UNIT OVERVIEW

Newton's Laws of Motion explain how everything around us moves — from a taxi pulling away from a stop sign to a book resting on your desk. These three laws, developed over 300 years ago, still describe every aspect of motion in our everyday world.

In this unit, you will learn to identify forces, draw diagrams, and use mathematics to predict how objects behave.

What You Will Learn

• Newton's First Law and the concept of inertia
• Newton's Second Law and how to calculate acceleration using $F_{net} = ma$
• Newton's Third Law and why forces always come in pairs
• Different types of forces: weight, normal force, friction, tension, and applied forces
• How to draw accurate free-body diagrams
• How to solve equilibrium problems (forces balance)
• How to solve non-equilibrium problems (objects accelerate)
• Motion on horizontal surfaces and inclined planes
• The difference between static and kinetic friction

Why This Matters