Newton's First Law

Part A:

I learned about Newton's First Law about translational equilibrium. Newton stated that "objects in rest stay at rest, and objects in motion stay in motion with the same speed unless an unbalanced force acts upon it." Translational equilibrium occurs when the sum of the forces acting on an object are equal to zero. With this information, it was possible to solve problems pertaining to forces.

What I find difficult is knowing where to place theta on a FBD sometimes. If the object is on a slope, it makes placing theta in a FBD harder. Also, if the object is moving to the left, as opposed to the right, I sometimes forget to make the numbers on the left of the origin positive instead of negative.

My problem-solving skills are average. I feel like I sometimes get impatient if I can't figure out how to solve a problem, which is sometimes frustrating. I do, however, feel confident in drawing FBDs, aside from determining where theta is occasionally. My weaknesses include solving problems that I do not know how to start and being impatient. I also feel unsure when to use certain equations. I do feel though that I can solve most problems accurately.

Part B:

What we have studied can help in various situations in the real world. If someone is involved in architecture, they will find what we have studied handy when constructing bridges. Also, when attempting to pull a wagon that does not budge, you can figure out how much force to exert on the wagon. Also, it is possible to figure out the tension force in a hanging stoplight. There are many ways in which what we have studied can be applied to the real world.