INTENSIVE ENGLISH COURSE PHYSICS 10

Calculating the net force

Figure 3.4 shoWs two horizontal furces of magnitude 15 N and 20 N, acting
in peipenclicular direction on a mass, M Determine the net force acting on
the mass. ·

15J . .. .
~··

FigureJ.4

SUMMARY
Fi= 15 N, J~ =20N, a= 90<>
STRATEGY
15N Apply the formula: F2 =F,2 +Fi +2.F,.Fz.cosa. for the applied force
(a= 9Qo).
20 N
F:igure3.5
SOLUTION

Step 1: Choose a scale of 1 cm to represeot 5 N. Arrows OA and OB

represent the 15 N and 20 N forces.
Step 2: Complete the panillelogram OACB
Step J: The net force is 5 an in length, ie = 25 N, acting at an angle of
37° to the horizontal. · ·

3.2 Newton's Law of Motion

f!:t·Mi&f MU Mi . t lt'Mf!5tfMZit1!¥'
Newton's first law

In the 1630s, Galileo concluded correctly that it is an object's nature to

maintain its state of morion or rest. Note that an object on which no force is
acting is not necessarily at rest; the object could also be moving with a
constant velocity.

F.igme 3.6 Sit Isaac Newton (1643- This concept was further developed by Newton in 1687 and has come
l?'Il) an English physicist and author to be known as Newton's fust law of motion. Newton's First Law describes
of the Principi:L
how forces relate to morion:
TOPIC 2. KINEMATICS

Inertia
The First Law is sometimes called the law of inertia We define inertia
as the tendency of an object to remain at a constant velocity, or its
resistance to bcing accelerated. Inertia is a fundamental property of all
ina.tter and is important to the definition of mass. Example: A soccer ball
standing still on the grass does not move until someone kicks it. An ice
hockey puck will continue o move with the same velocity until it hits the
boards, or someone else hits it. Any change in the vdocity of an object is
evidence of a net force acting on that object. A viotld without forces would Figure 3.6 The pwpose of " seat belt is to
be much like the images we see of the insides of spaceships, where p=cnt serious injury by holding " ~
fian1y in place in the event of collision thanks by
astronauts, pens, and food float eerily. inertia.

. Mass is an scalar quantity: It has no direction and is a property of an

object, not of the object's location. Mass is a measurement of a body's inertia,
or its resistance to bcing accelerated. The more inertia that an object has,
the more mass that it has. A more masSive object has a greater tendency to
resist changes in its state of motion.
Imagine that you are standing inside a stationary bus. Suddenly the
bus starts moving and you fall backwards. This is due to the inertia of
your body. When the bus was at rest, you were also at rest. When the bus
started moving, your legs. went with the floor of the bus due to friction.
But the upper part of your body tends to continue in its state of rest
(inertia of rest). As a result you fall backwards.

VOCABULARY

1. (True (JT" False?) It is possible for the net force on an object to be zero
even if several forces are acting on it at the same time. ·

2. Explain the need for automobile seat belts in terms of Newton's first
law. '

Acording to Newton, the presence of an unbalanced force will accelerate

an object - changing its speed, its direction, or both its speed and direction.

Figure 3.7 W.nh the same mass, this object
hos the rccdc:cuion doubles' bceiuse of the
doubleforo:.
INTENSIVE ENGLISH COURSE PHYSICS 10
'This verbal statement can be expressed .in equation form as follows:
a= F.., / 111.
The above equation is often rearranged to a more familiar form as
shown below. The net force is equated to the produCt of the mass times
the acceleration. ·
=
Fner 111.a
We thus see that the acceleration of an object is always proportional to
the force acting on it. Double the force, and the acceleration doubles; halve
the force and the acceleration is cut .in half. Also, s.ince acceleration ha,s a
direction associated with it, so must the force. Note that the mass of the
object (also called the .inertial mass) determines how much effect a given
force has on that object. The greater the mass, the harder the object is to
accelerate.
The unit of force is de.fined, quite appropriately, as a newton (N).
Because acceleration is given .in units of m/s2 and mass is given .in units of kg,
=
Newton's Second Law implies that 1 N 1 kg m/s2.
·0;·
1. Fill .in the blanks with the .information from the Reading 3.
a) The heavier objects require more to move the same
distance as lighter objects
b) Force= ~-------an-eleracion.
c) The net force is to acceleration while mass is
_ _ _ _ _ to acceleration.
d) A force is able to change _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____,
e) Example of force: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
2. Determine whether the following s12tements are true or false according to
the reading. Correct the false statements.
a) The acceleration of an object is always proportional to the force acting
onit.
b) The greater the mass; the harder the object is to accelerate.
TOPIC 2. KINEMATICS

c) A force can change an object is at rest if there is an unbalanced net

force acting on it.

Calculating the ~et force

A car mass 1,000 kg accelerates from rest to 20 m.s' in a time of 5 s.

Calculate the forward thrust of the car. (Assume no friction)

SUMMARY

m= 1000kg, 1-0 =0 m/s, v= 20 m/s,t= 5 s.

