Gr. 11 Physics Concepts: Second Law
And so, we continue on to exploring the Second of Newton's Laws of Motion, and how it connects to the Physics of Car Crashes!!
A definition of Newton's Second Law of Motion: “If the net external force on an object is not zero, the object will accelerate in the direction of the net force. The magnitude of the acceleration is directly proportional to the magnitude of the net force and inversely proportional to the object’s mass.”
It contains the formula, F = ma. This indicates that the acceleration of an object, A, is always parallel to the net force, F, acting on the object. However, since acceleration and velocity might be in different directions, velocity and net force do not need to be in the same direction.
The following image can be applied to all the Laws of motion, however, this image is currently being used in the sense that the car is moving backwards while the passenger is moving forwards and out of the car.
This next image is one of someone being launched forward when the motorcycle is accelerating backwards. Both of the images in this blog post can be used to show all three laws of motion, but in this sense, we are only looking at the second law at the moment.
For example, a passenger can be moving forward in a car while applying the brakes. However, the car and the passenger are still moving forward, but the passenger is accelerating backward. Or, the car can be accelerating backwards, aka braking, and the passenger inside is still moving forwards. Both are examples of Newton's Second Law. It is something that people experience everyday within any mode of transportation, really.
