College of Engineering Education

2nd Floor, B&E Building

Matina Campus, Davao City
Telefax: (082) 296-1084
Phone No.: (082)300-5456/300-0647 Local 133

UNIVERSITY OF MINDANAO
College of Engineering Education
Computer Engineering Program

Physically Distanced but Academically Engaged

Self-Instructional Manual (SIM) for

Self-Directed Learning (SDL)

Course/Subject: CEE 102/L: PHYSICS 1 FOR ENGINEERS

Name of Teacher: Engr. MARIANNE G. WATA

Co-Authors: Engr. MA. ANGELA I. ESTELLA

Engr. CRIJAMAICA L. OCEÑA
Engr. ALFONSE IRENEO T. ESTIBAL
Engr. JAMES MARK P. GALLAWAN
Engr. JAY CARLO S. AGUILAR
Engr. JAMES MARK GALLAWAN
Engr. RONNEL ESPARAGOZA
Engr. DANIELYN PLAZOS
Engr. NORRODIN MELOG

THIS SIM/SDL MANUAL IS A DRAFT VERSION ONLY; NOT FOR REPRODUCTION AND
DISTRIBUTION OUTSIDE OF ITS INTENDED USE. THIS IS INTENDED ONLY FOR THE USE OF
THE STUDENTS WHO ARE OFFICIALLY ENROLLED IN THE COURSE/SUBJECT.EXPECT
REVISIONS OF THE MANUAL.
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Telefax: (082) 296-1084
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Table of Contents

Big Picture in Focus: ULO-1c ............................................................................................................ 3

Metalanguage ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Essential Knowledge ............................................................................................................................... 3
Keywords ................................................................................................................................................ 3
Force ................................................................................................................................................... 4
Newton’s First Law.............................................................................................................................. 4
Mass .................................................................................................................................................... 4
Newton’s Second Law ......................................................................................................................... 5
Gravitational Force ............................................................................................................................. 7
Newton’s Third Law ............................................................................................................................ 8
Forces of Friction .............................................................................................................................. 11
Self-Help................................................................................................................................................ 13
Let’s Check ............................................................................................................................................ 14
Let’s Analyze ......................................................................................................................................... 15
In a Nutshell .......................................................................................................................................... 17

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Telefax: (082) 296-1084
Phone No.: (082)300-5456/300-0647 Local 133

Big Picture in Focus: ULO-1c. Recall and apply the concept of force and systems of
forces

Metalanguage
In the ULOb we discussed principles of rectilinear motion while ignoring the
interactions affecting the motion. In this section, the motion of an object is described
considering the influences and causes of its movement. You will be able to answer the
following questions:
1. Why does the motion of an object change?
2. What might cause one object to remain at rest and another object to accelerate?
3. Why is it generally easier to move a small object than a large object?

For you to demonstrate ULOc, you will need to have an operational understanding
of the main factors to be considered in motion – that is, the forces acting on an object and
the mass of the object.

The following Newton’s Law of Forces are the key principle in the analysis of systems of forces
and the achievement of this ULO-1c.
1. First law states that an object moves at constant velocity unless acted on by a force.
2. Second law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force
acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. The net force acting on an object equals the
product of its mass and acceleration.
3. Third law states that in every applied force there is a always a reaction opposite to the
exerted force.
Please note that you will also be required to refer to the previous principles found in
ULO-1b.

Essential Knowledge

This section discusses on Newton’s three laws of motion and his law of gravity, the
concept of force on a more fundamental level. Dynamics is the branch of classical
mechanics concerned with the study of forces and their effects on motion. Isaac Newton
defined the fundamental physical laws which govern dynamics in physics. As long as the
system under study doesn’t involve objects comparable in size to an atom or traveling close
to the speed of light, classical mechanics provides an excellent description of nature.

Keywords
Force equilibrium Reaction force Static friction
inertia Action force Frictional Force Dynamic friction

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Telefax: (082) 296-1084
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Force
The basic understanding of force refers to an interaction with an object that causes it to
move. A physical contact between two objects referred to as contact forces that causes the
object’s velocity to change. However, forces do not always cause motion. For example,
when you are sitting, a gravitational force acts on your body and yet you remain stationary.
You can push on a large boulder and not be able to move it. Another applied force called
field forces doesn’t involve any direct physical contact such as gravitational force between
to masses, electric force between two charges, and magnetic force. These forces act
through empty space. Fig. 12 shows examples of forces applied to various objects.

Fig. 12

Newton’s First Law

Imagine a heavy slab lying on the floor, if you do nothing the slab remains in its position
unmoved. But if you try to push it, you may move the slab because of the applied force.
Now consider, a smooth and waxed floor, moving the slab would be easier and requires
less force. Newton’s Law describes these phenomena into three Laws of Motion.

Newton’s first law of motion sometimes called the law of inertia states that an object moves
with a velocity that is constant in magnitude and direction unless a non-zero net force acts
on it. This law explains what happens to an object that has no net force acting on it. The net
force on an object is defined as the vector sum of all external forces exerted on the object.
In the absence of external forces, an object at rest remains at rest and an object in motion
continues in motion with a constant velocity. In other words, when no force acts on an
object, the acceleration of the object is zero. The tendency of an object to resist any attempt
to change its velocity is called inertia.

Mass
Inertia is the tendency of an object to continue its motion in the absence of a force. On the
other hand, mass is a measure of the object’s resistance to changes in its motion due to a
force. The greater the mass of a body, the less it accelerates under the action of a given
applied force. From that definition, we can say that the acceleration is inversely
proportional to the mass under a given force,

𝑭
𝒎=
𝒂
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Newton’s Second Law

The second law answers the question of what happens to an object that does have a net
force acting on it. Simply stated, Newton’s Second Law states that the acceleration of an
object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its
mass. Mathematically, we can describe the second law as
∑𝑭⃗
⃗ =
𝒂
𝒎
where 𝒂 ⃗ is the acceleration of the object, 𝑚 is its mass, and ∑ 𝑭 ⃗ is the vector sum of all
forces acting on it. Force is a vector quantity, in terms of its components we write as
∑ 𝑭𝒙 = 𝒎𝒂𝒙 and ∑ 𝑭𝒚 = 𝒎𝒂𝒚
When there is no net force on an object, its acceleration is zero, which means the velocity
is constant (Newton’s First Law).

By dimension analysis, the SI standard unit of force is

∑𝐹
𝑎=
𝑚
𝒎
∑ 𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎 = 𝒌𝒈 ∙ 𝟐 = 𝟏 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒕𝒐𝒏
𝒔
In the U.S. customary system, the unit of force is the pound (lb) which is 𝑠𝑙𝑢𝑔 ∙ 𝑓𝑡/𝑠 2 The
conversion from newtons to pounds is given by 1 N = 0.225 lb.

Example 1

An airboat with mass 3.50 x102 kg, including the passenger, has an engine that produces a
net horizontal force of 7.70 x102 N, after accounting for forces of resistance.

a. Find the acceleration of the airboat.

Apply Newton’s second law and solve for the acceleration,
𝐹𝑛𝑒𝑡 7.70 𝑥 102 𝑁
𝐹𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑚𝑎 → 𝑎 = = = 𝟐. 𝟐𝟎 𝒎/𝒔𝟐
𝑚 3.50 𝑥102 𝑁

b. Starting from rest, how long does it take the airboat to reach a speed of 12.0 m/s?
Apply kinematics velocity equation from ULOb,
𝑣𝑓 = 𝑣𝑖 + 𝑎𝑡
𝑚 𝑚 𝑚
12.0 = 0 + (2.20 2 ) 𝑡
𝑠 𝑠 𝑠
𝒕 = 𝟓. 𝟒𝟓 𝒔

c. After reaching that speed, the pilot turns off the engine and drifts to a stop over a distance
of 50.0 m. Find the resistance force, assuming it’s constant.

