Physics 1100 – Spring 2012 Inertia, Forces and Acceleration: The Legacy of Sir Isaac Newton Objects in Motion.

Physics 1100 – Spring 2012

Inertia, Forces and Acceleration:

The Legacy of Sir Isaac Newton

Objects in Motion

Physics 1100 – Spring 2012

Chapter 2 - Newton’s First Law of Motion - Inertia

• Aristotle on Motion• Copernicus and the Moving Earth• Galileo and the Leaning Tower• Galileo's Inclined Planes• Newton’s First Law of Motion !!!• Net Force• The Equilibrium Rule• Support Force• Equilibrium of Moving Things

Physics 1100 – Spring 2012

A Little History

• Aristotle (~320 BC)

– Air, earth, fire, water

– Unnatural motion – Horizontal motion

– Testing of theories not considered needed so his ideas lasted for 2000 years.

• Galileo Galilei (~1640)

– Provided new theories based on observation and experiment.

– Stones twice as heavy do not fall twice as fast as Aristotle said

– Experimented with balls and incline planes

– Inertia!

• Isaac Newton (~1700)

– Three laws of motion

– Laws of gravitation

– Greatest scientific book: Principia Mathematica Philosophiae Naturalis - 1687

Physics 1100 – Spring 2012

Galileo and Falling Bodies

Galileo and Inclined Planes

Physics 1100 – Spring 2012

Physics 1100 – Spring 2012

Inclined Planes and Inertia

Physics 1100 – Spring 2012

Newton’s 1st law - Inertia

If the total “resultant” force acting on an object is zero, the object will either remain at rest or it would move along a line with a constant velocity.

Physics 1100 – Spring 2012

Newton Says

• A ball sitting still will stay that way, unless acted upon by a force.

An object that is not subjected to any outside forces moves at constant velocity, covering equal distances in equal times, along a straight path,

x(t) = x(0) + vt

Newton’s 1st Law

Inertia Mass

• This is not intuitively obvious.

Physics 1100 – Spring 2012

Examples of Inertia

Physics 1100 – Spring 2012

Force Has Direction!

Net Force

Physics 1100 – Spring 2012

Stable Equilibrium, F = 0

Physics 1100 – Spring 2012

Physics 1100 – Spring 2012

A package falls off a truck that is moving at 30 m/s. Neglecting air resistance, the horizontal speed of the package just before it hits the ground is:

A) more than 30 m/s.

B) zero.

C) about 30 m/s.

D) less than 30 m/s but larger than zero.

E) More information is needed for an estimate.

Physics 1100 – Spring 2012

Whirl a rock at the end of a string and it follows circular

path. If the string breaks, the tendency of the rock is to

A) follow a straight-line path.

B) continue to follow a circular path.

C) revolve in a smaller circle

D) increase its speed

Physics 1100 – Spring 2012

If no external forces are acting on a moving object it will

A) continue moving at the same velocity.

B) continue moving at the same speed.

C) move slower and slower until it finally stops.