Story One Physics -
Newton’s Second Law of Motion
Newtonian mechanics describes the motion of bodies under a system of forces. The second law states that a change in an object’s velocity is a function of the object’s mass and amount of force applied to the object. This principle governs the motion of all things, including bicycles, autos and rockets. The Second Law is expressed by the equation Force=Mass x Acceleration or F = ma.
How the physics is depicted
The amount of spring compression in the Newtonian pinball-like launch device provides a visual representation of force magnitude and the size of each Newtonian provide a visual representation of differing mass. To satisfy the equation F = ma, if mass (m) increases, and acceleration (a) remains the same, the force (F) must increase to balance the equation. This relationship is expressed in the story by comparisons similar to that shown in the adjacent image.
More than you wanted to know …
Planet Newtonia is named after Sir Isaac Newton, famed English mathematician, physicist, and astronomer who formulated the three laws of motion.
Planet Newtonia is located in the Galilei Stellar Stream, which is named after Galileo Galilei, an Italian scientist who conducted experiments on the motion of bodies and wrote precursors to Newton’s Laws.
Hooke’s Law states that a spring’s force is a linear function of how much a spring is compressed or stretched. An approximation of the term “Hooke’s Law” is hidden in the book’s text. - can you find it?