This memory aid covers Memory Aid within Newton's Laws of Motion for GCSE Physics. Revise Newton's Laws of Motion in Forces for GCSE Physics with 24 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 11 of 15 in this topic. Use it for quick recall, then test yourself straight afterwards so the memory aid becomes usable in an answer.
🧠 Memory Aid
The Three Laws as a Story:
Law 1 — "Stay Lazy": Objects are lazy — they stay as they are (rest or constant motion) unless a force makes them change. Inertia is physics laziness!
Law 2 — "F = ma": Force equals Mass times Acceleration. Remember the triangle: F on top, m and a on the bottom. Cover the one you want to find.
Law 3 — "Bouncer Rule": Every force gets a matching force back, on the OTHER object. Like a bouncer pushing you out — you push back on the bouncer with equal force, but on a DIFFERENT object.
Third Law pairs checklist — DOSE: Different objects, Opposite directions, Same magnitude, Equal type of force.
Practice questions for Newton's Laws of Motion
According to Newton's First Law, what happens to an object when there is no resultant force acting on it?
A spaceship is travelling through deep space far from any planets. The engines are switched off. Explain what will happen to the motion of the spaceship and why.