Forces and motion can be described through Newton's three laws. A force is a push or pull that can cause an object to change its motion. Forces are measured in Newtons and can be combined, with balanced forces not changing motion and unbalanced forces causing acceleration. Friction opposes motion. Gravity pulls objects downward. Newton's first law states an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted on by a net force. The second law relates force, mass, and acceleration. The third law states for every action force there is an equal and opposite reaction force. Momentum is conserved in a closed system. Other universal forces include electromagnetic, nuclear, and gravitational forces.