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Newton’s 3 Laws, with a bicycle - Joshua Manley

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Why would it be hard to pedal a 10,000 pound bicycle? This simple explanation shows how Newton’s 3 laws of motion help you ride your bike.

Newton’s second law is often described as F = MA but this is misleading and does not describe what happens when multiple forces act. For this reason, a more accurate description is that the sum of all the forces acting on a single object equals mass times acceleration; Or Fnet = MA. Forces which act in the same direction on a single object add together while forces which act in opposite directions subtract. Explain why, if objects in motion stay in motion and objects at rest stay at rest as mentioned in the talk, your bicycle eventually comes to a stop when you stop pedaling. Hint: Which forces are responsible for stopping you?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Director Candy Kugel
  • Educator Joshua Manley
  • Producer Marilyn Kraemer
  • Animator Rick Broas
  • Narrator Joshua Manley

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