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Newton's Laws of Motion Sir Isaac Newton published Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica in 1687. This text contains the three basic laws on which mechanics is based Newton's First Law - Every body continues in its state of rest or of uniform motion in a straight line unless acted on by some external force.
- No force = no acceleration
Newton's Second Law - The rate of change of momentum of a body is directly proportional to the external force acting on the body and takes place in the direction of the force.
 - where
- F = force acting on the body [N]
- m = mass of the body [kg]
- v = velocity of the body [ms-1]
- the rate of change of velocity is the acceleration
 - where
- a = acceleration of the body [ms-2]
Newton's Third Law - If a body A exerts a force on body B, then B exerts an equal and oppositely directed force on A.
- Weight is the magnitude of the force of gravity.
See also: Equations of Motion, Inertial Reference System, Keplers Laws, Newton, Isaac, Noninertial Reference System, Special Theory of Relativity.
  
Subjects:- Physics
Weblinks:- Newtons Castle A stimulating journey into the revelations of Sir Isaac Newton. Learn about his discovery of Gravity and Optical Theories.
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