Physics 111: Lecture 4

Today’s Agenda

● Recap of centripetal acceleration

● Newton’s 3 laws

➧ How and why do objects move?

➧ Dynamics

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 1

 Review: Centripetal Acceleration

● UCM results in acceleration:

➧ Magnitude: a = v2 / R = ω 2 R
➧ Direction: - r^ (toward center of circle)

v=ωR
Useful stuff:
R a
f = rotations / sec
T=1/f ω
ω = 2π / T = 2π f = rad/sec

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 2

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 3
 Dynamics

● Isaac Newton (1643 - 1727) published Principia Mathematica

in 1687. In this work, he proposed three “laws” of motion:

Law 1: An object subject to no external forces is at rest or moves

with a constant velocity if viewed from an inertial reference

frame.

Law 2: For any object, FNET = Σ F = ma

Law 3: Forces occur in pairs: FA ,B = - FB ,A

(For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.)

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 4

 1. Dishes
Newton’s First Law 2. Monkey

● An object subject to no external forces is at rest or moves

with a constant velocity if viewed from an inertial reference
frame.
frame
➧ If no forces act, there is no acceleration.

● The following statements can be thought of as the

definition of inertial reference frames.
➧ An IRF is a reference frame that is not accelerating (or
rotating) with respect to the “fixed stars”.
➧ If one IRF exists, infinitely many exist since they are
related by any arbitrary constant velocity vector!

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 5

 Ice
Is Urbana a good IRF? puck
● Is Urbana accelerating?
● YES!
➧ Urbana is on the Earth.
➧ The Earth is rotating.

● What is the centripetal acceleration of Urbana?

v2 2 π 2 ➧ T = 1 day = 8.64 x 104 sec,
 
aU = = ω 2R =   R ➧ R ~ RE = 6.4 x 106 meters .
R T 

● Plug this in: aU = .034 m/s2 ( ~ 1/300 g)

● Close enough to 0 that we will ignore it.
● Urbana is a pretty good IRF.

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 6

 Newton’s Second Law

● For any object, FNET = Σ F = ma.

➧ The acceleration a of an object is proportional to the

net force FNET acting on it.
➧ The constant of proportionality is called “mass”, denoted
m.
» This is the definition of mass.
» The mass of an object is a constant property of that
object, and is independent of external influences.

● Force has units of [M]x[L / T2] = kg m/s2 = N (Newton)

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 7

 Newton’s Second Law...

● What is a force?
➧ A Force is a push or a pull.
➧ A Force has magnitude & direction (vector).
➧ Adding forces is like adding vectors.

a
a
F1 FNET = ma
F1 FNET
F2
F2

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 8

 Newton’s Second Law...

● Components of F = ma :
FX = maX
FY = maY
FZ = maZ

● Suppose we know m and FX , we can solve for aX and apply

the things we learned about kinematics over the last few
weeks:
1
x = x0 + v 0 x t + ax t 2
2
v x = v 0 x + ax t

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 9

 Example: Pushing a Box on Ice.

● A skater is pushing a heavy box (mass m = 100 kg) across

a sheet of ice (horizontal & frictionless). He applies a force
of 50 N in the i direction. If the box starts at rest, what is its
speed v after being pushed a distance d = 10 m?

v=0
F
m a

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 10

 Example: Pushing a Box on Ice.

● A skater is pushing a heavy box (mass m = 100 kg) across

a sheet of ice (horizontal & frictionless). He applies a force
of 50 N in the i direction. If the box starts at rest, what is its
speed v after being pushed a distance d = 10m ?

F
m a

i
d

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 11

 Example: Pushing a Box on Ice...

● Start with F = ma.

➧ a = F / m.
➧ Recall that v2 - v02 = 2a(x - x0 ) (Lecture 1)

2 Fd
➧ So v2 = 2Fd / m v=
m

F
m a

i
d

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 12

 Example: Pushing a Box on Ice...

2 Fd
v=
m

● Plug in F = 50 N, d = 10 m, m = 100 kg:

➧ Find v = 3.2 m/s.

F
m a

i
d

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 13

 Lecture 4, Act 1
Force and acceleration
● A force F acting on a mass m1 results in an acceleration a1.
The same force acting on a different mass m2 results in an
acceleration a2 = 2a1.

m1 m2
F a1 F a2 = 2a1

● If m1 and m2 are glued together and the same force F acts

on this combination, what is the resulting acceleration?

m1 m2
F a=?

(a) 2/3 a1 (b) 3/2 a1 (c) 3/4 a1

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 14

 Lecture 4, Act 1
Force and acceleration

m1 m2
F a = F / (m1+ m2)

● Since a2 = (1/2) a1 for the same applied force, m2 = (1/2)m1 !

