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law of motion

law of motion

3 3.9
A rule that shows how pushes and pulls change how things move, for example by starting or stopping
  • noun
  • /lɔː ʌv ˈmoʊʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ley del movimiento
  • Newton's first law of motion states that an object at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by a force.
  • Newton's laws of motion
  • the three laws of motion
  • the third law of motion

You clearly see the physical laws of motion.

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Examples

  • With unusual enthusiasm, he describes to his pupils the beauty of Newton's three laws of motion.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Unlike his first and third laws, Newton's second law of motion is an equation: F = ma.

    Academic text (2004)
  • It's called the law of motion of the system.

  • In truth, it was such a small thing... but how could he have forgotten the basic laws of motion?

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Physics problems can be designed that incorporate the laws of motion involved in monster truck events.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Newton's first law of motion.

  • So Newton's laws of motion are involved in all stages of this exciting, thrilling, super fast, high energy sport.

  • But armed with Newton's laws of motion, they could describe the relations among force, mass, and acceleration under all conditions.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Isaac Newton's three laws of motion are staring you right in the face every time you go ice skating.

  • That's why we've been able to unravel the secrets of the solar system, complements of the laws of motion of Isaac Newton.

Synonyms

Newton's law
vslaw of motion
  • Specialized
2 3.8

Three basic rules that explain how pushes and pulls change the motion of objects

is the conventional collective name for those three basic principles
Newton's law of motion
vslaw of motion
  • Specialized
1 3.5

Three basic rules that explain how objects move and push each other in physics

is the standard collective term for those three fundamental principles
Newton's first law
vslaw of motion
  • Specialized
1 4.1

An object stays still or keeps moving at the same speed and direction unless a force acts on it

is the complete trio of principles rather than this single inertia idea
first law of motion
vslaw of motion
  • Specialized
1 4.1

An object stays still or keeps moving at the same speed and direction unless a force acts on it

refers to the full group of three foundational motion principles rather than one
Newton's second law
vslaw of motion
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A rule that shows how force, mass and acceleration relate

is the complete set of three principles, not only this momentum relation
Newton's third law of motion
vslaw of motion
  • Specialized
1 3.9

Every force causes an equal force in the opposite direction

is the broader set of three principles rather than this reciprocal statement
third law of motion
vslaw of motion
  • Specialized
1 4.2

Every push on an object causes an equal push back in the opposite direction

refers to the full trio of foundational principles rather than this single rule
law of action and reaction
vslaw of motion
  • Specialized
1 4.1

Every push or pull makes an equal force in the opposite direction

is the collective term for three foundational mechanics principles, not only this pair rule
Newton's first law of motion
vslaw of motion
  • Specialized
4.5

An object stays still or keeps moving in the same straight line unless a force acts on it

is the wider set of three principles, not only this inertia statement
second law of motion
vslaw of motion
  • Specialized
4.7

A rule that says how a force makes an object move faster depending on its mass

is the general trio of principles rather than this specific force relation
Newton's second law of motion
vslaw of motion
  • Specialized
4.5

A rule that a force changes an object's motion more when the force is bigger or the object is lighter

is the umbrella of three principles, not just this proportional relation

Surface Forms

law of motion singular

Morphology

law + of + motion

The phrase 'law of motion' is directly compositional: 'law' (a general principle) + 'motion' (movement) yields a principle governing movement, so a learner who knows the constituent words can infer the basic meaning. This construction is conceptually transparent and common across languages (so only domain-specific details like Newton's three laws require further study), making it accessible to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Law of motion comes from the idea of a simple rule about movement. Think of law as a strong 'rule' and motion as 'movement'; Newton wrote clear rules that show how objects move, so the phrase means a basic rule that explains movement.