CHAPTER 4

NEWTON’S LAWS OF MOTION

4.1 FORCE
When a body affects a second body, we say that the first body
exerts a force on the second.

This means that only force can cause the body to change its state
of uniform motion or rest.
The force may be contact force or field force.

Contact force is the force that result from the physical contact
between the objects, e.g., frictional force
Field force is the force that doesn’t require physical contact
between the objects, e.g., gravitational force

The force is a vector quantity with the SI unit of Newton (N). The
cgs unit is dyne and its British unit is pound (lb).
4.2 Newton’s First Law
An object continues in its state of rest or uniform motion until it is
forced to change that state by an external force.

The frame in which Newton's first law is valid is called inertial

frame
All accelerated frames are not inertial frames.
The ground can be considered as an approximate inertial frame
regardless of its rotation about the sun and about its own axis.
4.3 Mass and Inertia
Inertia is the property of matter that resists the change of its state
and mass is the measure of this inertia.
The mass is a scalar quantity with a unit of kilogram (kg), in the SI
unit system and gram (g) in the cgs unit system.
Remark There is a difference between mass and weight. While
the mass of a body is the measure of inertia of that body (the
same everywhere), its weight is the force exerted by gravity on it
(depends on the body's position).

4.3 Newton’s Second Law

The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net
force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass, i.e.,

∑ F = ma

The net force acting on the body.

The last eq. can be written as.

∑ Fx = ma x ∑ Fy = ma y ∑ Fz = ma z
4.4 Newton’s Third Law
for every action there is an equal, but opposite reaction.

if two bodies interact, the force exerted

by body number 1 on body number 2 F12 F21
(F21 ) is equal and opposite to the force 1 2
exerted on body number 1 by body
number 2 F12 ⇒
F21 = − F12

Remark Action and reaction act on different bodies.

Free Body Diagram: It is a diagram showing all the forces acting

on the body and do not include the forces the body exert on other
bodies.
Strategy for solving problems using Newton’s laws:
(i) Chose a suitable coordinate system with the positive direction
is the direction of the acceleration, if it is known.
(ii) Draw a free-body diagram of each body of the system
separately.
(iii) Resolve each force into its components according to the
chosen coordinates.
(iv) Identify the known and the unknown quantities.

(v) Now you can apply Newton's second law for one body or more
of the system according to the unknown quantities.
Example 4.1 A boy want to drag a box, that has a mass of 3 kg,
along a horizontal smooth surface. He pulls the box horizontally
with a force of 2 N.
Find the acceleration of the box.
Solution Let us first draw the free-
Smooth
body diagram of the system. surface 2N
3 kg
N is called the normal force, which is a
force exerted on the box by the surface
and mg represents the weight of the box.

Now using Newton's 2nd law we get.

∑ Fx = ma x ⇒ N
2N
2 = 3a x = 3a ⇒ 3 kg
2
a = = 0.67 m/s 2 mg
3
Example 4.2 Two masses m1 and m2 (m1 >m2) are
suspended vertically by a light string that passes
over a light, frictionless pulley (Atwood's machine).
Find the acceleration of the masses and the
tension in the string.
Solution Again let us first draw the free-body
diagram of the system. m2

Taking the +ve sense to be downward and using m1

∑ Fy = ma y ⇒ T

For m1 : m1g − T = m1a (1) m2 T

For m2 : m2 g − T = −m2 a (2) m2g

m1
Since m2
is going m1g
upward
Subtracting the 2-eqs. ⇒

(m1 − m2 )g = (m1 + m2 )a ⇒

(m1 − m2 )g
a=
(m1 + m2 )
And for T we have

(2m1m2 )g
a=
(m1 + m2 )
Example 4.3 Two blocks are in contact on a smooth horizontal
table. A constant force F is applied to one block as shown.
a) Find the acceleration of the system.
b) Find the contact force between the two blocks
Solution Let us first draw the free-
Smooth
body diagram of the system. surface F
m1
Note that FC represents the contact force m2
due to the contact between the two blocks.
They are action and reaction forces.

Now using Newton's 2nd law we get for m1 .

∑ Fx = ma x ⇒
N2 N1
F − FC = m1a (1)
FC FC F
m2 m1
and for m2 we get.
FC = m2 a (2)
m2g m1g
Adding the 2-eqs. ⇒

F = (m1 + m2 )a ⇒
F
a=
(m1 + m2 )

Substituting for a in eq. (2) ⇒

m2 F
FC =
(m1 + m2 )
Example 4.4 A man of mass 80 kg stands on a
platform scale in an elevator. Find the scale
reading when the elevator
a) moves with constant velocity,
b) ascends with an acceleration of 3 m/s2 ,
c) descends with an acceleration of 3 m/s2
Solution The free body diagram of the man is N
Noting that the scale reads its reaction force,
and applying Newton's second law in the three
cases, you get
(a) ∑ F y = ma ⇒
N − mg = 0 ⇒ N = mg = 784 N
(b) N − mg = ma ⇒ N = m( g + a ) = 1024 N m2g

(c) N − mg = m(− a ) ⇒ N = m( g − a ) = 544 N

What happen if a=g?

