STUDY OF NEWTON’S LAWS OF MOTION
A PROJECT WORK SUBMITTED FOR THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENT IN PHYSICS OF GRADE XI
SUBMITTED BY:
NAME: ANJIT KANDEL
ROLL NUMBER: 7
CLASS: 11 “G”
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
VISWA NIKETAN SECONDARY SCHOOL
TRIPURESHWOR, KATHMANDU, NEPAL
DATE: 2025
CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
This project entitled “STUDY OF NEWTON’S LAWS OF MOTION’’ by
Anjit Kandel of Viswa Niketan Secondary School, Tripureshwor,
Kathmandu under the guidance of our supervisor Physics teachers is hereby
submitted for the partial fulfillment of the prerequisite of physics of class 11 has
been approved.
Department of Physics
Viswa Niketan Secondary School
(ii)
DECLARATION
I, hereby solemnly and sincerely declare that this project entitled “STUDY OF
NEWTON’S LAWS OF MOTION” is uniquely prepared by me with my own
effort under the guidance and motivation of my supervisors and Physics
teachers.
NAME: ANJIT KANDEL
DATE: 2025-3-3
(iii)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my deepest sense of gratitude and profound regards to my
supervisors, Physics teachers of Viswa Niketan Secondary School, Tripureshwor,
for all the guidance to get my project work completed and documents prepared in
time.
(iv)
ABSTRACT
This project aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of Newton's Laws of
Motion through simple experiments and analysis. It explores the key concepts
involved in the three fundamental laws that govern classical mechanics. The
project begins by explaining the principles of inertia, force and acceleration
relationship, and action-reaction pairs.
Additionally, Newton's Laws of Motion teach us about how objects behave when
forces act upon them. They demonstrate the relationship between force, mass, and
acceleration, revealing the predictable nature of motion in our physical world.
These laws are fundamental to various physical phenomena, from the motion of
vehicles and projectiles to space exploration and sports mechanics, helping us
understand the complexities of motion and its interactions with forces.
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CONTENTS
Pages
1. Introduction
2. Theory/literature review
3. Objectives
4. Applications and Limitations
5. Materials and Methods
6. Results and Discussion
7. Conclusions
8. References
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(vi)
INTRODUCTION
Newton's Laws of Motion are three fundamental physical laws that laid the
foundation for classical mechanics. Formulated by Sir Isaac Newton and published
in 1687 in his work "Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica" (Mathematical
Principles of Natural Philosophy), these laws describe the relationship between the
motion of an object and the forces acting upon it.
The three laws provide a framework for understanding how objects behave when
they are stationary, moving at constant velocity, or accelerating under the
influence of forces. They have been extensively tested and validated through
countless experiments and observations, making them one of the most significant
contributions to physics and engineering.
In mechanics, Newton's Laws of Motion are not just theoretical concepts but
practical principles that help explain countless everyday phenomena and enable
precise calculations for designing machines, vehicles, structures, and even space
missions.
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THEORY
Newton's First Law (Law of Inertia)
The first law states that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion
will remain in motion with a constant velocity (constant speed in a straight line)
unless acted upon by an external force.
Mathematically, when the net force (∑F) acting on a body is zero, the body either
remains at rest or continues to move with uniform velocity.
∑F = 0 ⟹ v = constant or a = 0
This law introduces the concept of inertia, which is the resistance of any physical
object to a change in its state of motion or rest. The mass of an object is a measure
of its inertia.
Examples:
• A book lying on a table remains at rest until a force moves it.
• Passengers in a moving bus tend to move forward when the bus suddenly
stops.
Newton's Second Law (Law of Acceleration)
The second law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to
the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass.
Mathematically, it is expressed as: F = ma
Where:
• F is the net force applied (measured in newtons, N)
• m is the mass of the object (measured in kilograms, kg)
• a is the acceleration (measured in meters per second squared, m/s²)
This law allows us to quantify the relationship between force and motion. When
multiple forces act on an object, the net force determines the acceleration:
∑F = ma
Examples:
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2
•
•
•
A car accelerates faster when more gas is applied (more force)
The same force causes a lower acceleration in a heavier object
A rocket accelerates upward when the thrust force exceeds the gravitational
force
Newton's Third Law (Law of Action and Reaction)
The third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
This means that when one object exerts a force on a second object, the second
object exerts an equal force in the opposite direction on the first object.
