Newton's Laws
What is Newton's First Law of Motion?
An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an external force.
What is a contact force?
A force that requires physical contact between two objects (e.g., friction, tension).
What is a trebuchet?
A type of catapult that uses a counterweight to launch a projectile.
What is inertia?
The tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion.
What is the importance of force diagrams (like the one we did about a catapult yesterday)?
They visually represent all the forces acting on an object, helping to analyze motion.
According to Newton's Second Law, what is the formula for calculating force?
Force = mass × acceleration (F = ma).
Name two examples of non-contact forces.
Gravity and magnetism.
Describe a ballista.
A ballista is a large crossbow that uses tension to launch projectiles.
How does inertia relate to mass?
The greater the mass of an object, the greater its inertia.
Name a real-world application of Newton's laws.
Designing safety features in cars, such as seatbelts and airbags.
Or any other examples that represent Newton's laws
What does Newton's Third Law state about action and reaction?
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
What is friction? What role does it play in motion?
Friction is a force that opposes motion between two surfaces in contact. It slows down or stops moving objects.
What are the main components of a catapult?
Base, arm, pivot point, and projectile holder.
Provide an example of inertia in everyday life.
A passenger in a car continues moving forward when the car suddenly stops.
Or a similar example
What happens to an object in motion if no net force acts on it?
It continues to move at a constant velocity (Newton's First Law).
How does mass affect the acceleration of an object?
Greater mass results in less acceleration for the same amount of force applied. (or a similar answer)
How do gravitational forces affect objects on Earth?
It pulls objects toward the center of the Earth, giving them weight.
How does the energy transfer in a catapult launch?
Potential energy is converted into kinetic energy when the arm is released.
Why do passengers lurch forward in a car when it suddenly stops?
Because their bodies continue moving forward due to inertia.
How do catapults demonstrate the principles of physics?
They illustrate concepts like energy transfer, force, and projectile motion.
Give an example of each of Newton's three laws in real life.
1st: A book on a table stays still until pushed.
2nd: Pushing a car requires more force than pushing a bicycle.
3rd: A swimmer pushes water backward to move forward.
-Or any answer that is similar to these three
Explain how balanced forces differ from unbalanced forces.
Balanced forces do not change an object's motion (net force is zero), while unbalanced forces cause an object to accelerate or change direction.
Compare and contrast a catapult and a slingshot.
Both launch projectiles, but a catapult uses a lever and counterweight, while a slingshot uses elastic material to propel the object.
Or something along those lines!
How does inertia affect an object in motion?
An object in motion will continue moving at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force.
Discuss the historical significance of catapults in warfare.
Catapults revolutionized siege warfare by allowing armies to attack fortified positions from a distance