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Leaving Cert Physics: Newton's laws

How often Newton's laws comes up on the Physics papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 5 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026.

OL Asked on 7 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

June 2027 is the first exam on the new Physics course. These come from the 2016–2026 papers, so read them as a guide.

Newton's laws, Higher Level(9 marks)

Quick ones on Newton's laws.

(a)A book rests on a table. What is the reaction to the pull of the Earth on the book?
  1. The push of the table on the book
  2. The pull of the book on the Earth
  3. The push of the book on the table
(b)Resultant force needed to give a 4.0 kg mass an acceleration of 3.0 m s⁻²?
  1. 7.0 N
  2. 1.3 N
  3. 12 N
(c)The two forces of a Newton's third law pair act on?
  1. Two different bodies
  2. Only the heavier of the two bodies
  3. The same body
Show the answers

(a) The pull of the book on the Earth

(b) 12 N

(c) Two different bodies

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Newton's laws.

Higher Level

Asked on 5 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026.

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q7
2025Not asked
2024Q1
2023Q7
2022Not asked
2021Q7
2019Q11
2018Not asked
2017Not asked
2016Not asked

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Newton's laws questions

Newton's laws, 3 marks

State Newton's first law of motion.

  1. The acceleration of a body is proportional to the resultant force acting on it
  2. To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction acting on another body
  3. A body stays at rest or moving with constant velocity unless an external force acts on it
Show the answer

A body stays at rest or moving with constant velocity unless an external force acts on it

The law of inertia. No resultant force means no change in velocity, so a body already moving keeps going in a straight line at steady speed.

Newton's laws, 3 marks

State Newton's second law of motion.

  1. For every force that acts on a body there is an equal and opposite force exerted on a second body
  2. The rate of change of momentum of a body is proportional to the force applied and takes place in the direction of the force
  3. The rate of change of velocity of a body is proportional to its mass and takes place in the direction of motion
Show the answer

The rate of change of momentum of a body is proportional to the force applied and takes place in the direction of the force

For a constant mass this gives F = ma. Doubling the resultant force doubles the acceleration.

Newton's laws, 2 marks

A standing passenger lurches forward when a bus brakes suddenly. Which law explains this?

  1. Newton's first law
  2. Newton's third law
  3. The conservation of energy
Show the answer

Newton's first law

The passenger's body tends to keep moving at the same velocity (inertia) when no force acts on it, while the bus slows down underneath.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 7 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q6(b), Q7
2025Not asked
2024Q14(a)
2023Q1
2022Q6(a), Q7
2021Q7
2019Q5(b)
2018Q5(a)
2017Not asked
2016Not asked

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Newton's laws questions

Newton's laws, 3 marks

A resultant force of 3000 N acts on a 1000 kg car. Its acceleration?

  1. 0.33 m s⁻²
  2. 3 000 000 m s⁻²
  3. 3 m s⁻²
Show the answer

3 m s⁻²

F = ma, so a = F ÷ m = 3000 ÷ 1000 = 3 m s⁻². 0.33 comes from dividing the wrong way round.

Newton's laws, 2 marks

Why do passengers lurch forward when a bus brakes suddenly?

  1. Gravity pulls them towards the front
  2. Their inertia keeps them moving forward
  3. The brakes push them forward in the bus
Show the answer

Their inertia keeps them moving forward

Newton's first law: a body keeps moving at the same velocity unless a force acts on it. That is why seat belts are needed.

Newton's laws, 2 marks

Which equation expresses Newton's second law for a body of fixed mass?

  1. F = ma
  2. F = mv
  3. F = m/a
Show the answer

F = ma

Force = mass × acceleration. mv is momentum. 1 N is the force that gives 1 kg an acceleration of 1 m s⁻².

Other Physics topics

All of Leaving Cert Physics