Identify which of Newton’s Three Laws of Motion for given scenarios.

Question

An object flying through space will continue moving until gravity pulls it down to a planet. Answer:
A car traveling on a road. The tires push forward on the road but the road pushes on the tires. Answer:
Two people sitting in rolling chairs push off of each other and move in opposite directions. The smaller person accelerates faster than the larger. Based on Newton’s Second Law of Motion, how would an increase in mass affect an object’s acceleration? Answer:
Is force a scalar or vector? Answer:
How is a scalar quantity different from a vector quantity? Answer:

Answer 1

Let's analyze each of your scenarios based on Newton's Three Laws of Motion:

1. An object flying through space will continue moving until gravity pulls it down to a planet.
   Answer: This scenario illustrates Newton's First Law of Motion, also known as the law of inertia. It states that an object in motion will remain in motion at a constant velocity unless acted upon by a net external force. In this case, the force of gravity is the external force that changes the object's motion.

2. A car traveling on a road. The tires push forward on the road but the road pushes on the tires.
   Answer: This scenario demonstrates Newton's Third Law of Motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Here, the tires exert a force on the road (action), and in response, the road exerts an equal force back on the tires (reaction), allowing the car to move.

3. Two people sitting in rolling chairs push off of each other and move in opposite directions. The smaller person accelerates faster than the larger. Based on Newton’s Second Law of Motion, how would an increase in mass affect an object’s acceleration?
   Answer: This scenario can be explained by Newton's Second Law of Motion, which states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass (F = ma). An increase in mass will result in a decrease in acceleration if the force remains constant; therefore, the smaller person, having less mass, will accelerate faster than the larger person when they push off each other.

4. Is force a scalar or vector?
   Answer: Force is a vector quantity. This means that it has both magnitude and direction.

5. How is a scalar quantity different from a vector quantity?
   Answer: A scalar quantity has only magnitude (e.g., temperature, mass, time) and no direction. In contrast, a vector quantity has both magnitude and direction (e.g., force, velocity, displacement). This distinction is significant in physics because it influences how quantities combine and interact in various situations.