Let 12.0 m/s of (b) be the initial velocity. Also, know that the 50.0 m is the
displacement ∆𝑥,

𝑣𝑓2 = 𝑣𝑖2 + 2𝑎(𝑥𝑓 − 𝑥𝑖 )

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𝑚 𝑚 2
0 = (12.0 ) + 2𝑎(50.0𝑚)
𝑠 𝑠
𝑎 = −1.44 𝑚/𝑠 2
Substitute the acceleration into Newton’s second law, finding the resistance force:
𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡 = 𝑚𝑎 = (3.50𝑥102 𝑘𝑔)(−1.44𝑚/𝑠 2 ) = −𝟓𝟎𝟒 𝑵

Example 2

Two horses are pulling a barge with mass 2.00 x103 kg along a canal, as shown in Fig. 13.
The cable connected to the first horse makes an angle of 𝜃 = 30.0° with respect to the
direction of the canal, while the cable connected to the second horse makes an angle of 𝜃 =
− 45.0°. Find the initial acceleration of the barge, starting at rest, if each horse exerts a
force of magnitude 6.00x102 N on the barge. Ignore forces of resistance on the barge.

Fig. 13
Compute the total x- and y- component forces exerted by the horses,
𝐹1𝑥 = 𝐹1 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = (6.00𝑥102 𝑁)(cos 30.0°) = 5.20𝑥102 𝑁
𝐹2𝑥 = 𝐹2 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = (6.00𝑥102 𝑁)(cos −45.0°) = 4.24𝑥102 𝑁
∑ 𝐹 = 𝐹1𝑥 + 𝐹2𝑥 = 9.44 𝑥102 𝑁
𝑥

𝐹1𝑦 = 𝐹1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 = (6.00𝑥102 𝑁)(sin 30.0°) = 3.00𝑥102 𝑁

𝐹2𝑦 = 𝐹2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 = (6.00𝑥102 𝑁)(sin −45.0°) = −4.24𝑥102 𝑁
∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 𝐹1𝑦 + 𝐹2𝑦 = −1.24 𝑥102 𝑁
Obtain the components of the acceleration,
∑ 𝐹𝑥 9.44𝑥102 𝑁 𝑚
𝑎𝑥 = = 3
= 0.472 2
𝑚 2.00 𝑥10 𝑘𝑔 𝑠
∑ 𝐹𝑦 −1.24 𝑥10 𝑁 2
𝑚
𝑎𝑦 = = 3
= −0.0620 2
𝑚 2.00 𝑥10 𝑘𝑔 𝑠
Calculate the magnitude of the acceleration,

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𝑚 2 𝑚 2
𝑎 = √𝑎𝑥2 + 𝑎𝑦2 = √(0.472 ) + (−0.0620 ) = 𝟎. 𝟒𝟕𝟔 𝒎/𝒔𝟐
𝑠2 𝑠2

Calculate the direction,

−1
𝑎𝑦 −0.0620𝑚/𝑠 2
𝜃 = tan = = −𝟕. 𝟒𝟔 °
𝑎𝑥 0.472 𝑚/𝑠 2

Example 3

A hockey puck having a mass of 0.30 kg slides on the frictionless, horizontal surface of an
ice rink. Two hockey sticks strike the puck simultaneously, exerting the forces on the puck
shown in Fig. 14. The force ⃗⃗⃗
𝐹1 has a magnitude of 5.0 N, and is directed at 𝜃 = 20° below
the x-axis. The force ⃗⃗⃗
𝐹2 has a magnitude of 8.0 N and its direction is 𝜙 = 60° above the x-
axis. Determine both the magnitude and the
direction of the puck’s acceleration.

