Research Paper: Application of Newton’s Laws of Motion

Application of Newton’s Laws of Motion
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Research paper outline
1 Introduction
2 Discussion
* Aristotle’s Fault
* Galileo’s Concept
* How Newton Backed His Laws?
* Limitations on Newton’s laws of motion
3 Results
* The constant force
* Motion in a Viscous Fluid
* Oscillations and Hooke’s Law
* Forces on Solids and their Elastic response
4 Conclusion
5 References
1 Introduction
The only way a creature or an object can change its position is solely by traveling or by being carried by an external force to a new location. Henceforth, the change in position is termed as motion. One of the earliest physicists to note these changes in the environment is Sir Isaac Newton. Born in 1642, he formulated three laws of motion. However, before stating the assumptions let's first acknowledge him for developing the theory of universal gravitation in 1666, when he was still a young man. The theory is the base of classical mechanics. However, in relation to the study Newton formulated three general rules about the motion of an object that have been named by successors Newton’s three laws of motion.
In 1687, Newton presented the three laws in a manuscript titled ‘philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica,’ which in English means mathematical principles of natural philosophy. The first law states that a body stays in its state of uniform motion in a straight line or at rest until it is forced to change by an external force (Zhong 1). In other words, change in motion of an object is as a result of external force acting upon it (Dourmashkin 5). The idea here is that if there is no external force acting on an object, then the object will remain in its state and that’s constant velocity, but if the object is subjected to external force, its velocity will change. This means that application of external force can bring a moving object to rest or initiate motion of a resting object, can change its direction and can increase or reduce its speed. However, if the object is at rest, the velocity is equal to zero. A concept termed as inertia.
The second law states that ‘the change of motion of an object is proportional to the force impressed upon it, and it acts in a straight line direction towards the force’ (Dourmashkin 6). It expounds how the velocity of a body changes when acted upon by an external force. This is the law put forward the idea that force is equal to the change in momentum per change in time. Where the momentum discussed is the product of mass and velocity. Hence, mathematically force of an object with constant mass is equal to the product of mass and acceleration since acceleration is equal to velocity divided by time (Chang et al. 6). Hence, leading to F=ma equation that describes the connection between mass, force, and acceleration (Zhong 2). Where F is the force, m is mass, and a is acceleration. Thus, if the mass is constant, an increase in force leads to an upsurge of velocity and reduction of time. Also, an alteration of velocity will generate a force.
The third law states that “when an object exerts a force on a body, the body exerts a force equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the object” (Opens tax College 294). In other words, the law declares that for every action there is an equivalent but opposite reaction (Chang et al. 7). According to the law, if object X exerts a force on object Y, object Y exerts also exerts the same force on object X. The third law is essential in illustrating the production of thrust by an aircraft or how wings generate lift.
All these laws are fundamental to the study of objects on motion or mechanics. Besides, the laws were verified through experiments and actual observations (Chang 7). The three laws combined explain how one force is connected to another, for instance, the magnitude of force required to stop or start a motion of a body. Thus, they establish an aspect that resonates through our life and that is what makes many individuals view Newton as the greatest physicist. Henceforth, the study focuses on the application of these laws in real life situation. It also gives the significances of the laws and their setbacks.
2 Discussion
* Aristotle’s Fault
The first law deserves a special notification, not only for the reason that it is the first law, but also because it spawned a discussion that persisted for years (Dourmashkin 5). Before Newton’s laws, Aristotle had coined a theory addressing what is termed as the first law of motion ((Chang et al. 3). According to him, an object in motion required a continuous application of force to keep it on the move and if there is no force applied the object stops moving. A good example is a ball that is in flight, where he would have claimed the air continually adds a force; hence, keeping the ball in flight. Though in reality the force moving it is applied by the person who kicks it and finally it will be brought to rest by the gravitational force. A concept that had not been discovered by the time he derived the theory. Though it seems patently absurd in the contemporary physics, the notion went virtually unchallenged for two centuries (Chang 24).
It was in the 6th century when J. Philoponus, a Byzantine philosopher argued that a body will stay in motion in the absence of the friction force (Chang et al. 3). Perhaps that makes him one of the pioneers of the first law of motion. Additionally, he contended that that velocity is comparative to the difference between force and resistance. Here he developed the argument that for a body to stay in motion the force propelling it must be greater than the opposing force. I. Sina and I. Baja both Arab philosophers backed Philoponus. Peter John Olivi, a French philosopher, was the first Western thinker to criticize Aristotle’s theory. Amongst the scientist who contributed largely to the development of the subject is J. Buridan. He developed an impetus that prefigured all the three laws. According to Buridan an object impacts to another object a certain amount of force proportional to its velocity and mass and this force causes the second object to move a fixed distance. He was right in his perception that weight of an object may decrease or increase its velocity.
* Galileo’s Concept
Galileo Galilei similarly developed a heliocentric theory of the universe, known as the Copernican model, a theory that the church forced him to denounce openly (Chang et al. 3). In his endeavor to prove the Copernican model, Galileo demonstrated why the planets remain in motion as they are. Henceforth, he devised the term inertia to describe the tendency of a body at rest to stay at rest or the tendency of a moving object to remain in motion. These observations are considered as the foundation for the laws of motion by many. After his death, some scientists were interested in comprehending the forces that kept the planets in motion around the sun. These researchers included J. Kepler, E. Halley, C. Wren, R. Hooke and Isaac Newton ((Opens tax College 23). However, while continuing with the research, a dispute arose between Hooke and Wren, Forcing Halley to forward the question to his esteemed friend Newton, who had outlined some laws of motion in his Principia.
* How Newton Backed His Laws?
To support the laws of motion, Newton came up with some observations. For instance, he argued that an apple falling to the ground is compelled to due to gravitational force (Chang et al. 7). He also reasoned that the moon is held by the earth’s gravity though it moves parallel to the earth. He speculated that the moon moved around the earth in the same way as a stone tied to a string is whirled. Henceforth, if the person rotating the stone let it go, the stone will obey the law of inertia and move in a straight line. However, if the holder didn’t let it go it will continue traveling in a circular path; hence, revealing that force is required to pull the string inwards so that it continues in its orbit and force comes from the person holding the string. Hence, showing that the manner in which the moon rotates around the earth is similar to that of a stone being whirled, where gravitational force behaves as the holder of the string pulling the moon inwards, and the moon's inertia balances this force. Finally, he argued that each planet revolving around the sun has the inertia of motion balanced by a gravitational force from the sun.
* Limitations on Newton’s laws of motion
According to the second law F=ma, F must be the net external force, and even the more positive relationship is F (average net external force) =change in mv /change in t (Capecchi 832). Introducing momentum the Equation becomes; F (net external force) = ma. Where m is mass, v is velocity, t is time, and a is acceleration. However, the equation is valid only if the mass i...