force is produced in the opposite direction.

Review Newton’s Laws of Motion

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• Physics LibreTexts - Inertia
• BCcampus Publishing - Newton’s First Law of Motion: Inertia
• inertia - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

inertia , property of a body by virtue of which it opposes any agency that attempts to put it in motion or, if it is moving, to change the magnitude or direction of its velocity . Inertia is a passive property and does not enable a body to do anything except oppose such active agents as forces and torques. A moving body keeps moving not because of its inertia but only because of the absence of a force to slow it down, change its course, or speed it up.

There are two numerical measures of the inertia of a body: its mass , which governs its resistance to the action of a force, and its moment of inertia about a specified axis, which measures its resistance to the action of a torque about the same axis. See Newton’s laws of motion .

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The Car and The Wall

According to Newton's first law, an object in motion continues in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. It is the natural tendency of objects to keep on doing what they're doing. All objects resist changes in their state of motion. In the absence of an unbalanced force, an object in motion will maintain its state of motion. This is often called the law of inertia .

The law of inertia is most commonly experienced when riding in cars and trucks. In fact, the tendency of moving objects to continue in motion is a common cause of a variety of transportation injuries - of both small and large magnitudes. Consider for instance the unfortunate collision of a car with a wall. Upon contact with the wall, an unbalanced force acts upon the car to abruptly decelerate it to rest. Any passengers in the car will also be decelerated to rest if they are strapped to the car by seat belts. Being strapped tightly to the car, the passengers share the same state of motion as the car. As the car accelerates, the passengers accelerate with it; as the car decelerates, the passengers decelerate with it; and as the car maintains a constant speed, the passengers maintain a constant speed as well.

But what would happen if the passengers were not wearing the seat belt? What motion would the passengers undergo if they failed to use their seat belts and the car were brought to a sudden and abrupt halt by a collision with a wall? Were this scenario to occur, the passengers would no longer share the same state of motion as the car. The use of the seat belt assures that the forces necessary for accelerated and decelerated motion exist. Yet, if the seat belt is not used, the passengers are more likely to maintain its state of motion. The animation below depicts this scenario.

If the car were to abruptly stop and the seat belts were not being worn, then the passengers in motion would continue in motion. Assuming a negligible amount of friction between the passengers and the seats, the passengers would likely be propelled from the car and be hurled into the air. Once they leave the car, the passengers becomes projectiles and continue in projectile-like motion.

Now perhaps you will be convince of the need to wear your seat belt. Remember it's the law - the law of inertia.

For more information on physical descriptions of motion, visit The Physics Classroom Tutorial . Detailed information is available there on the following topics:

Newton's First Law of Motion Inertia State of Motion Balanced vs. Unbalanced Forces  

Return to List of Animations

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• > Journals
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• > Volume 40 Issue 3
• > The Meaning and Status of Newton's Law of Inertia and...

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The meaning and status of newton's law of inertia and the nature of gravitational forces.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2022

A four dimensional approach to Newtonian physics is used to distinguish between a number of different structures for Newtonian space-time and a number of different formulations of Newtonian gravitational theory. This in turn makes possible an in-depth study of the meaning and status of Newton's Law of Inertia and a detailed comparison of the Newtonian and Einsteinian versions of the Law of Inertia and the Newtonian and Einsteinian treatments of gravitational forces. Various claims about the status of Newton's Law of Inertia are critically examined including these: the Law of Inertia is not an empirical law but a definition; it is not a law simpliciter but a family of schemata; it is a convention and gravitational forces exist only by convention; it is (or is not) redundant; the concepts it embodies can be dispensed with in favor of operationally defined entities; it is unique for a given theory. More generally, the paper demonstrates the importance of space-time structure for the philosophy of space and time and provides support for a realist interpretation of space-time theories.

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• Volume 40, Issue 3
• J. Earman (a1) and M. Friedman (a1)
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/288536

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The Law of Inertia: How Understanding its History can Improve Physics Teaching

• Published: 13 July 2006
• Volume 16 , pages 955–974, ( 2007 )

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• Ricardo Lopes Coelho 1  

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The law of inertia is a problem in teaching due to the impossibility of showing the proposition experimentally. As we cannot do an experiment to verify the law, we cannot know if it is correct. On the other hand, we know that the science based upon it is successful. A study in the history of mechanics has shown that there are different foundations for the law but also that the law plays the same role in the science since Newton. To avoid a statement of which we cannot be sure, the present paper proposes to understand the law through its function in the theory. In this case, we do not have to say how a free body moves, but rather that the rectilinear and uniform motion is the motion of reference in Newtonian mechanics.