Mathematically: FAB = -FBA , Where:
• FAB is the force exerted by object A on object B
• FBA is the force exerted by object B on object A
Examples:
• A swimmer pushes water backward, and the water pushes the swimmer
forward
• A rocket expels gas downward, and the gas pushes the rocket upward
• When walking, we push the ground backward, and the ground pushes us
forward
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LITERATURE REVIEW
The understanding of motion has evolved dramatically over centuries, beginning
with Aristotle (384-322 BCE) who believed objects moved only when forces were
constantly applied and heavier objects fell faster than lighter ones—views that
dominated Western science for nearly two millennia until challenged during the
Renaissance. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) revolutionized this understanding
through his experiments with inclined planes and pendulums, demonstrating that
objects would continue moving indefinitely without friction and that objects of
different masses fall at the same rate in a vacuum, laying crucial groundwork for
the concept of inertia. Johannes Kepler's (1571-1630) laws of planetary motion
and René Descartes' (1596-1650) early formulation of the law of inertia further
paved the way for Isaac Newton (1642-1727) who synthesized these ideas in his
"Principia" (1687), establishing his three laws of motion that unified terrestrial and
celestial mechanics with mathematical precision. In modern times, Newton's laws
have been refined and recontextualized: Ernst Mach (1838-1916) critically
examined the concept of absolute space, while Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
demonstrated through relativity that Newton's laws are approximations that work
well at non-relativistic speeds and weak gravitational fields. Today, Newton's laws
remain fundamental to our understanding of the physical world and continue to
form the foundation of classical mechanics that shapes modern technology and
scientific inquiry across engineering, robotics, vehicle design, and space
exploration—proving that despite their limitations at extreme scales or speeds,
these principles continue to be essential for explaining everyday mechanical
phenomena.
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OBJECTIVES
The following are the main objectives of this project work:
•
To understand the concept of inertia and Newton's First Law
•
To investigate the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration in
Newton's Second Law
•
To demonstrate action-reaction pairs as described in Newton's Third Law
•
To explore practical applications of Newton's Laws in everyday situations
•
To conduct simple experiments that verify Newton's Laws of Motion
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Applications of Newton's Laws
Everyday Transportation
• Cars and Vehicles: Seat belts protect us based on the First Law (inertia), car
engines provide acceleration (Second Law), and tires grip the road using the
Third Law.
• Bicycles: We push backward on the pedals, and the bicycle moves forward
(Third Law).
Sports
• Ball Games: The path of a thrown or kicked ball follows Newton's Laws.
• Swimming: We move forward by pushing water backward (Third Law).
Space Travel
• Rockets: Rockets work by pushing exhaust gases downward to move
upward (Third Law).
Limitations of Newton's Laws
Very High Speeds
• Newton's Laws don't work accurately for objects moving close to the speed
of light.
• Einstein's Theory of Relativity is needed for very fast-moving objects.
Very Small Objects
• At atomic and smaller scales, particles don't follow Newton's Laws.
• Quantum mechanics is needed to describe the behavior of atoms and
subatomic particles.
Strong Gravity
• Near very massive objects like black holes, Newton's description of gravity
isn't accurate.
• Einstein's General Relativity provides a better explanation in these
conditions.
Non-Inertial Frames
• Newton’s 1st and 2nd Laws of Motion are only valid in the Inertial Frame of
References, it’s invalid in Non-Inertial Frames.
