Newton's second law tells us that force is directly proportional to mass and acceleration, such that:
F = m a
Where force is measured in newtons (N).
The three fundamental laws of Newton are:
- Law of inertia: every body resists change.
- Force Law: Force equals mass times acceleration.
- Law of action/reaction: every action will have a particular reaction.
Newton's laws are fundamental to understanding the interaction between bodies. Today they are still valid, although at the atomic level it has some exceptions that quantum mechanics studies.
A 7.5 kg bowling ball would require what force to accelerate it down an alleyway at a rate of 3.2 m/s² down the alley
Data:
m = 7.5 kg
F = ?
a = 3.2 m/s²
The formula to calculate the force is: F = m * a
We clear, but in this case it is not necessary, since we only want to calculate the force.
F = m * a
F = 7.5 kg * 3.2 m/s²
F = 24 N
The force you need to accelerate down the alley is 24 Newtons.