Newton’s Law of Motion – First, Second, and Third - Physics

1. A car travels on the road with a constant velocity. (a) What is the horizontal net force acting on the car? (b)
What is the acceleration on the car? (c) If the frictional force acting on the car is 1500N, what force is applied to
the car by the engine?

a) Since an object is moving with constant velocity, then Fnet = 0.

b) F = ma
If F = 0, then a = 0

c) V

F = 1500 f = 1500
CAR

If the net force is 0, then the applied force has to be 1500N to cancel the frictional force, which will result to
Fnet = 0. Therefore, F = 1500N.

2. A force of 200N is applied on a 10kg box across a frictionless surface. (a) What is the acceleration of the box? (b)
If the box accelerates from the rest, what will its final speed be after 8 seconds? (c) How long will it take the box
to reach a speed of 500m/s if it continues to accelerate at this rate?

a)

200N
10kg

F = ma
F 200 N
=a= a = 20m/s2
m 10 kg

b)

t v
0 0
1 20
2 40
3 60
4 80
t v
5 100
6 120
7 140
8 160

VF = VO + at
VF = 0 + 20(8) = 160m/s

500 20 t
c) =0+ t = 25s
20 20
3. A force of 300N is applied across a 20kg box. The frictional force acting on the box is 200N. (a) What is the net
horizontal force on the box? (b) Calculate the acceleration of the box. (c) How far will the box travel after 12
seconds if it continues to accelerate at this rate starting from rest?

a)

300N 20kg 200N

Fnet = 100N

b) Fnet = ma

100 N
a= = 5m/s
20 kg

c) VO = 0 t = 12 d=?

1
d=V O t + a t 2
2
1
d=0+ (5)(12)2
2
d=360 m

4. An 8kg object speeds up from 20m/s to 50m/s in 6 seconds. (a) What is the acceleration? (b) What is the net
horizontal force acting on the object? (c) If the frictional force is 35N, what is the applied force on the object?

V F −V O
a) V F=V O + at or a=
f
50−20
a= =5 m/s
6

b) F net=ma=( 8 ) ( 5 )=40 N

c)
40N
FA = 75N f = 35N
 F A=F net + f =75 N

5. An 80kg astronaut in space throws a 2kg package with an acceleration of -4m/s 2. (a) What force did the
astronaut exert on the package? (b) What force does the package exert on the astronaut? (c) What is the
acceleration of the astronaut?

a)
8N
- 8N

2kg
80kg

F=ma=2 ( 4 )=8 N

b) According to Newton’s Third Law for every action force there is an equal but opposite reaction force.

-8N

c)
F −8
a= = =−0.1 m/ s2
m 80

6. A 120kg skater pushes against an 80kg skater. After contact, the 80kg skater was given an acceleration of
1.5m/s2. (a) What is the acceleration of the 120kg skater? (b) What force was exerted on each skater?

a)
F A=−F B

m 1 a1=−m 2 a2

(120)a1=−(80)(1.5)
120 a1 −120
=
120 120

a=−1 m/s 2

b)
F=ma=( 120 kg )(−1 ) =−120 N
F=ma=( 80 kg ) ( 1.5 m/s2 ) =120 N
 Newton's Second Law of Motion - Force, Mass, & Acceleration

1. What average force is required to accelerate a 5kg block from rest to a final speed of 54m/s in 9 seconds?

F=?
5kg

Given:

V O =0 V F=54 m/s

t=9 s a=?
F=?

Solution:

V F=V O + at

54=0+ a(9)

a=6 m/s 2

F net=ma=(5 kg)(6 m/s2 ) = 30N

2. A 1500kg car moving at a speed of 45mph comes to a stop after traveling a distance of 200m. What was the
average force exerted by the brakes on the car?

V = 45mph

1500kg F=?

Given:

d=200 m

V O =45 mph∨20.1 m/ s 2
V F=0

a=?

Solution:
V 2F=V O2 + 2 ad

02 =20.12+2( a)(200)

a=−1.01 m/s2

F=ma=(1500 kg)(−1.01 m/s 2) = -1515N

Gravity, Universal Gravitation Constant - Gravitational Force Between Earth, Moon & Sun, Physics

1. Calculate the force of gravity that exists between a 60kg person and an 80kg person who are 50cm apart
from each other.

