Explain Newton's laws of motion

The first law is that an object will remain at a constant velocity or stationary (which is just a constant velocity of zero) unless acted upon by an external force.

Once acted upon by this force, then the second law comes into play. This says that F = ma, or Force equals mass times the acceleration of the object.

The third law is easily stated as every action has an equal and opposite reaction. This means the sizes of the forces on the objects will be the same, but the forces will be in opposite directions.

HM
Answered by Harry M. Physics tutor

3911 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

What is terminal velocity and what causes it?


Does a negative acceleration always mean that the object is slowing down?


What is are elastic and inelastic collisions?


What are the different kinds of nuclear radiation?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning