Limitations of Newton's Laws by George Reddick

Discussing Newton's Laws

george_reddick — 2023-11-01 18:18:28 UTC

In this padlet, all five sections of Mr. Reddick's sciences classes will get to discuss the limitations of Newton's Laws. The goal is to think about the situations in which Newton's Laws of motion are useful and try to identify some cases in which Newton's Laws are perhaps not applicable.

To do this, students can post scenarios in which Newton's Laws will work well (green cards), scenarios in which they are not sure (yellow cards), and scenarios in which they think Newton's Laws may not apply (red cards).

Then, on each of these examples, students can post questions, evidence, or logical arguments about whether or not Newton's Laws apply to the scenario, and explain why!

Green Examples

george_reddick — 2023-11-01 18:19:25 UTC

If you think you have a scenario for which Newton's Laws work well, please type it into the column for the law that would apply to it, and make the background of your note green!

Yellow Examples

george_reddick — 2023-11-01 18:20:08 UTC

If you write up an example of motion that you are not sure about, please make these comments yellow! Do your best to place it in a reasonable column based on which law you are not sure applies well.

Red Examples

george_reddick — 2023-11-01 18:20:50 UTC

If you can think of an example of motion that one of Newton's Laws does not apply to, then please type it up and make the comment background red!

sticky hand

2023-12-15 04:10:29 UTC

I pull them let go of one end of a sticky hand, the sticky hand pulls back together

book

2023-12-15 04:12:59 UTC

a book staying still until pushed or a ball rolling unless stopped by something.

10kg object

2023-12-15 04:16:10 UTC

push a 10-kilogram object with a force of 20 Newtons, it will accelerate at 2 meters per second squared due to the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration.

bike

2023-12-17 10:39:59 UTC

The bike will keep moving until it hits a pothole.

Pistons

2023-12-25 19:06:48 UTC

What happens when two objects run into each other?

Moving object

2023-12-27 15:57:11 UTC

We are able to find the amount force being applied to a moving object when given the acceleration and mass of the object using Newton's second law of motion, creating an equation, F= ma, with F = Force, m = mass, and a = acceleration.(RV)

Gravity

2023-12-27 15:58:31 UTC

Gravity is classified as an object but does not take up space and does not have mass. This means that we are unable to use F = ma to find the force of gravity.(RV)

Energy

2023-12-27 16:06:25 UTC

Are we able to find the force of energy with F = ma.(RV)

A vase stayin still untill something knocks it over or a moving object stopping.

2024-01-11 04:36:24 UTC

An objects being able to sit still without somethinf interupting the f=ma

2024-01-11 04:39:19 UTC

Throwing a ball against the wall will make the force between the ball and wall push the ball of the wall and bakc to where it was originallt thrown if it has equal gravity coming towards and off the wall.

2024-01-11 04:41:10 UTC

Bowling ball

2024-12-05 18:31:48 UTC

you roll a bowling ball into a lane until it hits the pins.

box

2024-12-06 16:03:26 UTC

a box stays still unless pushed by another force.

Gravity isn't an object

2024-12-06 17:21:21 UTC

Gravity is the warping of spacetime caused by an object.

Speed of Light

george_reddick — 2024-12-06 17:21:50 UTC

When objects are moving near the speed of light, a net force may no longer cause an acceleration, or the same amount of acceleration, as when the object is moving at normal velocities.

Bacteria.

2024-12-06 17:37:50 UTC

Some microorganisms with flagella (tiny tail things that help them move) have a very "odd elasticity" which don't cause an equal and opposite reaction on it.

Electricity

2024-12-06 17:46:22 UTC

Could we find the acceleration of an electron by F = ma?

2024-12-06 18:07:48 UTC

When a person is standing, the ground would be pushing on the ground, the ground pushes up on it.

