How Newton's 2nd Law is represented in a catapult? - ProProfs Discuss
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How Newton's 2nd Law is represented in a catapult?

Asked by Zyrisheunice, Last updated: Apr 12, 2024

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J. Pollock

J. Pollock

J. Pollock
J. Pollock, Science Professor, Los Angeles

Answered Sep 02, 2020

Newton's Second Law is characterized by mass, acceleration, and force with which an object is moving. This Law of motion asserts that force equals mass times acceleration.

• When you multiply the mass of an item, you will arrive at the force it is using.

• This Law can relate to several situations during the launch of the catapult.

• Newtons' 2nd Law of Motion works by knowing that F=ma. Objects of greater mass involve more force to result in the same distance, which is traveled by a lighter object.

• There is a clear statement concerning the relationship between the angle of a catapult and the flight of an object.

• Catapults are an effective way to learn about the relationship between force, mass, and function.

• The relationship F=ma is called Newton's Second Law of Motion because it utilizes a mathematical equation to explain the relationship between all three.

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Howard Reyes

Howard Reyes

Howard Reyes
Howard Reyes, Science Teacher, California

Answered Sep 02, 2020

Before I explain how Newton's 2nd Law applies to a catapult, it is important that you understand what the law is all about since every explanation I'm going to make will be on it. Newton's second law of motion simply explains that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the force being applied to it and inversely proportional to the mass of the object.

Mathematically, Newton's second law can be simplified as F=ma. This means if you increase the force being applied to an object, the acceleration of the object will also increase. However, if you increase the mass of the object, you will also need to increase the force acting upon an object, otherwise, the acceleration of the object will decrease.

So if we relate this to a catapult, it means if you increase the force, the acceleration of the object to be launched with a catapult will also increase, but the acceleration of the object will decrease if you decide to increase the mass of the object alone.

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