Newton's laws and non inertial frame of reference

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
3 replies · 6K views
raknath
Messages
61
Reaction score
0
Hi all


Why do we actually say that Newton's laws do not hold for non inertial frames. can you folks give me an example of how Newton's laws collapse in an non inertial frame(if they do at all)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
raknath said:
Why do we actually say that Newton's laws do not hold for non inertial frames. can you folks give me an example of how Newton's laws collapse in an non inertial frame(if they do at all)

In accelerated frames objects with no forces acting on them accelerate. So you have to introduce "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictitious_force" " to make Newtons laws work again.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
It's not that Newton's laws fail it's just that in a non-inertial reference frame one cannot consider their system to be 'free of external forces' and things get complicated. However, it can all be worked out using Newton's laws you just have to be very careful.
 
A.T. said:
In accelerated frames objects with no forces acting on them accelerate. So you have to introduce "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictitious_force" " to make Newtons laws work again.
And the fictitious forces do not obey Newton's 3rd law, so in patching the 1st and 2nd laws that way the 3rd law doesn't work any more.
 
Last edited by a moderator: