Introduction
In 1686, in the book, Principia Mathematica Philosophiae Naturalis, Sir Isaac Newton penned his three laws of motion. In the first law he states that, “Every body perseveres in its state of rest… unless it is compelled to change that state by forces impressed thereon.” (p. 83) His second law builds upon this principle, “The alteration of motion is ever proportional to the motive forces impressed.” (p. 83) Newton’s third law, perhaps the most famous, serves to tie the three concepts together, “To every object there is always an opposed and equal reaction: or the mutual actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal, and directed to two contrary parts.” (p. 83) Three hundred and thirty years later, Newton’s laws continue …show more content…
From the ball kicked by the soccer player, to packages shipped globally, even to space shuttles that orbit celestial beings. Newton’s Laws allow us to understand the nuances of motion and ultimately manipulate how objects behave in a state of unrest. In Adrian Cho’s article, Drop Test, scientists prepare to drop two cylinders in outer space to prove Galileo’s notion of the equivalence principle, explained by Newton’s Second Law, force equals mass times acceleration. “Although Galileo’s analysis jibes with the equivalence principle, he wouldn’t have understood it that way… Newton proved that the two types of mass were equal by showing that different materials swing at the same rate.” (Cho 2015, p. 1097) This is only one of the many ways in which scientists continue to use Newton’s Laws of Motion. Airbags were created on Newton’s Third Law that, “every action is an interaction.” (Zimba 2009, p. 283) When someone is involved in a car accident, an airbag ensures that the person is not hit with the full force of his or her body hitting the windshield. Instead, the body in motion is de-accelerated as it crashes into the airbag. This slowing down of motion helps to cushion the person’s impact and ultimately save lives. This phenomenon also explains why companies package their products the way they do, using materials such as styrofoam and bubble wrap to cushion impacts while the package is shipped. In the next section, I interview a packaging engineer and learn how she uses Newton’s Laws of Motion to ensure that products reach their destination in good
In 1686, in the book, Principia Mathematica Philosophiae Naturalis, Sir Isaac Newton penned his three laws of motion. In the first law he states that, “Every body perseveres in its state of rest… unless it is compelled to change that state by forces impressed thereon.” (p. 83) His second law builds upon this principle, “The alteration of motion is ever proportional to the motive forces impressed.” (p. 83) Newton’s third law, perhaps the most famous, serves to tie the three concepts together, “To every object there is always an opposed and equal reaction: or the mutual actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal, and directed to two contrary parts.” (p. 83) Three hundred and thirty years later, Newton’s laws continue …show more content…
From the ball kicked by the soccer player, to packages shipped globally, even to space shuttles that orbit celestial beings. Newton’s Laws allow us to understand the nuances of motion and ultimately manipulate how objects behave in a state of unrest. In Adrian Cho’s article, Drop Test, scientists prepare to drop two cylinders in outer space to prove Galileo’s notion of the equivalence principle, explained by Newton’s Second Law, force equals mass times acceleration. “Although Galileo’s analysis jibes with the equivalence principle, he wouldn’t have understood it that way… Newton proved that the two types of mass were equal by showing that different materials swing at the same rate.” (Cho 2015, p. 1097) This is only one of the many ways in which scientists continue to use Newton’s Laws of Motion. Airbags were created on Newton’s Third Law that, “every action is an interaction.” (Zimba 2009, p. 283) When someone is involved in a car accident, an airbag ensures that the person is not hit with the full force of his or her body hitting the windshield. Instead, the body in motion is de-accelerated as it crashes into the airbag. This slowing down of motion helps to cushion the person’s impact and ultimately save lives. This phenomenon also explains why companies package their products the way they do, using materials such as styrofoam and bubble wrap to cushion impacts while the package is shipped. In the next section, I interview a packaging engineer and learn how she uses Newton’s Laws of Motion to ensure that products reach their destination in good