Newton's Laws of Motion

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Newton's laws illustration showing force, mass and acceleration

📚 Part 1: Understanding Newton's Laws

1. Newton's Second Law states that F = ma. What do each of these letters represent?

F = ________________

m = ________________

a = ________________

2. Which of the following best describes acceleration?

How fast an object is moving

A change in speed or direction

The distance an object travels

The mass of an object

3. If you increase the force applied to an object while keeping its mass constant, what happens to its acceleration?

Acceleration decreases

Acceleration increases

Acceleration stays the same

The object stops moving

4. The formula for speed is Speed = Distance ÷ Time. Calculate the speed of a car that travels 120 metres in 8 seconds.

Speed = _______ m/s

✏️ Part 2: Real-Life Applications

5. Explain why a cricket ball requires more force to accelerate than a tennis ball when both are hit with the same acceleration.

6. A cyclist is travelling at constant speed in a straight line, then turns a corner while maintaining the same speed. Is the cyclist accelerating? Explain your answer.

7. Complete the following scenarios using Newton's laws:

a) When you push a shopping trolley, the trolley pushes back on you with _______ force in the _______ direction. (Newton's _______ Law)

b) A car will continue moving at constant speed unless a _______ acts on it. (Newton's _______ Law)

8. Calculate the missing values using the speed formula:

a) Distance = 240m, Time = 12s, Speed = _______ m/s

b) Speed = 25 m/s, Time = 6s, Distance = _______ m

c) Speed = 15 m/s, Distance = 180m, Time = _______ s

🔬 Part 3: Analysis and Application

9. Two identical cars are pushed with the same force. Car A has no passengers, Car B has four passengers. Which car will accelerate more? Use Newton's Second Law to explain your reasoning.

10. Describe three examples from everyday Australian life where you can observe Newton's laws in action. For each example, identify which law is being demonstrated.