Forces and motion. Newton’s Laws

Do you want to know what is the relationship between forces and motion and the laws that determine it?

The online forces and motion simulations on this page will help you understand how forces generate motion and how they modify it in magnitude and direction.

The physics of forces and motion is one of the most important branches of physics. It focuses on studying how objects move in response to forces acting on them.

Newton’s laws are three fundamental principles that describe the motion of objects in space and are the basis of classical physics. The three laws are:

Newton’s first law, also known as the law of inertia, states that an object at rest will remain at rest and an object in motion will continue to move with constant velocity in a straight line unless a net force acts on it.

Newton’s second law states that the net force acting on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration, that is, F = m x a. This means that the greater the force applied to an object, the greater its acceleration and the greater its mass, the harder it is to accelerate it.

Newton’s third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that when one object exerts a force on another object, the second object exerts a force of equal magnitude and opposite direction on the first object.

These laws are fundamental to the understanding of classical physics and apply in a wide variety of situations, from the motion of planets in space to the behavior of everyday objects on Earth.

Below are several simulations and other educational resources, which can also serve as very illustrative examples. In addition, a selection of books and courses is included to help you broaden your knowledge of this subject.

Equation
Mass
Races
Weight
Motion

Analysis of the equation F=ma

This simulation visualizes the relationship between force, mass and acceleration.

Force in a constant mass

This simulation visualizes what happens to the acceleration and velocity when a force is applied to a constant mass.

Drag and push races

Watch these runs of two objects being dragged or pushed by a force and see what happens to the velocity and acceleration when the values of the applied force and the mass of the object are changed.

Click here to start the simulation

Drag by weight

Forces and motion

Explore the forces that act when pulling a cart or pushing a refrigerator, box, or person. Create an applied force and see how it makes objects move. Change the friction and see how it affects the motion of objects.