Newton’s Laws and Football


In this activity, you will be reviewing Newton’s Laws of Motion and applying those laws to the game of football. Watch each video below and answer the questions.

Newton’s First Law – CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO
1. Correctly state Newton’s First Law of Motion in your own words.

2. Explain how inertia is used when playing football.

3. Explain how mass affects inertia.

4. Explain ways a quarterback in football could use mass to his advantage to win the game?

Newton’s Second Law - CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO
1. Correctly state Newton’s Second law of Motion in your own words.

2. What is the purpose of this law?

3. Explain how a kicker would use the second law to land a successful kick.

Newton’s Third Law - CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO
1. Correctly state Newton’s Third law of Motion in your own words.

2. What is the goal of an NFL Defender, and how would he use Newton’s Third Law to reach that goal?

3. How is momentum determined in football? Give the equation used, and explain it.

4. Explain the Law of Conservation of Momentum.

5. How does Newton’s Cradle explain momentum and how is this depicted by players in the game?

1 answer

Newton’s First Law – CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

  1. Newton’s First Law of Motion in my own words: An object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will continue moving at the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an outside force.

  2. Inertia in football: Inertia plays a crucial role in football because it describes how players and the ball resist changes to their motion. For example, when a player is stationary, they will remain so until they are tackled or pushed. Similarly, once a ball is thrown or kicked, it will keep moving in the same direction and speed until gravity, air resistance, or contact with another player or object stops it.

  3. Mass and inertia: An object's mass affects its inertia; the greater the mass, the greater the inertia it possesses. In football, heavier players (like linemen) have more inertia, making it harder to move them, while lighter players (like wide receivers) have less inertia, allowing them to change direction more quickly.

  4. Quarterback using mass to his advantage: A quarterback can use their body mass to avoid being sacked, as their weight can help them withstand tackles. Additionally, they can leverage mass to help them throw the ball farther by using their body to generate torque and push their weight into the throw.

Newton’s Second Law - CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

  1. Newton’s Second Law of Motion in my own words: The acceleration of an object depends on its mass and the force applied to it. Specifically, the force is equal to the mass of the object times its acceleration (F=ma).

  2. Purpose of this law: The purpose of Newton’s Second Law is to explain the relationship between the forces acting on an object, its mass, and the resulting acceleration, which is essential for predicting how objects will move when forces are applied.

  3. Kicker using the second law: A kicker would use Newton’s Second Law by applying a significant force to the ball to achieve maximum acceleration during the kick. By using the right technique and generating power through their leg swing, they can kick the ball farther and with greater speed.

Newton’s Third Law - CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

  1. Newton’s Third Law of Motion in my own words: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that whenever one object exerts a force on another, the second object exerts a force of equal magnitude and opposite direction back on the first object.

  2. NFL Defender’s goal and Newton’s Third Law: The goal of an NFL defender is to tackle the ball carrier. They can use Newton’s Third Law by exerting a force on the ball carrier during the tackle; in response, the ball carrier will experience an equal and opposite force, which can help disrupt their momentum, making it easier to bring them down.

  3. Momentum in football: Momentum is determined by the product of an object’s mass and its velocity. The equation used is \( p = mv \), where \( p \) is momentum, \( m \) is mass, and \( v \) is velocity. In football, a player’s momentum can affect their ability to tackle or evade opponents.

  4. Law of Conservation of Momentum: The Law of Conservation of Momentum states that the total momentum of a closed system remains constant if no external forces act upon it. In football, when two players collide, the total momentum before and after the collision remains the same, though it may be transferred between the players.

  5. Newton’s Cradle and its depiction by players: Newton’s Cradle is a device that demonstrates conservation of momentum and energy through a series of swinging balls. In a football game, when one player tackles or blocks another, momentum is transferred just like in the cradle; the momentum of the moving player affects the stationary or less-moving player, causing them to react, akin to the balls in the cradle bouncing back after a transfer of energy.

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