laws
Definition
In science, a law is a statement that describes a consistent pattern in nature. Laws are based on repeated observations and experiments, and they are always true under the same conditions.
Laws are different from theories. Theories are explanations for why laws work the way they do. Theories can be changed or replaced as new evidence is discovered.
Some examples of laws in science include:
- The law of conservation of mass: Matter cannot be created or destroyed.
- The law of universal gravitation: Every object in the universe attracts every other object with a force that is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
- The law of thermodynamics: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transferred from one form to another.
Laws are important in science because they allow us to make predictions about the natural world. We can use laws to understand how things work and to make predictions about how they will behave in the future.
How can the word be used?
Legislation: The process of making laws.
Different forms of the word
Noun:
- Laws are rules that are made by a government or other authority to regulate the behaviour of people in a society.
- Laws can be written down or unwritten.
- Laws can be enforced by the government or by other authorities.
Adjective:
- Legal is an adjective that describes something that is in accordance with the law.
- Illegal is an adjective that describes something that is against the law.
Verb:
- To law is to make laws.
- To legislate is to make laws.
Etymology
The word "law" comes from the Old English word "lagu", which means "custom" or "rule". It was first used in English in the 8th century.
The Old English word "lagu" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Germanic word *lagwō, which also means "custom" or "rule".
Question
In science what are laws?
AQA Science Exam Question and Answer
Question:
Explain Newton's Three Laws of Motion and provide real-life examples to illustrate each law.
Answer:
Newton's Three Laws of Motion are fundamental principles in physics that describe the relationship between the motion of an object and the forces acting upon it.
Newton's First Law of Motion (Law of Inertia) states that an object will remain at rest or in uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force. In other words, an object's state of motion remains unchanged unless a force is applied to it. For instance, a book on a table remains stationary until someone pushes it.
Newton's Second Law of Motion states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the force applied to it and inversely proportional to its mass. This is mathematically expressed as F = ma, where F is the force, m is the mass, and a is the acceleration. An example would be a heavier ball requiring more force to accelerate it the same way as a lighter ball.
Newton's Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that if an object exerts a force on another object, the second object exerts an equal force in the opposite direction. For example, when you jump off a diving board, the force you exert downward on the board is met with an equal force propelling you upward.
Newton's laws are fundamental to understanding how objects move and interact with each other in the physical world. They are crucial in fields such as engineering, mechanics, and even space exploration.