STRATEGY

. Apply the funnular: Fna= m.a for the applied acceleration a= (v-1-0)/t

Solution:

From Newton's Second Law:

F
a= - therefore F = m.a
m

But:

_u2 -v, _ 20-0 _ -2

a------- 4 m.s
t 5

Therefore:

F = =(1,000 kg)(4 m.s--:!) =4,000 N

111.a

The Third Law tells us that

Some forces result from contact forces (normal, frictional, tensional forces)
and other forces are the result cif field forces (gravitational, dectricru, and
lllligiletic furces). Newton's Third Law tells us that when object A exerts a·
force F on object B, object B will exert a force -F on object A. The
statement means that in every interaction, there is a pair of forces acting on
the two interacting objects. The size of the forces on the first object equals
the size of the force on the second object. The direction of the force on the
first object is opposite to the direction of the force on the second object
Figure 3.5 The man is skating
Forces always come in pairs - equal and opposite action-reaction force pairs.
A stone is in free fall The stone pulls the Earth upward with the same
4
force that the Earth pulls the stone downward. The Earth is about 101 times
as massive as a brick, so the brick's downward accelerarion of-9.8 m/s2 is
 INTENSIVE ENGLISH COURSE PHYSICS 10

about 1()24 times as great as the Earth's upward acceleration. The brick exerts
a force on the Earth, but the effect of that force is insignificant.
Anyone who bas ever played a.round on skates knows that when you
. push forward on the wall of a skating rink, you recoil backward Newton's
Third Law tells us that the force that the skater exerts on the wall, is exactly
equal iri magnitude and opposite in direction tri the force that the wall exerts
on the skater. The harder the skater pushes on the wall, the harder the wall
will push back, sending the skater sliding backward (Figure 3.5 ).
A variety of action-reaction force pairs are evident in nature. Consider
the propulsion of a fish through the water. A fish uses its fins to push water
backwards. But a push on the water will only serve to accelerate the water.
Since furces result from mutual interactions, the water must also be
pushing the fish foIWatds, propelling the fish thro\lgh the water. The size of
the force on the water equals the size of the force on the fish; the direction of
the force on the water (backwards) is opposite the direction of the force on
the fish (forwards). For every action, there .is an equal (in size) and opposite
(m direction) reaction force. Action-reaction force pairs make it posS1ble for
fish to swim (Figure 3.6 ).

Figure 3.7 A jdlyfish By squeezing water out of its umbrella-like body, the jellyfish applies a
force in one direction to move in the opposite direction. If the water is forced
downward, the jellyfish moves upward As the jellyfish contracts its body, it
applies a downward force on the water. The water applies an equal force back
on the jellyfish (Figure 3.7 ).
This law helps you walk. As you walk, you push ackwards against the
ground The ground gives an equal and pposite push to you so you move
forward. Try to imagine someone walking in a canoe. (I don't recommend
trying th.is, unless you know how to swim and are willing to get wet~ As the
person steps forward, the canoe moves backward The equal and opposite
force of the walking moves the person forward just as far as it moves the
canoe bad-ward

(Soum: College Phy.ric.r, R SeT7JJay, et al- 9'0 ed)

1. In which of the following examples can explains by Newton's third

law:
a) The ball hits the window and the window breaks.
b) Jenna pushes on the table and the table pushes on Jeana.
c) When you push on a wall the wall pushes back on you.
 ·.

•I
TOPIC 2. KINEMATICS

2. The force that attracts Earth to an object is equal to and opposite the
force that Earth exerts on the object. Explain why Earth's
acceleration is not equal to and opposite the object's acceleration?

3. If there is no reaction force, which of the following ca.Ses will occur?

(1) We cannot swim.
(2) We cannot jump.
(3) We cannot walk.
A (1) only B. (2) only
C. (3) only D. (1), (2) and (3)

4. As a horse and wagon are accelerating from rest, the horse exerts a
force of 400 N on the wagon (Figure 3.8). illustrating Newton's third
law, the wagon exerts an equal. and opposite force of 400 N.

Since the. two forces are in <;>pposite directions, why don't they cancel
each other and produce; zero acceleration?

Deterinine whether the following statements are true or false according to

the re:iding. Correct the false statements.
a) An action and reaction force qm. not act on one object.
b) In a car crash, the force acting on both cars would be the same and
the acceleration of cars is the same too.
c) Newton's third law: All forces in the universe occur in the same
clll:ected and magnitude pairs.

( 3.3 Gravity and Weight

Gravi~ or ~tation is responsible for keeping the Earth and the other Figure 3.8 Philosophiie Natmalis
planets in their orbits aroUnd the Sun; for keeping the Moon in its orbit Principia Mathemaria, Lll:in .for
"Mathcrruttical Principles of Natw::d
around the Earth; for the formation of tides: for natural convection and for Philosophy", often refc:i:rcd to os simply
various other phenomena observed on Earth. You see gravity at work any the Prin<:ipi>i. is a worl<: in th= books by
time you drop a book, toss a ball up into the air. Every time you jump, you Sir Isaac Newton, fust published 5 July
experience gravity. 1687.

In 1687, Isaac Newton published his Law of Gravitation in

Philosopbiae Naturalis Ptincipia Mathematica (Figure 3.8)~ Newton
proposed that every body in the universe is attracted to every other body
with a force that is directly proportional to the product of the bodies' masses
and inversely proportional to the square of the bodies' separation. In his
own words, ''I deduced that the forces which keep the p~ets in their orbs
must reciprocally as the squares of their distances from the centers about
which they revolve: and thereby compared the force requisite to keep the
Moon in her Orb with the force of gravity at the surface of the Earth; and
found them answer pretty nearly."