Edexcel AS Physics

Motion

1.2.4 Newtons Second Law of

Newtons Second Law of Motion Questions

1)
a)

Use the results in table 1.2.1 to plot a graph of acceleration against

force.

b)

Calculate the value of 1/mass for each entry in the first column of table
1.2.2, and plot acceleration against (1/mass) for this set of results.

c)

Calculate the gradient of the best fit line for each graph.

d)

What conclusions can you draw from your graphs?

2) A railway locomotive with a mass of 70 tonnes accelerates at a rate of 1ms2.

What force does the locomotive exert?
3) A 60kg woman involved in a car accident is accelerated by her seatbelt from 14
ms1 to rest in 0.15s.
a)

What is the average horizontal force acting on her?

b)

How does this force compare with her weight?

Edexcel AS Physics
Motion

1.2.4 Newtons Second Law of

Newtons Second Law of Motion Answers

a)

Acceleration a /m s2

1)

1.20
1.00
0.80
0.60
0.40

b)

Acceleration a /m s2

0.20
0

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6

Force F/N

1.00

0.50

c)

For part a0 the gradient is 2.0 m s2 N1.

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

For part b the gradient

is /kg
0.51 m s2 kg.
1/mass

d) Acceleration is proportional to the applied force for constant mass, and

also to the reciprocal of mass for a constant force (it is inversely
proportional to the mass).

2) Mass of locomotive (m) = 70 tonnes = 70 000 kg

Rate of acceleration of locomotive (a) = 1 m s2.
Force exerted by locomotive (F) = 70 000 kg 1 m s2 = 70 000 N
3)
a)

Mass of woman = 60 kg
Acceleration = 14 m s2
Time = 0.15 seconds
v = u + at (equation 1)
14 = 0 + a 0.15
a = 14/0.15 = 93.3
Force = 60 kg 93.3 m s1 = 5600 N

b)

Weight = 9.81 60 kg = 588.6 N. The force acting on the

woman is approximately 9.5 times as large as her weight.