Chapter 2 Newtons 1st Law of Motion: The Law of Inertia

Inertia, Net Force, the Equilibrium Rule and Mechanical Equilibrium

OR Why you should always wear your seat belt!

Aristotle vs. Galileo

Falling

Objects

Aristotle - Greater Mass Faster it Falls Galileo How fast an object falls independent of mass
Natural

Motion

Aristotle - earth, water, air and fire.

Natural motion straight up or straight down Rest is the natural state Violent motion imposed motion from push or pull Geocentrism different rules apply to heavens

Unchanging substance (quintessence) Perfect spheres; perfect circles

Aristotle vs. Galileo (Cont.)

Copernicus

Heliocentrism: Sun-centered solar system

Galileo

constant motion is just as natural as the state of rest

Constant motion means unchanging speed and direction (straight-line). He called this property of an object inertia (more on this later)

Newtons First Law of Motion

or the Law of Inertia
Every

object continues in its state of rest, or uniform motion in a straight line, unless compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it. Every object at rest stays at rest, and every object in motion stays in motion at constant speed and direction unless acted on by a net force.

Force and its units

A push or a pull: Field (gravity, electric, magnetic); Contact (mechanical) British Engineering: Pound (lb) Metric: Newton (N) 1 Kg mass weighs about 9.8 N or 2.2 lbs

So 0.98 N is about 0.22 lbs 0.22 lbs is about lb So we could call a pounder a Newton burger! (Would Isaac have been a McDs fan?)

Weight and Force

Same thing; same units. Your weight is the force of the earth on you. We call it the force of gravity. Newtons or pounds.

Inertia Revisited
The resistance to change in the state of motion of an object. The measure of the inertia of an object is its mass. Orthe sluggishness an object exhibits in response to an effort (force) to change its motion (or non-motion).

Net Force
Forces are vector quantities A vector is a quantity in physics that has both magnitude (size), and direction. Represented by arrows Often there are many applied forces. Their vector sum (F) is the net force.

Net Force
F is the symbol for sum of Read the sum of the forces or The net force.

Equilibrium Rule
Another way of viewing the 1st Law Rule: If the net force (F) on something is zero, then that thing is in mechanical equilibrium. F = 0 is a necessary condition for mechanical equilibrium. CAUTION: Mechanical equilibrium does not imply the object is at rest!

Mechanical Equilibrium
State of an object (or system of objects) for which the motion does not change. If moving, it does not speed up, it does not slow down, and it does not change direction. (dynamic equilibrium) If not moving (at rest), it does not begin to move. (static equilibrium)

Support Force
Normally called the normal force. Why? Because it is perpendicular (normal) to the supporting surface. Example: book on table.

Equilibrium of Moving Things

Equilibrium of Moving Things

Motion and Reference Frames

Our moving earth. Example: throw a ball straight up while riding (not driving!) in a car going straight at 60 mph. What is our approximate speed of rotation about the earths axis? What is our approximate speed around the sun?