Physics

Glorian G. Serrano Villamil

Say that a couple is sitting on a bench at the park drinking some coffee during a warm morning.  If they stay long enough and occasionally watch the world around them they can definitely appreciate and feel how the world works in so many different ways. Humans, animals, the environment, and climate even themselves behave in certain ways according to various circumstances, according to the pass of time. Now, what should be called these “circumstances”? What about those “reactions” that are often observed so intriguingly but not understood many of the time? Perhaps nature responds to some actions very randomly sometimes, but other times are quite precise patterns that somehow make sense and describe what is actually happening among us all.  Many people in the past have made themselves the very same question that many of us do now, what exactly is causing all of these “randomness”? How do we explain the cause/effect of universe existence? Few people have actually got the right answers and from them, humankind learns today.

One of these excellent teachers, Sir Isaac Newton appeared in 1687 publishing the book titled “Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy”, where he explained the laws of motion. Legend has it that his inspiration to begin with all of his experiments and calculus methods happened when an apple fell onto his head. Some might think, How uncertain! But actually this kind of thing, as simple as it is, represents physics as a daily life aspect. Now, what are these laws of motion that explain universe behavior? 

Newton’s First Law of Motion is called the Law of Inertia. It says that an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion, with the same direction and speed unless it is corrupted by an unbalanced force. In other words, motion or lack of motion cannot change without an unbalanced force. Picture a ball flying through air as a projectile. This law would predict that the ball will continue to move forever, however, that clearly is not the case since it is known that some other forces such as the gravitational force and friction force are acting on the ball making it change its direction and speed until it eventually stops. Nonetheless, in places without these opposing forces, like outer space, the ball would just keep moving. 

Newton’s Second Law of Motion involves the object’s mass and its acceleration stating that the acceleration of an object produced by its total applied forces relates to its mass. To have a clearer idea about what it is been discussed, the equation that describes Newton’s Second Law is: 

F=ma 

The relation between the variables affirms that the greater the mass, the greater the force needed to accelerate or move the object. It is precise to clarify that here the acceleration’s direction can be both positive and negative. It all depends on the problem given and the required solution. Imagine two trucks, one weighs 10,000 lbs and the other weighs 6,000 lbs. Which of both is going to be easier to move? Automatically the answer by many would be the truck with the less mass. The answer is correct, but why? Objects that have more weight will require greater unbalanced force to move. This is the reason of why the lighter truck will move easier than the other. 

For every action there’s a consequence! Newton’s Third Law of Motion says that for every action (force), there is an equal yet opposite reaction (force). The thing is that forces are found in pair. For example, the very same people from the beginning sitting on a bench at the park, their bodies are pushing down a force on the bench while the bench is pushing them up. According to this law, the force exerted downward by the two people to the bench must be equal from the bench to the people but upward. This law is as simple as it gets and is seen everywhere, everyday in any type of situation. 

Newton’s Laws of Motion are the base of the basics, not only in physics but in all sciences as well. They help describe and explain the smallest details about reactions between objects, particles, molecules, planets, living things, etc. These are the laws of the universe in its own infinity, if you will. The more we know about the world, the more we need these science teachers and their famous laws even more when they have recognized and approved their work from each other through the years, along the history of science. Without any doubt, motion is constantly changing and so science grows as the earth evolves.