Newton's Laws of Motion and their Application in Sports

Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727) was one of the greatest scientists and mathematicians in history. He set out three general rules describing how objects move, known today as Newton's Three Laws of Motion. Together these laws explain almost every action in sport — why a struck ball keeps moving, why more force produces more speed, and why a diver is pushed up by the springboard. The three laws are:

1. The First Law — the Law of Inertia.
2. The Second Law — the Law of Momentum (acceleration).
3. The Third Law — the Law of Reaction. …