Statement: The rate of change of linear momentum of a rigid body is directly proportional to the applied (external unbalanced) force and takes place in the direction of force.
\(\overset\rightarrow{F}=\frac{d\overset\rightarrow{p}}{dt}\)
Where, \(\overset\rightarrow{F}\) = Force applied
p = m \(\overset\rightarrow{v}\) = linear momentum
Importance of Newton’s second law:
1. It gives mathematical formulation for quantitative measure of force as rate of change of linear momentum.
2. It defines momentum instead of velocity as the fundamental quantity related to motion.
3. It takes into consideration the resultant unbalanced force on a body which is used to overcome Aristotle’s fallacy.
