PHYS 172: Modern Mechanics Spring 2013

Reminders:

1.  If you have not already done so, please register your
iClicker on CHIP a.s.a.p

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Lecture 4 – Physical Models, Fundamental Interactions Read 2.7–2.8, 3.1-3.4
 Today

• Poor Monkey
• Reciprocity (Equal and Opposite Forces)
• Example: Colliding Students
• Four Fundamental Forces
• Gravity… Lots of Gravity

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 Shoot the monkey
Clicker question:
The hunter aims and shoots.
As the bullet leaves the rifle the monkey sees the flash,
releases the branch, and drops down in free fall.
Where should the hunter aim to hit the monkey?
A)  Below the monkey
B)  At the monkey
C)  Above the monkey
(ignore air resistance)

Note: the trajectory is a parabola

(if air friction is ignored)
Don t worry.
The monkey had a bulletproof vest…

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 Reciprocity: Newton s 3d law

!
Fspring on mass
Force magnitudes are the same
! Directions are opposite
Fmass on spring They act on different objects
! !
! ! Fspring on mass = ! Fmass on spring
!p = Fnet !t
Reciprocity (Newton s 3rd law):

The forces of two objects on each other are always

equal and are directed in opposite directions
NOTE: Velocity-dependent forces (e.g., magnetic forces) do not obey 4
Newton s 3rd law!
 Physical models

Spherical cow

Ideal model: ignore factors that have no significant effect on the outcome

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 Example: colliding students
Mary and John are late for class and run into each other head-on.
Q: Estimate the force that one student exerts on the other during collision

Mary John
!
Simplest model:
F floor ,N
!
F !
Spherical Mary Fair Spherical John
!
F floor ,P
!
FEarth

System: Spherical Mary

Surroundings: Earth, floor, air, Spherical John

Forces acting on Mary: Earth, floor, air, John 6

 Example: colliding students
y
!
F floor ,N
!
F ! Strategy: !
Fair ! !
Mary
!
John p f ! pi = Fnet "t
F floor ,P ! !
! p = ! mv
FEarth ! ! !
r f = ri + vavg !t
! ! ! x
p f ! pi = Fnet "t
< 0,0 > ! < pix ,0 >=< F floor ,P ! Fair ! F, F floor ,N ! FEarth > "t

Small These cancel

< ! pix ,0 >=< ! F,0 > "t  pix = F!t 7

 Example: colliding students
y
!
F floor ,N
!
F !
Fair
Mary John Strategy:
! ! ! !
F floor ,P p f ! pi = Fnet "t
!
FEarth ! !
p = ! mv
x ! ! !
r f = ri + vavg !t
pix = F!t
What is collision time? Assume: vi =5 m/s, Δx=0.05m

!x !x !x
= !t = !t = Δt = 0.02 s
vavg
!t vavg (v + v ) / 2
i f

What is initial momentum? Assume: m=60 kg pix = mvix = 300 kg ! m/s

pix 300 kg " m/s John hits Mary

Find F: F= = = 15000 N with 15,000 N! 8
!t 0.02 s
 r Clicker question
y
Ffloor , N
r
F r
Fair F = 15000 N
Mary John
r
F floor , P Mary hits Mary
John John
r
FEarth with 15,000 N!
x
What if they have
different mass?
We estimated the collision force on Mary.
What is the force on the John?

A)  It has the same magnitude but opposite direction

B)  It has the same magnitude and the same direction
C)  It is zero 0
D)  It is in opposite direction but its magnitude may be different
E)  It is in the same direction but its magnitude may be different
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The Four Fundamental Forces

What about a
Spring Force?

