Newton's Laws Demo

Interactive simulation of the fundamental principles of motion

Newton's First Law: The Law of Inertia

"An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force."

Inertia Simulation

Observe how the block behaves with and without an initial push, and with/without friction.

Newton's Second Law: F = ma

"The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. The direction of the acceleration is in the direction of the net force." (F = ma)

F = ma Simulation

Resulting Acceleration (a = F/m): 5.00 m/s²

Change force and mass, then apply force. The object will accelerate for a short duration.

Newton's Third Law: Action-Reaction

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

Action-Reaction Simulation: Rocket

Click "Launch Rocket". The rocket expels gas downwards (action), and the gas pushes the rocket upwards (reaction).

Key Learning Points

Law 1: Inertia

  • • Objects resist changes in their motion
  • • An object at rest stays at rest
  • • An object in motion stays in motion
  • • Friction and other forces can overcome inertia

Law 2: F = ma

  • • Force equals mass times acceleration
  • • More force = more acceleration
  • • More mass = less acceleration
  • • Acceleration is in the direction of net force

Law 3: Action-Reaction

  • • Forces always come in pairs
  • • Equal and opposite forces
  • • Rocket propulsion example
  • • Walking, swimming, and many other motions