Newton’s Laws Webquest: Answer Key

Part I:

1. What is “inertia”?
a. An object’s resistance to changes in its motion.
2. A truck is traveling to the right and is carrying a ladder on its roof, which is not securely attached. When the truck
slams on its brakes, do you think the ladder will:
a. Slide forwards off the front of the truck
3. Watch the Truck and Ladder animation by clicking this link:
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/mmedia/newtlaws/il.cfm
Describe and explain the motion of the ladder using Physics terms.
a. The truck and ladder are both moving together at the same speed. When the truck suddenly stops, the
ladder keeps moving due to its inertia (resistance to changes in its motion). If it is not tied to the truck
securely, the ladder will keep moving when the truck stops.
4. An airplane is flying eastward at 200 m/s when it drops a package out of the bottom. Do you think the package will
land:
a. directly beneath the airplane
5. Watch the Airplane Animation by clicking this link: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/mmedia/vectors/pap.cfm
Explain why the package landed where it did using the concept of inertia.
a. The package has inertia (resistance to changes in its motion. The package was moving at the same
speed as the airplane. Once the airplane releases the package, it will keep moving with the same speed
as the airplane. Therefore (in the absence of air resistance), the package will land directly beneath the
airplane.
6. Start by clicking this link: http://www.physics.umn.edu/outreach/pforce/circus/ and then select and watch the
"Giant Puffer" video. Describe how the teacher demonstrated that even air has inertia.
a. When the air is pushed inside the Puffer, it is projected outward. The smoke shows that the air keeps
moving forward after being set in motion.
7. If you instead filled the Giant Puffer with water instead of air, the water would not fly out nearly as far as the air
did. Use Physics terms to explain why this is true.
a. Water has more mass than air and thus has more inertia. The water will resist changes in its motion more
and thus will have a smaller velocity when it exits the puffer. The effects of gravity (an external force) will
thus also be more obvious for water due to its increased mass.
Part II

1. Watch the Construction of Free Body Diagrams by clicking this link: https://www.wisc-online.com/learn/natural-
science/physics/tp1502/construction-of-free-body-diagrams When you get to Slide #2, define "Free Body
Diagram" in your own words in your notes. Did you write the definition in your notes?
a. Yes
2. When you get to slide #4, write down the four steps for constructing a FBD in your notes. Did you write the steps
in your notes?
a. Yes
3. When you get to slide #8, copy the example into your notes. Did you copy the example into your notes?
a. Yes
4. The force of the table pushing on the bag of groceries is known as the "Normal Force". The Normal Force is the
contact force with which a surface pushes on an object, it is always perpendicular to the surface. Write the
definition for "Normal Force" and its direction in your notes. In the grocery bag example, which of the following is
equal to the Normal Force?
a. Force due to gravity
5. Finish the rest of the tutorial, including the practice problems. Copy any one of these examples into your notes.
Did you finish the tutorial and copy an example into your notes?
a. Yes
6. Complete the practice test by following this link: http://www.waowen.screaming.net/tests/f&mtest/f&mtest.htm
List the questions you got wrong below along with an explanation as to why you were wrong the first time.
a. Answers will vary
Part III

You be using the following link to complete this Webquest: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/newtlaws/u2l3a.cfm

1. Begin by reading the first two paragraphs and the two red concept maps. Which of the following describes a way
in which an object can accelerate? Check all that apply.
a. Speeding up, b. Slowing down, c. Changing direction, d. Turning at a constant speed
2. Copy the two red concept maps into your notes, side-by-side. Did you copy both maps into your notes?
a. Yes
3. Continue reading. up to the first "Quick Quiz". Describe Newton's 2nd Law in your own words, both in the box
below and in your notes. Also record the equation for Newton's Second Law in your notes.
4. How is the "NET force" calculated? Copy your explanation into your notes.
a. Add up all the forces. Some forces will be negative, for instance if it is pointing in the opposite direction.
5. Follow the link in the tutorial by clicking the words "As discussed in an earlier lesson". Read through this lesson.
Below, describe how you can use a Free Body Diagram to determine the Net Force on an object.
a. A FBD shows all the forces acting on an object. You can therefore find the net force acting on an object by
adding up these forces in the x- and y-directions. A FBD helps to visualize these forces and their
directions.
6. Describe a situation in which the Net Force on acting on an object is equal to zero. For your example, you should
describe all the forces involved and explain why the Net Force is zero.
a. A book at rest on a table. Normal force and gravitational force are both acting on the book; they are
exactly equal to each other and opposite in direction, therefore the net force is zero.
7. Return to the Newton's Second Law lesson. Continue reading up to the second "Quick Quiz." If the net force on
an object is doubled, then the acceleration of that object will:
a. Double
8. Fill in the blank for the following sentence. Copy this sentence into your notes. The direction of the net force is
always in the ___________ direction as the acceleration.
a. Same
9. Finish reading through the lesson. In your notes, create a circle chart to show the relationship between
net force, mass, and acceleration. When you are done, ask your teacher if you have correctly created
the circle chart.
a.

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mae
10. A net force of 15 N is exerted on an encyclopedia to cause it to accelerate at a rate of 3 m/s2. Determine the
t
mass of the encyclopedia.
a. 5 kg
11. A speedboat is towing a 70 kg person. If the person is accelerating at a rate of 2 m/s2, what is the net force acting
on the person?
a. 140 N