Newton's blog

Katie Vaughan
4/25/08
Newton Paragraphs
1. Aristotle believed in the constant of acceleration due to gravity. Aristotle noted that even objects with very different weights would fall at the same rate of gravity. Galileo tested this by rolling balls of different weights down the same sloped decline. This would show the equal acceleration, but at a good speed to observe because it was not free falling. We have studied this with the formula of F=mg. G=9.81 m/s^2 and you can use this to see the force applied or the mass of the object that was free falling. The part of the chapter that pertains to this is stated through, “If you drop two bodies that don’t have much air resistance, such as two different lead weights, they fall at the same rate.” This law does not pertain to air resistance that is caught by such objects such as a feather.
2. Another topic that pertains to our physics class was Newton’s 1st Law, which states that “a body will accelerate, or change its speed, at a rate t hat is proportional to the force.” In Newton’s Principia Mathematica is also known as Newton’s First Law it states this law. This law is related to our studies because of the formula F=ma. This equation is used throughout the physics year to find either the force, mass, or the acceleration. The a is always 9.81 m/s^2, if it is on earth, but otherwise you have to find the acceleration due to that planet’s gravity.
3. The last topic that relates to our studies of physics is of the equation of F=Gm1m2/r^2. This applies because of what is stated in the article, “that theory states that every body attracts every other body with a force that is proportional to the mass of each body.” This topic is given to find the mass of either one of the objects, the distance between them, or the force that is applied. The G is a constant given on the physics reference table. This topic that Newton’s theory of gravity, and we learned about this on physics class throughout the year.