#ScienceSunday In honor of our next generation of lawyers who are taking the Bar Exams this month, this weeks #ScienceSunday will feature #ScientificLaws A scientific law can often be reduced to a mathematical statement, such as E = mc²; its a specific statement based on empirical data, and its truth is generally confined to a certain set of conditions. For example, in the case of E = mc², c refers to the speed of light in a vacuum. #LawsofMotion #Newton Newtons Three Laws of Motion form an essential component of modern physics. And like many scientific laws, theyre rather elegant in their simplicity. The first of the three laws states an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. For a ball rolling across the floor, that outside force could be the friction between the ball and the floor, or it could be the toddler that kicks the ball in another direction. The second law establishes a connection between an objects mass (m) and its acceleration (a), in the form of the equation F = m × a. F represents force, measured in Newtons. Its also a vector, meaning it has a directional component. Owing to its acceleration, that ball rolling across the floor has a particular vector, a direction in which its traveling, and its accounted for in calculating its force. The third law states, For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. That is, for every force applied to an object or surface, that object pushes back with equal force.
Posted on: Sun, 19 Oct 2014 05:05:20 +0000