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Coelho, R.L. The Law of Inertia: How Understanding its History can Improve Physics Teaching. Sci & Educ 16 , 955–974 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-006-9042-x

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Call for Papers | 3-Day International Conference on The Future of Law: Emerging Technologies and Legal Innovation by Manipal University Jaipur: Submit by Oct 10

• Call for Papers Opportunities Webinars and Conferences
• September 24, 2024

Department of Law (Arts and Science), Manipal University Jaipur is organising Three Days International Conference on the theme “The Future of Law: Emerging Technologies and Legal Innovation” to bring together scholars, practitioners, and enthusiasts to explore the intersection of law and emerging technologies.

About Manipal University Jaipur

Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ), established in 2011 as a State Private University, has rapidly become a centre for academic excellence in the region. Offering a diverse range of career-oriented programs at the undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels, MUJ continues to nurture innovation and academic growth across multiple disciplines.

In the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024, MUJ has achieved remarkable recognition, securing the 64th position in the University category. This achievement is further complemented by high rankings in specialised fields: 29th in the Law category, 64th in Engineering, 73rd in Management, and 33rd in Architecture. These accolades highlight MUJ’s commitment to providing top-tier education and fostering an environment of academic excellence across a broad spectrum of disciplines.

About Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law at Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ) began its journey in 2014 and has since built a strong legacy of excellence in legal education. Ranked 29th in the recent NIRF Law rankings, the faculty offers a range of programs, including a Five-year Integrated BA LLB (Hons.), BBA LLB (Hons.), LLB, LLM, and PhD. These programs combine rigorous academic training with practical exposure, providing a well-rounded legal education that prepares students for success in the field.

About Department of Law (Arts and Science)

The Department of Law (A&S) at Manipal University Jaipur offers an integrated BA LLB (Hons) program, preparing students for careers in both corporate law and litigation. The department emphasizes Outcome-Based Learning to ensure its graduates are industry-ready professionals.

About -GALTER

GALTER is a unique dedicated Research Oriented Educational Academy with a focus on the interface of emerging highly disruptive technologies, such as Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies, Digital Assets, Fintech, IoT, Artificial Intelligence and metaverse and promoting their proper and effective ethical-legal framework. The GALTER is an experienced pool of experts from Education, Law, Science & Technology, Management as well as other related fields.

With a committed team of experts from across the globe, covering nearly every field of knowledge, GALTER is making a significant and qualitative impact in the realms of research and education worldwide. GALTER works with a vision in recreating innovative global tools and techniques towards the harmonization of emerging technologies and their best application through the robust ethical-legal framework. its mission is to promote world-class research & educational services for better understanding and application of emerging technologies and their regulation.

About the Conference

This conference will address critical issues at the intersection of law and technology, examining how emerging technologies are reshaping legal principles and practices. The event will feature keynote speeches and paper presentations by experts in the field. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore a range of topics, engage with leaders, and contribute to discussions that will shape the future of legal practice and policy.

The conference will be held in virtual mode. The link for the conference will be notified later.

Publication Opportunities

Post presentation of papers at the Conference, selected papers will be curated for publication by the editorial board. Authors of selected papers will be invited to submit extended versions of their work for publication in a Scopus Indexed Journal/Book. Alternatively, authors of other selected papers will be invited to publish their papers in an edited book with ISBN Number. These publications will offer participants a chance to disseminate their research to a wider audience and gain recognition in the academic community.

Charges for publication in the above will be notified later.

Conference Sub-themes

Theme 1: Access to Justice

• Leveraging Technology for Dispute Resolution
• Online Legal Platforms for Marginalized Communities
• AI-powered Legal Aid Tools
• Application of Emerging Technology in Criminal Justice Administration Theme 2: Legal Tech and Innovation
• Blockchain and Smart Contracts in Legal Practice
• Regulation of Blockchain Technology
• Law Governing Virtual Currency and Digital Assets
• AI-driven Contract Review and Analysis
• Big Data and Law
• Cybersecurity in the Legal Industry
• AI in Health Care Theme 3: Data Privacy and Protection
• Right to Privacy and Data Protection
• Critical analysis of DPDP Act,2023
• Cyber Security and International Law
• Privacy Concerns in Legal Tech Adoption
• Digital Media and Law
• Data Anonymization and Encryption Methods
• Law and Regulation of Data Theme 4: The Future of Legal Practice
• Virtual Law Firms and Remote Work
• E-Government and Digital Governance
• AI-assisted Legal Research and Writing
• The Role of Lawyers in the Age of Automation
• The Evolving Role of Legal Practitioners with Advancing Technology Theme 5: Regulation and Ethics
• Regulating Emerging Legal Technologies like AI, IoT, Blockchain, Web 3.0, Deepfakes, Digital Recognition Technology
• Ethical Considerations in Technology-Driven Legal Decision-Making Theme 6: Judicial Innovation and Reform
• Court Digitalization and Online Dispute Resolution
• Judicial Analytics and Data-Driven Decision-Making Theme 7: Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Technology
• Patenting AI Inventions
• Digital Copyright Infringement and Enforcement
• Copyright Issues in Online Content Sharing
• Ownership of IP Generated by AI
• IP Protection for Big Data and Data Analytics Theme 8: Labour Law and Technology-
• Impact of Emerging Technology on Employment and Labour Rights
• Gig Economy and Legal Implications In addition to the above sub-themes, the conference welcomes research papers on any other theme pertaining to the overall theme of “The Future of Law: Emerging Technologies and Legal Innovation”.

