High School Is Newton's first law of motion applicable when walking?

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SUMMARY

Newton's first law of motion, which states that an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an external force, does not apply to walking due to the presence of unbalanced external forces. Walking involves complex interactions of forces that support and propel the body, making a simplistic interpretation of the law insufficient. Therefore, while the law is universally applicable, its direct application to the act of walking is flawed, as it does not account for the energy expenditure involved in overcoming these forces.

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  • Understanding of Newton's laws of motion
  • Basic knowledge of forces and motion dynamics
  • Familiarity with biomechanics of human movement
  • Concept of external forces and their effects on motion
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  • Research the biomechanics of walking and how forces interact during movement
  • Study Newton's laws of motion in the context of real-world applications
  • Explore the concept of energy expenditure in physical activities
  • Learn about the effects of external forces on human locomotion
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Students of physics, biomechanics researchers, physical therapists, and anyone interested in the mechanics of human movement.

Einstein60
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Is Newton's first law of motion applicable when walking?
 
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It's always applicable. But walking is a complicated process of using forces to drive yourself along and support yourself, so a naive application of it (something like "walking at constant speed shouldn't tire me out at all") won't work.
 
Einstein60 said:
Is Newton's first law of motion applicable when walking?
If we assume that Newton's first law only applies to a body with no unbalnaced external forces, then the answer is no, it does not apply to a person walking.
 

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