Your car breaks down. As your friends help you push it, it begins to move and speed up. is this newtons first law, second law or third?
This scenario is an example of Newton's second law of motion. Newton's second law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the force applied to it and inversely proportional to its mass. In this case, as your friends exert a force on the car by pushing it, its acceleration increases and the speed of the car also increases.
The situation you described can be categorized under Newton's second law of motion. Newton's 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. In this case, as you and your friends apply a force to push the car, the car's acceleration increases because the net force acting on it (the force applied by you and your friends) is greater than the resisting forces (such as friction).
The situation you described can be related to Newton's first law, also known as the law of inertia. Newton's first law states that an object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will stay in motion with the same speed and direction, unless acted upon by an external force. In this case, the car was initially at rest, and when your friends helped you push it, it started moving and eventually gained speed.
To get a better understanding of Newton's laws, let's delve into each one:
1. Newton's first law: It describes the concept of inertia, which is the resistance of an object to changes in its motion. An object will remain at rest or in constant motion unless acted upon by an external force.
2. Newton's second law: It relates to the acceleration of an object when a force is applied to it. The second law states that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration. It can be mathematically expressed as F = ma.
3. Newton's third law: This law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When an object exerts force on another object, the second object exerts an equal and opposite force on the first object.
In the scenario you described, your friends helping to push your car applies a force to overcome the car's inertia or resistance to motion. As a result, the car starts to move and gains speed. This situation aligns with Newton's first law, as the car remained at rest until an external force was applied to set it in motion.