Newton's Laws (GCSE) — GCSE Physics Revision
Revise Newton's Laws (GCSE) for GCSE Physics. Step-by-step explanation, worked examples, common mistakes and exam-style practice aligned to AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC, Eduqas, CCEA, Cambridge International (CIE), SQA, IB, AP.
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Go to Stopping DistanceWhat is Newton's Laws (GCSE)?
Newton's three laws of motion describe the relationship between the motion of an object and the forces acting on it. The first law (inertia) states an object stays at rest or in uniform motion unless a resultant force acts on it. The second law states that the resultant force is equal to the mass times the acceleration (F=ma). The third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Board notes: A cornerstone of mechanics for all GCSE Physics boards (AQA, Edexcel, OCR).
Step-by-step explanationWorked example
A car of mass 1000kg accelerates at 2 m/s². What is the resultant force acting on the car? Solution: Using Newton's Second Law, F = ma. F = 1000kg x 2 m/s² = 2000 N.
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Common mistakes
- 1Misunderstanding the first law. An object moving at a constant velocity has zero resultant force acting on it, the same as an object at rest.
- 2Confusing mass and weight in the F=ma equation. 'm' is the mass of the object in kg.
- 3Misinterpreting the third law. The action and reaction forces act on different objects, so they do not cancel each other out.
Newton's Laws (GCSE) exam questions
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Step-by-step method
Step-by-step explanation
4 steps · Worked method for Newton's Laws (GCSE)
Core concept
Newton's three laws of motion describe the relationship between the motion of an object and the forces acting on it. The first law (inertia) states an object stays at rest or in uniform motion unless …
Frequently asked questions
What is inertia?
Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion. The more mass an object has, the greater its inertia.
What is an example of Newton's third law?
When you push against a wall (action), the wall pushes back on you with an equal and opposite force (reaction). Another example is a rocket expelling hot gases downwards (action), and the gases pushing the rocket upwards (reaction).