50cm
F F

60kg 80kg

R = 50cm = 0.5m
G = 6.67 × 10-11
M1 = 60kg
M2 = 80kg

G M1M2 6.67 ×10−11

F= =
R2 ¿¿

2. Calculate the force of gravity of a 25kg block resting on the earth (M = 5.97 x 10 24kg). The radius of the earth
is 6.38 x 106m.

F 25kg

Radius

Earth

G M1M2 ( 6.67 ×10−11 ) ( 25 ) ( 5.97 × 1024 )

F= =
R2 ¿¿
2
W =mg=(25 kg)(9.8 m/s ) = 245N

3. What is the force of gravity that is exerted on the earth by the sun? The mass of the sun and the earth are
1.99 x 1030kg and 5.97 x 1024 kg respectively. The distance between them and the earth and the sun is 1.496
x 1011 m.

1.496x1011
F F
Sun
Earth
 G M1 M2 ( 6.67 ×10−11 ) ( 1.99× 1030 )( 5.97 × 1024 )
F= =
R2 ¿¿

4. Planet X and Planet Y have a mass of 3 x 10 24kg and 4.5 x 1025kg respectively. The gravitational force
between the two planets is 3.6 x 10 20N. How far apart is planet X and planet Y?

R
X Y
❑❑ F F

(6.67× 10−11 )(3 ×10 24)(4.5× 1025)

R=
√
R=5.0× 109 m
3.6 ×1020

5. Calculate the net force exerted on the moon (M = 7.35 x 10 22kg) when it’s between the earth (Me = 5.97 x
1024kg) and the sun (Ms = 1.99 x 1030kg). The distance between the moon and the earth is 3.84 x 10 8m. The
distance between the sun and the moon is 1.492 x 10 11m.

FS FE
S M E

F net=F E−F S
G M E M m ( 6.67× 10−11 )(5.97 ×10 24)(7.35 ×1022 )
FE = 2
= =1.985× 1020 N
8 2
R ( 3.84 ×10 )
G M E M m ( 6.67× 10 )(7.35 ×1022 )(1.99× 1030)
−11
FS = 2
= =4.383× 1020 N
11 2
R ( 1.492 ×10 )
F net=1.985 ×10 N−4.383 ×1020 N =−2.398 ×10 20 N
20
6. What is the net force exerted on the moon (M = 7.35 x 10 22kg) by the earth the earth (Me = 5.97 x 1024kg)
and the sun (Ms = 1.99 x 1030kg) when the two gravitational forces acting on the moon are at right angles to
each other?

FS
FS FE
S M Fnet

Fnet
FE

Fnet E
FE

FS
F net= √ F s 2+ F e2

2 2
√
F net= ( 4.383× 1020 ) + ( 1.985 ×1020 ) =4.812× 1020 N
 Gravitational Acceleration Physics Problems, Formula & Equations

1. Calculate the acceleration due to gravity on the moon which has a mass of 7.35 x 10 22kg and a radius of 1.74 x
106m.
R
A
m M

F F
∑ F x=F G
GmM
m a x=
R2
GM
a x= 2
R
−11 22
GM ( 6.67 ×10 )(7.35 ×10 )
g= 2 = =1.62m/ s2
6 2
R ( 1.74 × 10 )

2. Calculate the acceleration due to gravity (a) on the surface of the earth and (b) 3500km above the
surface of the earth. The mass of the earth is 5.97 x 10 24kg. The radius of the earth is 6.38 x 106m.

E
 GM
a) g=
R2
(6.67 ×10−11 )(5.97 × 1024)
g= 2
( 6.38× 106 )
g=9.78 m/s 2
g=9.8 m/s 2

b)
(6.67 ×10−11 )(5.97 × 1024)
g= 2
( 9.88× 106 )

g=4.08 m/s 2 R
6 6
B
6.38 ×10 3.5 ×10 m

3. Planet X has a gravitational acceleration of 7.5m/s2 and a radius of 4.5 x 106m. What is the mass of
Planet X?

g=7.5m/ s2
R=4.5 ×106 m
M =?

g R2
M=
G
2
( 7.5 ) ( 4.5 ×106 )
M= −11
=2.28 × 1024 kg
6.67 ×10