Eligibility

• Academicians
• Legal Practitioners
• Research Scholars
• Technology Experts

Registration Fee

• Indian Participants: INR 800 for UG and PG students and research scholars and INR 1500 for Academicians/Legal Practitioners/Technology Experts.
• Foreign Participants: USD 20 for SAARC nations and USD 30 for all other countries.
• Both the Author and Co-Author must register individually.
• The link for the registration form and payment will be provided later.
• The registration fee is non-refundable.

Submission Details

• All submissions must be in MS Word format.
• Authors should initially submit an abstract of 200-250 words, outlining the purpose, research methodology, objectives, and findings. The abstract must include 5 keywords.
• Upon acceptance of the abstract, authors are required to submit the full paper.
• The full paper should be between 5000-7000 words in length.
• The full paper must include the names, affiliations, designations, email addresses, mobile numbers, and ORCID IDs of all authors.
• Plagiarism must be less than 10% (as checked via Turnitin) and free from AI-generated content.
• If any AI tool is used to improve the quality of the paper, its use and the name of the AI tool must be disclosed.
• All submissions are mandatorily to be made at: [email protected]
• Formatting requirements:
• Font: Times New Roman
• Line Spacing: Single
• Font Size: 12 for text, 14 for headings
• Headings should be in bold.
• Reference Style: APA 7th edition

Important Dates

• The last date for Submission of the Abstract is October 10, 2024
• Intimation of Selection of Abstract October 17, 2024
• Last Date of Payment of Registration Fee November 15, 2024
• The last Date for Submission of the Full Paper is November 15, 2024
• Announcement of Conference Schedule January 4, 2025
• Date of Conference January 8-10, 2025

Contact Information

• Dr. Mona Mahecha: [email protected] Ph: +91 9929513558
• Mr. Siddharth Badkul: [email protected] Ph: +91 7579066726

The brochure is here .

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Opinion: Eric Hovde: Address root causes of gun violence. Don't restrict law-abiding citizens

Cities across america with the strictest gun laws, like new york, dc, and chicago, have some of the highest violent crime rates. adding more restrictions would be wrong and dangerous..

Editor's Note: The Ideas Lab asked the Democrat and Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate to submit 1,000 word essays on how they would tackle gun violence, the issue Wisconsinites surveyed as part of the Main Street Agenda project said is the second most significant problem they face heading into the Nov. 5 election.

Sadly, today, a multitude of underlying issues have resulted in tragic acts of violence and firearms are among those instruments used to carry out these incidents.

While Sen. Tammy Baldwin argues for further restrictions on law-abiding citizens, real progress to prevent acts of violence carried out with a firearm, or any other mechanism, requires addressing the underlying problems. We need to focus on solutions such as enhancing mental health resources, effectively enforcing existing laws , and improving school safety.

60% of perpetrators of mass shootings have mental health issues

Our nation is facing a mental health crisis. Too often, individuals growing up without a strong support system face mental health problems and are turning to acts of violence.

This has tragically been displayed in the increase of mass shootings in America and must be addressed. Especially those that affect our most vulnerable population, our children. As a grandfather of three, I take this issue very seriously and in Washington will promote policies to keep our children safe.

Tammy Baldwin: Common sense firearm safety laws can curb gun violence epidemic

A study found 60% of perpetrators of mass shootings in the United States displayed symptoms of a mental health disease including depression and paranoia. We must provide schools with the tools needed to address this growing crisis.

The mental health crisis not only leads to tragic mass shootings, but is a major factor in the leading cause of death in gun violence which is suicide. For every 100 gun deaths in Wisconsin, 71 are suicides. That is heartbreaking.

Nearly 60% of Wisconsin high school students feel anxious, depressed or suicidal. Too often politicians are focused on reactive policies and fail to promote proactive solutions. I believe we should improve access to mental health care for those at-risk and their families to prevent tragedies and create an environment of hope.