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MATERIALS AND METHODS
• To conduct an experiment on the dispersion of light, I used a few materials
such as:
1. Ball (football or marble)
2. Different surfaces (rough floor, smooth floor, and ice or polished surface)
3. Small weights (coins or small objects)
4. Balloons
5. Toy cart or wheeled toy
6. String
Experiments Conducted:
Experiment 1: Demonstrating Newton's First Law
Materials:
•
Ball
•
Different surfaces (rough floor, smooth floor, ice or polished surface)
Procedure:
1. Roll the ball with the same force on rough floor surface
2. Roll the ball with the same force on smooth floor surface
3. Roll the ball with the same force on ice or very smooth polished surface
4. Observe how far the ball travels in each case
5. Note the differences in the distance traveled on each surface
Experiment 2: Verifying Newton's Second Law
Materials:
•
Toy cart or wheeled toy
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•
Coins or small objects for weights
•
String
Procedure:
1. Attach string to the front of toy cart
2. Pull the cart with a steady force and observe its motion
3. Add some weights (coins) to the cart
4. Pull with the same force and observe any changes in motion
5. Add more weights and repeat
6. Compare how the same pulling force affects the cart with different weights
Experiment 3: Demonstrating Newton's Third Law
Materials:
•
Balloon
•
Toy cart (optional)
Procedure:
1. Inflate a balloon but do not tie it
2. Hold the balloon and then release it
3. Observe the motion of the balloon as air escapes
4. Place the inflated balloon on a toy cart, then let the air escape
5. Observe the movement of the cart when air escapes from the balloon
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RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Experiment 1: Newton's First Law
When the ball was rolled with the same force on different surfaces, it traveled
the shortest distance on the rough floor due to high friction. On the smooth floor,
it traveled further, and on the ice or polished surface, it traveled the farthest
distance. This clearly demonstrates Newton's First Law - objects in motion tend
to stay in motion unless acted upon by external forces. In this case, friction acts
as the external force that slows down and eventually stops the ball. With less
friction on smoother surfaces, the ball continues its motion for a longer time and
distance.
These observations confirm that inertia is a fundamental property of objects, and
without external forces like friction, objects would continue moving indefinitely.
Experiment 2: Newton's Second Law
When the toy cart was pulled with a steady force, it moved with a certain
acceleration. After adding weights (coins) to the cart and pulling with the same
force, the cart moved more slowly and with less acceleration. Adding more
weights further reduced the acceleration even though the pulling force remained
the same.
These results directly demonstrate Newton's Second Law: F = ma. When the
force (F) remains constant while mass (m) increases, the acceleration (a) must
decrease proportionally. This inverse relationship between mass and acceleration
was clearly visible in the experiment.
Experiment 3: Newton's Third Law
When the inflated balloon was released, the air rushed out in one direction
(action), and the balloon moved in the opposite direction (reaction). This
demonstrates Newton's Third Law that for every action, there is an equal and
opposite reaction.
Also, when the balloon was placed on the toy cart and released, the escaping air
(action) caused the cart to move in the opposite direction (reaction). This further
verified Newton's Third Law as the force of the air leaving the balloon resulted
in an equal force propelling the balloon/cart in the opposite direction.
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CONCLUSION
In conclusion, from the experiments we've carried out, Newton's Laws of Motion
provide a comprehensive framework for understanding how objects behave
when forces act upon them. The First Law explains the concept of inertia, the
Second Law quantifies the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration,
and the Third Law describes the interaction between objects through actionreaction pairs.
These fundamental principles are not just theoretical constructs but have
practical applications in virtually every aspect of our daily lives, from
transportation and sports to construction and space exploration. The
experiments demonstrated the validity of these laws and their ability to predict
and explain motion under various conditions.
While Newton's Laws have some limitations in extreme conditions (very high
speeds or very small scales), they remain an excellent approximation for most
everyday situations, forming the foundation of classical mechanics and
engineering principles that continue to shape our technological world.
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REFERENCES
1. Physics textbook for Grade XI
2. Halliday, D., Resnick, R., & Walker, J. (2013). Fundamentals of Physics.
John Wiley & Sons.
3. Young, H. D., & Freedman, R. A. (2015). University Physics with Modern
Physics. Pearson.
4. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics
5. 8.01x - Lect 6 - Newton's Laws - YouTube
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