Newton’s Second Law of Motion – Lesson Summary

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Learning Objective

In this lesson we will learn about Newton’s second law of motion.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

  • State Newton’s second law of motion.
  • Describe how Newton’s second law applies to stationary objects and moving objects, with examples.
  • Use Newton’s second law to calculate:
  • Acceleration
  • Net force
  • Mass
  • Define ‘gravitational force’ and explain why it is directly proportional to an object’s mass.
  • Define ‘gravitational acceleration’ and explain why it is unrelated to an object’s mass.
  • Define ‘weight’ and use Newton’s second law to calculate an object’s weight.
  • Define ‘momentum’ and describe how it is related to an object’s mass and velocity.

 
newtons second law of motion lesson contents

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Lesson Topics

1 | Newton’s Second Law

2 | Examples of Newton’s Second Law

3 | Calculating Acceleration Using Newton’s Second Law

4 | Calculating Net Force Using Newton’s Second Law

5 | Calculating Mass Using Newton’s Second Law

6 | Gravitational Force, Gravitational Acceleration and Weight

7 | Momentum

8 | Summary

Lesson Summary

  • Newton’s second law of motion states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass.
  • In other words:
  • An unbalanced force acting on an object will cause the object to accelerate in the direction of the unbalanced force.
  • The rate of acceleration caused by an unbalanced force depends on the magnitude of the force and the mass of the object.
  • Acceleration can be calculated using the formula:
  • newtons second law calculating acceleration formula summary
  • Net force can be calculated using the formula:
  • newtons second law calculating force formula summary
  • Mass can be calculated using the formula:
  • newtons second law calculating mass formula summary
  • Gravitational force is the force that causes unsupported objects to accelerate towards the Earth.
  • Gravitational force is directly proportional to the mass of an object.
  • Gravitational acceleration is the rate at which free-falling objects accelerate due to gravity.
  • Gravitational acceleration is unrelated to the mass of an object.
  • The rate of gravitational acceleration on Earth is 9.8 m/s2.
  • The gravitational force acting on an object is also known as the object’s weight.
  • Weight can be calculated using the formula:
  • newtons second law calculating weight formula summary
  • Since weight is a force, it is measured in newtons (N).
  • Momentum is a term used to define mass in motion.
  • Momentum is directly proportional to an object’s mass and velocity.
  • The greater the momentum of an object, the longer a force needs to be applied to bring it to a stationary position.

 
bobsled downhill acceleration

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(Header image: Morgan Marinoni, Adobe Stock)