First Law of Newton and Reference Frames
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ScribdTranslationsFirst Law of Newton and Reference Frames
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ScribdTranslationsFIRST LAW OF NEWTON'S MOTION
The statement of Newton's first law says:
An object remains at rest or in a state of motion with constant velocity,
unless a net force intervenes on the object changing its velocity and direction.
This law is also known as the LAW OF INERTIA. In physics, Inertia is the
resistance or opposition to a change in the state of motion. If an object is at rest, its
The tendency is to remain at rest; if, on the contrary, it is moving in a straight line, its tendency
to continue moving in that direction at the same speed.
Considering the above, the velocity vector remains constant (same magnitude,
same direction), only if the net force acting on an object is zero.
It may happen that multiple forces are acting on the object, but if their net force
If zero, the object will not be able to accelerate.
Mathematically
⃗ =0
A vector can only have a magnitude of zero if all its components are also zero, because
Thus, this condition can be represented by an equation for each dimension in a
rectangular coordinate system, that is to say
∑ = 0, ∑= 0, =∑0
When the net force acting on an object is zero, it is said that the object is in equilibrium.
mechanical, with two possible states for such a condition.
Static equilibrium, when the body is at rest, that is if ⃗ = 0
Dynamic equilibrium, when the body is moving in a straight line at the same speed.
⃗=
INERTIAL REFERENCE FRAME
In Physics, reference frames are coordinate systems that allow the description of the
movement of a body. To apply Newton's laws, it is customary to choose a frame of
local reference that, in relation to the rest of the universe, is at rest or is moving in
straight line with constant velocity with respect to other reference frames. That frame is
known as INERTIAL REFERENCE FRAME, this name is associated with the first law
Newton's law also known as the law of inertia.
Newton's laws do not hold for all reference frames, they are only valid in
inertial reference frames. To determine if we are dealing with an inertial reference frame
we just need to verify if the first law of Newton is fulfilled. If = 0object at rest
or in motion with constant speed) when the if =⃗ 0, then the frame of reference in
which measures the acceleration ⃗ , it is an inertial frame.
Saying that an inertial reference frame has constant velocity is equivalent to saying that the frame
it is not accelerated (the coordinate system is not accelerating)
To better understand this, let's imagine that a car travels at a constant speed of 50 km/h,
inside the vehicle on the dashboard there is a cell phone. For an observer
located inside the car, the cell phone remains at rest, that is, stationary with respect to
passenger. For a person observing the car passing by from a sidewalk on the side of the road, the
The passenger and the cellphone move together with the vehicle at a constant speed. In both cases
the principle of Inertia is fulfilled, therefore, the frames of reference are inertial. However,
If the car accelerates or stops, the cell phone will start to move without the need for a force to act.
about the cell phone to move it. In this last case, Newton's First Law is not valid because
that we are facing a non-inertial reference frame.
A fairly close example of an inertial reference frame can be found in the
space in a spacecraft that is traveling in a straight line at a constant speed away from everything
the masses that can influence its movement.
