Mistake Master
Mistake Master · AP Physics 1 · Unit 2 · Step-Through Animation
Newton’s Second Law, One Arrow at a Time
You'll learnthat net force sets the direction and size of acceleration, separate from velocity.
A block pushed against its own motion. Watch velocity and acceleration disagree in public, then run the whole law — net force, mass, change — with nothing but arrows.
DYNAMICS LAB
Before you start
What you're looking at
A 4 kg block sliding east at 6 m/s on frictionless ice, with a steady 8 N force pushing west against its motion.
The question
With the force fighting the motion, does the block stop, turn around, or keep going east?
Watch for
Watch which arrow changes; velocity shrinks and reverses while the force arrow stays fixed.
What the symbols mean
The white arrow is the net force, the blue arrow is velocity; the ruler and compass mark position and direction.
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