It's a "Composite Force"

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Newton s Great Insight:

The same force

that attracts things
toward the earth
also keeps planets
orbiting about the sun

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 Force of Gravity

!
r2 m2

� m1 m2
Fon 2 by 1 = −G r̂2−1
! ! ! |�r2−1 | 2
r2!1 " r2 ! r1
!
r1
r̂2−1
−11 N· m2
m1 G = 6.7 × 10
kg 2

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 Force of Gravity

Depends on
Product of Masses

m1 m2
F�on 2 by 1 = −G 2
r̂2−1
|�r2−1 |

Attractive Inverse-Square Law

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 Features of gravitational force

! m2 m1
Fgrav on 2by1 = ! G " 2 rˆ2!1
r2!1
gravity is always attractive

! m2 m1 ! m2 m1
Fgrav on 2by1 = ! G " 2 rˆ2!1 Fgrav on 2by1 = ! G " 2 rˆ2!1
r2!1 r2!1

gravity is an inverse square law the force depends upon

the product of the masses
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 Distance between two objects
Real objects have size & shape

Point object: idealized object which has no size, all mass is in one point

If distance between the two objects is >> than their size, can model the objects
as point-masses

Special case: spherical objects (spherical symmetry)

Uniform-density spheres interact gravitationally in exactly the

same way as if all their mass were concentrated at the center of
the sphere.

Spheres act like a point mass! 15 15

 Clicker question

A
B ! mm
Fgrav on 2 by1 = !G ! 2 21 r̂2!1
r2!1

What is the distance between these two spheres to be used

in gravitational law?
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 Clicker question
The magnitude of gravitational force on a student
standing on the surface of Earth is 800 N.

Q: What would the magnitude of the gravitational force

2R be if the student climbs on top of a ladder which has a
height that equals the radius of the Earth?

! mm
Fgrav on 2 by1 = !G ! 2 21 r̂2!1
r2!1
R A)  3200 N
B)  1600 N
C)  800 N
D)  400 N
E)  200 N

What were the assumptions?

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 Gravitational force on a planet
! m2 m1 G = 6.7 x 10-11 N•m/kg2

Fgrav on 2 by1 = !G ! 2 r̂2!1
r2!1 STAR PLANET
m1 = 4 ! 10 kg
30
m2 = 3! 1024 kg
! !
r1 = 2,1,1.5 ! 1011 m r2 = 3,3.5,"0.5 ! 1011 m
!
r2!1
! ! !
r
1. Calculate 2!1 " r2
! r1
!
r2!1 = 1,2.5,!2 " 1011 m

!
(1" 10 m ) + ( 2.5 " 10 m ) + ( !2 " 10 m )
2 2 2
2. Distance r2!1 = = 3.35 " 1011 m
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!
r2!1 1,2.5,!2 " 1011 m
3. Unit vector: r̂2!1 = ! = = 0.299,0.746,!0.597
r2!1 3.35 " 10 m
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! m2 m1
F
3. Force: grav on 2 by1 = !G ! 2 2!1 r̂ = !7.16 " 10 21
0.299,0.746,-0.597 N
r2!1
!
Fgrav on planet bystar = 7.16 ! 1021 -0.299,-0.746,0.597 N 18 18
magnitude direction
 Gravitational force on a planet
G = 6.7 x 10-11 N•m/kg2

! star planet
mm
Fgrav on 2 by1 = !G ! 2 21 r̂2!1 m1 = 4 ! 10 kg
30
m2 = 3! 1024 kg
r2!1 ! !
r1 = 2,1,1.5 ! 1011 m r2 = 3,3.5,"0.5 ! 1011 m
!
Fgrav on planet bystar = 7.16 ! 1021 -0.299,-0.746,0.597 N
r
r2−1
Checking results:
1.  Diagram
2.  Order of magnitude
3.  Units
4.  Unit vector

Clicker question:
What is the gravitational force exerted by the planet on the star?
A) The same
!
B) Fgrav on star by planet = 7.16 ! 10 0.299,0.746,-0.597 N
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!
C) Fgrav on star by planet = !7.16 " 10 0.299,0.746,-0.597 N
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Gravitational force near the Earth s surface
! MEm
m
Fgrav on m by M = !G 2
r̂
E
RE
RE ~ The same for all objects on surface
! !
Fgrav on m by M = gm
E

! ME
Gravitational g = !G 2
r̂
field
RE
The magnitude: g = 9.8 N/kg = 9.8 m/s2
ME = 5.976 ×1024 kg
RE = 6.37 ×106 m
Fg = mg
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 What We Did Today

• Poor Monkey
• Reciprocity (Equal and Opposite Forces)
• Example: Colliding Students
• Four Fundamental Forces
• Gravity… Lots of Gravity

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