Compute the total x- and y- component forces

exerted by the sticks,
𝐹1𝑥 = 𝐹1 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = (5.0𝑁)(cos −20°) = 4.7𝑁
𝐹2𝑥 = 𝐹2 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = (8.0𝑁)(cos 60°) = 4.0𝑁
∑ 𝐹𝑥 = 𝐹1𝑥 + 𝐹2𝑥 = 8.7𝑁

𝐹1𝑦 = 𝐹1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 = (5.0𝑁)(sin −20°) = −1.7𝑁

𝐹2𝑦 = 𝐹2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 = (8.0𝑁)(sin 60°) = 6.9𝑁
∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 𝐹1𝑦 + 𝐹2𝑦 = 5.2𝑁
Obtain the components of the acceleration,
∑ 𝐹𝑥 8.7𝑁 𝑚
𝑎𝑥 = = = 29 2
𝑚 0.30𝑘𝑔 𝑠
∑ 𝐹𝑦 6.9𝑁 𝑚
𝑎𝑦 = = = 23 2
𝑚 0.30𝑘𝑔 𝑠
Calculate the magnitude of the acceleration,
𝑚 2 𝑚 2
𝑎= √𝑎𝑥2 + 𝑎𝑦2 = √(29 2
) + (23 2 ) = 𝟑𝟒𝒎/𝒔𝟐
𝑠 𝑠
Calculate the direction,
−1
𝑎𝑦 23𝑚/𝑠 2
𝜃 = tan = = 𝟑𝟏 °
𝑎𝑥 29𝑚/𝑠 2

Gravitational Force

The gravitational force is the mutual force of attraction between any two objects in the
Universe, as shown in Fig. 15. Newton’s law of universal gravitation states that every
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particle in the Universe attracts every other particle with a force that is directly
proportional to the product of the masses of the particles and inversely proportional to
the square of the distance between them. That is,
𝑚1 𝑚2
𝐹𝑔 = 𝐺
𝑟2
Where G = 6.67x10 N m /kg is the universal gravitation constant.
-11 2 2

Fig. 15
The magnitude of the gravitational force acting on an object of mass 𝑚 is called the weight
𝑤 of the object, given by
𝑊 = 𝑚𝑔
Where 𝑔 is the acceleration due to gravity. The SI standard unit for weight is Newton 𝑁.

Newton’s Third Law

Newton recognized, however, that a single isolated force couldn’t exist. Instead, forces in
nature always exist in pairs. He stated on his third law that, if two objects interact, the force
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐹12 exerted by object 1 on object 2 is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the
force ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐹21 exerted by object 2 on object 1:
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐹12 = −𝐹 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
21
The force that object 1 exerts on object 2 is popularly called the action force, and the force
of object 2 on object 1 is called the reaction force. The negative sign indicates that the
reaction force is acted in the opposite direction of equal magnitude.

There are many kinds of reaction forces such as friction force and normal force. Frictional
Force refers to the force generated by two surfaces that contacts and slide against each
other. Example of which is a slab on a rough surface, a book sliding on a smooth surface,
and such. The normal force is the support force exerted upon an object that is in contact
with another stable object or surface, it is acted perpendicular to the action force. It is the
upward force that opposes the weight of an object.

Example 1

A man of mass 75.0 kg and woman of mass 55.0 kg stand facing each other on an ice rink,
both wearing ice skates. The woman pushes the man with a horizontal force of 85.0 N in
the positive x-direction. Assume the ice is frictionless.

a. What is man’s acceleration?

𝐹 85.0𝑁
𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎 → 𝑎 = = = 𝟏. 𝟏𝟑 𝒎/𝒔𝟐
𝑚 75.0 𝑘𝑔
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b. What is the reaction force acting on the woman?

Apply Newton’s third law of motion, finding that the reaction force R acting on the
woman:
𝑅 = −𝐹 = −𝟖𝟓. 𝟎𝑵
c. Calculate the woman’s acceleration.
𝐹 −85.0𝑁
𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎 → 𝑎 = = = −1.55 𝒎/𝒔𝟐
𝑚 55.0 𝑘𝑔

Example 2

A traffic light weighing 1.00 x102 N hangs from a vertical cable tied to two other cables that
are fastened to a support, as in Fig. 16a. The upper cables make angles of 37.0° and 53.0°
with the horizontal. Find the tension in each of the three cables.