➧ m1+ m2 = 3m2 /2
● So a = (2/3)F / m1 but F/m = a

a = 2/3 a1

(a) 2/3 a1 (b) 3/2 a1 (c) 3/4 a1

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 15

 Forces

● We will consider two kinds of forces:

➧ Contact force:
» This is the most familiar kind.
■ I push on the desk.
■ The ground pushes on the chair...

➧ Action at a distance:
» Gravity
» Electricity

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 16

 Contact forces:

● Objects in contact exert forces.

● Convention: Fa,b means

“the force acting on a due to b”.

● So Fhead,thumb means “the force on

the head due to the thumb”.
Fhead,thumb

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 17

 Action at a distance

● Gravity:

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 18

 Gravitation
(Courtesy of Newton)
● Newton found that amoon / g = 0.000278
● and noticed that RE2 / R2 = 0.000273

amoon g

R RE

● This inspired him to propose the

Universal Law of Gravitation: |FMm |= GMm / R2
where G = 6.67 x 10 -11 m3 kg-1 s-2

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 19

 Gravity...

● The magnitude of the gravitational force F12 exerted on an

object having mass m1 by another object having mass m2
a distance R12 away is:
mm
F12 = G 1 2 2
R12

● The direction of F12 is attractive, and lies along the line

connecting the centers of the masses.

m1 m2
F12 F21

R12

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 20

 Gravity...

● Near the Earth’s surface:

➧ R12 = RE
» Won’t change much if we stay near the Earth's surface.
» i.e. since RE >> h, RE + h ~ RE.

m
Fg ME m
h Fg = G
RE2
M
RE

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 21

 Leaky Cup
Gravity...
ME m  ME 
● Near the Earth’s surface... Fg = G 2 = m G 2 
RE  RE 

=g
● So |Fg| = mg = ma

All objects accelerate with

➧ a=g
acceleration g, regardless of
their mass!

ME
Where: g = G = 2
9 . 81 m / s
RE2

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 22

 Example gravity problem:

● What is the force of gravity exerted by the earth on a typical

physics student?

➧ Typical student mass m = 55kg

➧ g = 9.8 m/s2.
➧ Fg = mg = (55 kg)x(9.8 m/s2 )

➧ Fg = 539 N
Fg
● The force that gravity exerts on any object is
called its Weight
W = 539 N
Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 23
 Lecture 4, Act 2
Force and acceleration
● Suppose you are standing on a bathroom scale in 141 Loomis
and it says that your weight is W. What will the same scale say
your weight is on the surface of the mysterious Planet X ?
● You are told that RX ~ 20 REarth and MX ~ 300 MEarth.

(a) 0.75 W

(b) 1.5 W

(c) 2.25 W

X
Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 24
 Lecture 4, Act 2
Solution
● The gravitational force on a person
of mass m by another object (for instance Mm
a planet) having mass M is given by: F =G
R2

W X FX
● Ratio of weights = ratio of forces: =
WE FE
MX m
G 2
R X2 M R 
= = X ⋅ E 
M m ME  RX 
G E2
RE

2
WX 1
= 300 ⋅   =.75
WE  20 

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 25

 Newton’s Third Law:
Newton’s
Sailboard
● Forces occur in pairs: FA ,B = - FB ,A.

➧ For every “action” there is an equal and opposite “reaction”.

● We have already seen this in the case of gravity:

m1
m2
m1 m2
F12 = G = F21
F12 F21 2
R12

R12

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 26

 Newton's Third Law...
2 Skateboards
● FA ,B = - FB ,A. is true for contact forces as well:

Fm,w Fw,m

Ff,m

Fm,f

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 27

 Example of Bad Thinking

● Since Fm,b = -Fb,m, why isn’t Fnet = 0 and a = 0 ?

Fm,b Fb,m
a ??

ice

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 28

 Example of Good Thinking
● Consider only the box as the system!
➧ Fon box = mabox = Fb,m
➧ Free Body Diagram (next time).

Fm,b Fb,m
abox

ice

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 29

 Lecture 4, Act 3
Newton’s 3rd Law
● Two blocks are stacked on the ground. How many action-reaction
pairs of forces are present in this system?

(a) 2

a
(b) 3

b (c) 4

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 30

 Lecture 4, Act 3
Solution:

a a a a
Fa,E Fb,a

b b Fa,b
b b
Fb,E Fb,g
Fg,b

FE,a FE,b

(c) 4

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 31

 Recap of today’s lecture
Extinguisher
Cart
● Newton’s 3 Laws: (Text: 4-1 to 4-5)

Law 1: An object subject to no external forces is at rest or

moves with a constant velocity if viewed from an inertial
reference frame. (Text: 4-1)

Law 2: For any object, FNET = Σ F = ma (Text: 4-2 & 4-3)

Law 3: Forces occur in pairs: FA ,B = - FB ,A. (Text: 4-4 & 4-5)

● Look at Textbook problems Chapter 4: # 3, 5, 7, 19

Physics 111: Lecture 4, Pg 32