Hill

2024-12-06 21:48:47 UTC

what if an object accelerating down a hill hits an object but the object accelerating continues to accelerate

Blowing air

2024-12-06 21:51:55 UTC

if I blow air out of my mouth, than the air wouldn't be opposite to the force I used to accelerate it out of my mouth.

Statue

2024-12-09 20:58:42 UTC

This statue stays completely still standing on the ground below it. It will remain at rest like this unless an external force (like a person pushing it over) acts on it and makes it move.

Spinning top

2024-12-09 21:00:44 UTC

I'm not sure if Newton's 1st Law applies to this example, because according to the 1st law it should stay in motion (spinning) unless acted on by an outside force, but the spinning top stops spinning eventually no matter what. Is this due to an outside force or because it fell on it's own?

Hockey Puck

2024-12-09 21:03:56 UTC

A hockey puck is an example of something that does not obey Newton's 1st Law of Motion because it can switch between resting and moving immediately without outside forces acting on it.

Bullet

2024-12-09 21:07:30 UTC

A bullet being fired out of a gun is a good example of F = ma because the bullet has mass and the force of the gunshot's explosion causes it to accelerate.

Light

2024-12-09 21:09:03 UTC

I'm not sure if light or the speed of light is a good example of F = ma because light is lacking mass but includes force and acceleration.

Gravity

2024-12-09 21:10:37 UTC

Gravity is not always an example of F = ma because it always has force and mass, but not always acceleration. When something is at rest, it can't be accelerating, but gravitational force can still be enacted onto it.

Skydiver

2024-12-09 21:23:52 UTC

Action force is gravity pushing skydiver down, and reaction force is normal force and the air pushing against him.

Air

2024-12-09 21:24:50 UTC

How do the air molecules on Earth deal with opposing and equal forces?

Sun

2024-12-09 21:26:30 UTC

The sun has such great mass that there isn't an equal and opposing force going against it.

table

2024-12-11 16:38:59 UTC

a table staying on the ground until it is pushed to the side

light

2024-12-11 16:40:17 UTC

This may show f=ma but I'm not sure if it has mass and weight.

rolling on ice

2024-12-11 16:46:09 UTC

this doesnt follow the tird law and it can rest and move weird on the ice.

Ball

2026-01-09 19:36:33 UTC

A ball rolling until it is stopped by someone's foot.

Object

2026-01-09 19:39:24 UTC

A 5-kg object being pushed with a force of 10 Newtons will accelerate at a speed of 1 meter per second.

3rd Law.

2026-01-09 19:42:47 UTC

When you jump, you push down on the earth, and the earth pushes up on you.

Bicycle

2026-01-12 05:45:37 UTC

Riding straight until they hit a wall that stops them

Running

2026-01-12 05:51:19 UTC

A runner has mass, and the running is accelerating.

Trampoline

2026-01-12 05:54:40 UTC

Jumping up and the trampoline pushing down

Jumping on a trampoline

2026-01-12 18:11:48 UTC

When a person is on a trampoline and they push down on it, they that force they exert causes the trampoline to push back with the same force, causing the person to bounce.

Merry-Go-Rounds

2026-01-12 23:03:28 UTC

On a merry-go-round, the force comes from acceleration, not an outside interaction, making the force not really have a reaction pair.

Curving

2026-01-12 23:12:38 UTC

If a small marble is spinning on a vinyl, it will appear to curve to someone watching it spin.

Football

2026-01-12 23:14:15 UTC

When someone catches a football that was thrown at them, it stops moving because of the outside force (the person's hands)

Bookshelf

2026-01-13 07:54:08 UTC

The bookshelf stays on the ground until it's moved and put somewhere else

baseball and baseball bat

2026-01-13 17:51:50 UTC

When the baseball player hit the ball, the baseball and baseball bat would feel the same amount of force because of Newton's third law

computer

2026-01-13 18:21:53 UTC

A computer sitting still on a desk, the object is not being acted on by any other forces, other than the normal force and gravity, then the computer starts moving to the left.