Tension is described as the pulling force transmitted through a rope, string or wire.
Because we are interested only at the body and the acting forces, a force diagram
called free-body diagram (FBD) would be helpful in the analysis. Identify all the
action and reaction forces, in this case, we have the weight (Fg) of the traffic light
and the tension forces of the strings. The construction of a correct free-body
diagram is an essential step in applying Newton’s laws. An incorrect diagram will
most likely lead to incorrect answers! Fig. 16 is an example of an FBD which shows
the external forces acting on the body necessary for the analysis. Fig. 16b shows the
forces acting on the traffic light and Fig.16c shows the forces acting on the cable
knot.

Fig. 16
Objects that are either at rest or moving with constant velocity are said to be in
equilibrium. Because of 𝑎 = 0 𝑚/𝑠 2, Newton’s second law applied to an object in
equilibrium gives
∑𝐹 = 0
Find T3 from Fig. 16b, using the condition of equilibrium:
∑ 𝐹 = 𝑇3 − 𝐹𝑔 = 0 → 𝑇3 = 𝐹𝑔

𝑻𝟑 = 𝟏. 𝟎𝟎𝒙𝟏𝟎𝟐 𝑵
Note the direction of the force, positive are those applied upward and rightwards

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while negative are those downward and leftwards. 𝑇1 and 𝑇2 are two-dimensional
forces which means you need to solve for the x- and y- components.
For the summation of forces along the x-direction, there are two component forces
acted by 𝑇1 and 𝑇2 :
𝑇1𝑥 = 𝑇1 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = −𝑇1 (cos 37.0°)
𝑇2𝑥 = 𝑇2 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = 𝑇2 (cos 53.0°)
∑ 𝑇𝑥 = −𝑇1 (cos 37.0°) + 𝑇2 (cos 53.0°) = 0 → 𝑒𝑞. 1
While in the y-direction, there are three component forces acted by 𝑇1 , 𝑇2 and
weight 𝐹𝑔 :
𝑇1𝑦 = 𝑇1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 = 𝑇1 (sin 37.0°)
𝑇2𝑦 = 𝑇2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 = 𝑇2 (sin 53.0°)
𝑇3 = −1.00𝑥102 𝑁
∑ 𝑇𝑦 = 𝑇1 (sin 37.0°) + 𝑇2 (sin 53.0°) − 1.00𝑥102 𝑁 = 0 → 𝑒𝑞. 2
Equating eq. 1 and 2 to solve 𝑇1 and 𝑇2
−𝑇1 (cos 37.0°) + 𝑇2 (cos 53.0°) = 0
𝑇1 (sin 37.0°) + 𝑇2 (sin 53.0°) − 1.00𝑥102 𝑁 = 0
𝑻𝟏 = 𝟔𝟎. 𝟏𝑵 and 𝑻𝟐 = 𝟕𝟗. 𝟗 𝑵

Example 3

A sled is tied to a tree on a frictionless, snow-covered hill shown in Fig. 17. If the sled
weighs 77.0 N, find the magnitude of the tension force exerted by the rope on the sled
and that of the normal force 𝑛 exerted by the hill on the sled.

Fig. 17
Fig. 17b is the FBD for this force analysis. The object is at equilibrium, therefore,
apply Newton’s second law.
For the summation of forces along the x-axis,
∑ 𝐹𝑥 = +𝑇 − 𝐹𝑔 𝑠𝑖𝑛30 = 0
𝑇 − 77.0𝑁 𝑠𝑖𝑛30° = 0
𝑻 = 𝟑𝟖. 𝟓 𝑵
Notice that sine function is used to solve for the x-component, that is because of the
angle 30° is opposite to the x-component of the weight force.
For the summation of forces along the y-axis,
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∑ 𝐹𝑦 = +𝑛 − 𝐹𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑠30 ° = 0
𝑛 − 77.0𝑁 𝑐𝑜𝑠30 ° = 0
𝒏 = 𝟔𝟔. 𝟕 𝑵

Example 4

A car of mass m is on an icy driveway inclined at an angle 𝜃 = 20.0°, as in Fig. 18a.

