Definition

Noun: 1. Newton's law: One of the three fundamental principles of classical mechanics that describe the relationship between the motion of an object and the forces acting upon it. These laws form the foundation for much of physics and engineering.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Understanding Newton's law of universal gravitation is essential for celestial mechanics.
  • The engineer applied Newton's law to calculate the forces on the bridge structure.
  • The first of Newton's law states that an object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an external force.

Advanced Usage

• "to obey Newton's law": To behave in a manner that is consistent with the principles of Newtonian mechanics.
  • The motion of the planets appears to obey Newton's law of gravitation with remarkable accuracy.
• "a consequence of Newton's law": A result or outcome that can be derived from Newton's laws.
  • The conservation of momentum is a direct consequence of Newton's law.

Variants and Related Words

• Newton's first law (law of inertia): An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
• Newton's second law (F=ma): The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass.
• Newton's third law (action-reaction): For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
• Newtonian mechanics: The branch of physics based on Newton's laws of motion.

Synonyms

• Law of motion
• Newtonian law

Related Phrases

• "go back to Newton's law": To revert to or re-examine the fundamental principles.
  • When the complex model failed, the scientists had to go back to Newton's law for a basic understanding.

Related Idioms

• "It's not rocket science; it's just Newton's law": Used to suggest that something is based on simple, fundamental principles and is not as complicated as it may seem.
  • Figuring out why the cart rolls downhill isn't difficult; it's not rocket science, it's just Newton's law.

Noun

1. one of three basic laws of classical mechanics