When it comes to ensuring individuals showing signs of self-harm or violence don’t have access to a firearm, a due process method is extremely important, but it is critical that any measure taken respects the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.

It is also critical that we work to enhance our school’s physical security and improve their preparedness.

Federal education funds should be directed to school security, safety

I would take steps to redirect federal education funds towards bolstering school security by strengthening points of entry, allowing staff to better track and verify visitors.

We also need to put school resource officers back in schools to foster an environment of safety and facilitate a quick response to any incident. School resource officers would be able to provide training to staff and students, ensuring emergency drills are thorough and effective.

Throughout this process, we must engage parents and community leaders in each school by involving them in the implementation of safety procedures while building partnerships with local law enforcement.

Social media, video games play a role in gun violence affecting youth

Our nation has promoted a culture of violence in which children are saturated in hyper- violent video games and social media platforms that fuel further acts of aggression in our communities, specifically those already struggling from gang activity and gun- related crimes.

Both police and violence prevention workers have cited social media as a challenge in curbing gun violence.

I strongly support the bipartisan Kids O ff Social Media Act which would set a minimum age of 13 to use social media platforms and stop social media companies from promoting algorithmically-targeted content to their users under the age of 17. Getting our children away from the toxic and violent culture promoted on social media and engaging them with community leaders and support systems while promoting strong familial values can play an important role in reducing violence impacting children and teens.

Fully fund the police and enforce existing gun laws

It is also critical that we fully fund and support law enforcement so they can protect our children and our streets effectively. Over the past decade-and-a-half, the total number of law enforcement officers in Wisconsin has dropped 11% to a new record low in the state. This dangerous trend needs to change and it starts by giving our police the tools needed to be successful.

I also strongly support enforcing existing gun laws that are focused on keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. This can be done by improving data sharing and collaboration between law enforcement agencies investigating gun-related crimes, cracking down on gang violence while prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law illegal possession and trafficking of firearms, and properly funding technology such as forensic tools to track down guns used in crimes.

Baldwin’s push for further restrictions on law-abiding citizens does not work for one simple reason: criminals don’t obey the law.

Opinion: Are we 'Ready For It?' Taylor Swift endorsement causes voter registration surge.

We know that cities across America with the strictest gun laws, like New York, DC, and Chicago, have some of the highest violent crime rates. The vast majority of criminals get their hands on firearms through illegal means. Therefore, adding more restrictions on law-abiding citizens and infringing upon their rights would be not only wrong but dangerous.

Some of America and Wisconsin’s worst acts of violence were carried out without firearms, highlighting the importance of tackling the root causes of what is motivating individuals to commit horrible crimes. Tragically, in Waukesha a deranged man drove an SUV through the annual Christmas parade, killing 6 Wisconsinites and injuring 62 others. But we are not talking about banning SUVs because they were used as an instrument to carry out an act of violence. We need to get serious about addressing the underlying issues leading to violence.

Owning a firearm is the right of every law-abiding citizen which was established by our Founding Fathers in the Second Amendment. Individual rights are at the core of the great American experiment and the right to bear arms ensures Americans have the means to defend themselves and their loved ones against tyranny, oppression, and any danger.

Protecting individual rights while addressing the issue of gun violence requires a balanced approach. To protect our children and make our state and nation safer, we must focus on proactive measures that address the root causes rather than imposing restrictions on law-abiding citizens. By fostering commonsense efforts that engage communities, parents, and law enforcement we can take meaningful steps forward, building a safer future while upholding the liberties that define America.

Eric Hovde  is the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Wisconsin. He is the CEO of  Hovde Properties , a Madison-based real estate development company.

Respondents in a 'WisconSays' survey by the UW-Survey Center ranked gun violence as the second most significant problem facing Wisconsin. Gun violence is a broad issue with complex roots. There are four aspects we’d like you to touch on in your submission:1. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens In America. What would you propose to reverse this disturbing reality?2. As of 10 a.m. on September 5, there have been 30 mass killings in the U.S. this year. What legislation would you support to curb mass shootings?3. Violence at schools is a contributor to the statistics behind both mass killings and youth death causes. On Sept. 4, two teachers and two students were killed at a Georgia high school, and nine students were injured. A 14-year-old student and his father have been charged in connection with their deaths. What more can be done to prevent such tragedies from reoccurring?4. Death by suicide is a significant factor in gun violence. Firearms are the most common means of suicide. On average, for every 100 gun deaths in Wisconsin, 71 are suicides. What can be done to prevent such tragedies? Do you support red flag laws or similar measures that establish a process for judges to remove firearms from individuals with mental health conditions?