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F = ma
This is perhaps the second most iconic equation in physics, after E=mc2 which pretty much everyone has
heard of, this is the next most likely one you’ll have heard of.
It’s famously embodied as Newton’s second law. However it’s really not an obvious law at all.
So lets start by defining terms - we have:
●
F - the force, basically you can think of this as how hard you have to push something. The standard
unit of force is the newton - appropriately enough.
●
m - the mass - mass is a tricky thing, as it can sort of mean two things. You can get away with thinking
of it as the weight of something and whilst not precise, it will do for most everyday cases.
●
a - acceleration - and this tells you how quickly you get quicker (or slower),
ICY SCIENCE | QTR 1 2014