4.6 FRICTIONAL FORCES
The frictional forces is the forces that two surfaces in contact exert
on each other to oppose the sliding of one surface over the other.
If you want to push you’re a block along a horizontal table three
cases have to be considered:
m
(i) No external force is applied.
Since a=0 ⇒ The frictional force is
zero.

F
fs m
(ii) An external force is applied but
no motion. Since a=0 ⇒ fs = F. This
frictional force is called the static
frictional force.
 F
(ii) A larger external force is applied m
fk
{F > fs(max)} so that the block is
moving. Since a≠ 0 ⇒ F-fk = ma. This
frictional force is called the kinetic
frictional force.
It is found, experimentally, that the frictional forces fs and fk ,
between two surfaces, are proportional to the normal force N
pressing the two surfaces together. i.e.,

fs ≤ µs N

fk = µ k N

Where the dimensionless constants µs and µk are, respectively,

the coefficient of static friction and the coefficient of kinetic friction.
It is found that µs > µk
Ramarks: N
F
(i) The frictional force is always parallel fs m
to the surfaces in contact.

(ii) The force of static-friction is always

opposite to the applied force.

(iii) The force of kinetic friction is always

opposite to the direction of motion.

(iv) The frictional force, together with the normal force constitute
the two perpendicular components of the reaction force exerted by
one of the contact bodies on the other.
Example 4.5 A block of mass m slides down a
rough, inclined plane with the angle of inclination m
is as shown. The coefficient of kinetic friction
between the block and the plane is µ.
a) Find the acceleration of the block.
b) If the block starts from rest at the top of the θ
plane, find its velocity after it slides a distance d
along the plane. y
Solution The free body diagram of the block is shown
Taking the x-axis along the motion we have to
resolve the weight into its components: x
Now applying Newton’s second law in the y-
axis, we get N
fk

∑ Fy =N − mg cos θ = 0 ⇒ m
mgcosθ mgsinθ
N = mg cos θ mg
And in the x-axis, we get

∑ Fx = mg sinθ − fk = ma
Substituting for fk by fk = µ k N = µ k mg cos θ ⇒

mg sin θ − mgµ cos θ = ma ⇒

a = g (sin θ − µ cos θ )
b) Since the acceleration is constant, we use
v2 = vo2 + 2ax ⇒
v2 = 0 + 2 gd (sin θ − µ cos θ ) ⇒

v = 2 gd (sin θ − µ cos θ )
Example 4.6 A worker drags a crate 300 N
along a rough, horizontal surface by µk =0.3 37o
pulling on a rope tied to the crate. m
The worker exerts a force of 300 N
on the rope that is inclined 37o to
the horizontal as shown. If the mass
of the crate is 60 kg, and the
coefficient of kinetic friction between
the crate and the surface is 0.3, find
the acceleration of the crate.

Solution The free body diagram of the block is shown with the
normal axis.
Now applying Newton’s second law in
N 300sin37o
the y-axis, we get
300 N
m
∑ Fy =N + F sin 37 − mg = 0 ⇒ fk
o
300cos37o

N = mg − F sin θ = (60 )(9.8) − 300 cos 37o = 407 N mg

And in the x-axis, we get

∑ Fx = F cosθ − fk = ma ⇒

Substituting for fk by fk = µ k N = 0.3(407 ) = 122 N ⇒

300 cos 37 o − 122 = 60a ⇒ a = 1.96 m/s 2

Example 4.7 A 2-kg block is placed
on top of a 5-kg block as shown. A µk =0.2 2 kg
40 N
horizontal force of 40 N is applied to 5 kg
the 5-kg block. If the coefficient of
kinetic friction between the 5-kg
block and the surface is 0.2, and
assuming that the 2-kg block is in N2 N1
the verge of slipping, fs
a) what is the acceleration of the 40 N
fk 5 kg
system?
b) What is the coefficient of static-
5g
friction between the two blocks?

Solution The free body N2

diagram of the two blocks are
shown with the normal axis. 2 kg fs

2g
Applying Newton's 2nd law to the 2-kg
block, we have in the x-axis N2 N1
fs
fs = 2a (1) 40 N
fk 5 kg
And in the y-axis N2 − 2 g = 0 ⇒
N2 = 19.6 N (2) 5g

Similarly for the 5-kg block, we have

N2
40 − Fk − fs = 5a (3)
N1 − N2 − 5 g = 0 ⇒ 2 kg fs
N1 = N2 + 5 g = 68.6 N (4)
2g
Adding Equation 1 and Equation 3 , we obtain
40 − 0.2 × 68.6
40 − Fk = 7a ⇒ 40 − µ N
k 1 = 7 a ⇒ a = = 3 . 75m / s 2
7
Substituting for a in Equation 1, we get
fs 7.5
fs = 2a = 7.5 N ⇒ µ s = = = 0.38
N2 19.6