Feb 12, 2007
Newton’s Laws Explained With Lego
Everyone who studies any science at school will have come across Newton’s Laws of Motion. His three physical laws explain the relationships between the forces acting on a body and the motion of that body and were first published in 1687 in his magnum opus – Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica.
Newton’s laws underpin so-called classical mechanics, as opposed to quantum mechanics or relativity theory. I’ve summarised them below, but you’ll get a much clearer understanding of bodies in motion if you watch the video.
- Objects stay still or move with constant velocity unless a force pulls on them or gives them a shove
- Pulling or shoving an object changes its velocity (accelerates it) at a rate proportional to the force of the pull or shove
- If you shove or pull an object it will pull or shove back with an equal and opposite force
And remember, gravity isn’t just a good idea, it’s the law!
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I’d love to find some more Lego animations explaining scientific principles, anyone care to mock up a Lego train with a flashlight and a miniature Einstein figure to do relativity?
db
Awesome – definitely blogroll-worthy. : )
Coming soon Einstein’s Theory of Relativity in Meccano! (I wish)
db
Oh, by the way, Newton postulated the existence of gravity not because an apple fell on his head, but because he observed a comet and realised it was somehow being swung around behind the sun.
Hey everyone! This is Zach M., the creator of the video.
I’m glad you liked the movie, and I am aware of a few errors in my science. But nonetheless, I’m still glad you enjoyed it!