Fig. 18
a. Determine the acceleration of the car, assuming the incline is frictionless.
Since the force causes the car to move, the summation of forces is equal to 𝑚𝑎. The
acceleration happens only along x-direction, hence
∑ 𝐹𝑥 = 𝐹𝑔 sin 20.0 ° = 𝑚𝑎𝑥
(𝑚𝑔) sin 20.0 ° = 𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝑚
(9.80 2 ) sin 20.0 ° = 𝑎𝑥
𝑠
𝒂𝒙 = 𝟑. 𝟑𝟓 𝒎/𝒔𝟐
b. If the length of the driveway is 25.0 m and the car starts from rest at the top, how long
does it take to travel to the bottom?
1
𝑥𝑓 = 𝑥𝑖 + 𝑣𝑖 𝑡 + 𝑎𝑡 2
2
1 𝑚
25.0 𝑚 = 0 + 0 + (3.35 2 ) (𝑡 2 )
2 𝑠
𝒕 = 𝟑. 𝟖𝟔 𝒔
c. What is the car’s speed at the bottom?
𝑚 𝑚 𝒎
𝑣𝑓 = 𝑣𝑖 + 𝑎𝑡 = 0 + (3.35 2 ) (3.86 𝑠) = 𝟏𝟐. 𝟗
𝑠 𝑠 𝒔

Forces of Friction

A moving object on a surface or through a viscous medium experiences an opposite

resistance force called friction. There are two types of friction: static 𝑓𝑠 and kinetic 𝑓𝑘 . A
frictional force of an object exerted by its surface is proportional to its normal force 𝑛.
𝑓≤𝜇𝑛
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Where 𝜇 is the proportionality constant called the coefficient of static friction 𝜇𝑠 or the
coefficient of kinetic friction 𝜇𝑘 , depending on the frictional force. 𝜇𝑘 is generally less than
𝜇𝑠 and these values are constants depending on the surface or medium. Table 1.6 lists the
most common mediums and their coefficient of friction. These values are approximated,
however, normally the coefficients to be used in the problem are given.

Table 1.6 Coefficients of Friction

𝜇𝑠 𝜇𝑘
Steel on steel 0.74 0.57
Aluminum on steel 0.61 0.47
Rubber on concrete 1.0 0.8
Wood on wood 0.25-0.5 0.2
Glass on glass 0.94 0.4

Example 1

Suppose a block with a mass of 2.50 kg is resting on a ramp. If the coefficient of static
friction between the block and ramp is 0.350, what maximum angle can the ramp make
with the horizontal before the block starts to slip down?

Identifying the forces we only have the weight. Next, identify whether the object is
at equilibrium, constant velocity, or with acceleration. In this case, the block is at
equilibrium before it starts to slip down, therefore, use Newton’s second law for the
x- and y- components. Draw an FBD as shown,

Now take note of the presence of the frictional force opposite to the applied force
which is the x-component of the weight. We know that 𝜇𝑠 = 𝑓𝑠 /𝑛, meaning, we
have to solve for the normal force first along the y-axis.
∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 𝐹𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 − 𝑛 = (𝑚𝑔)(cos 𝜃) − 𝑛 = 0
𝑚
equation for the normal force → (2.50 𝑘𝑔) (9.80 𝑠2 ) cos 𝜃 = 𝑛
∑ 𝐹𝑥 = 𝐹𝑔 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 − 𝑓𝑠 = (𝑚𝑔)(sin 𝜃) − 𝜇𝑠 𝑛 = 0
𝑚 𝑚
(2.50 𝑘𝑔) (9.80 2 ) sin 𝜃 − (0.350) [(2.50𝑘𝑔) (9.80 2 ) cos 𝜃] = 0
𝑠 𝑠
Solving for the angle we get, 𝜃 = tan−1 0.350
𝜽 = 𝟏𝟗. 𝟑 °

Example 2

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The hockey puck struck by a hockey stick is given an initial speed of 20.0 m/s on a frozen
pond. The puck remains on the ice and slides 1.20 x102 m, slowing down steadily until it
comes to rest. Determine the coefficient of kinetic friction between the puck and the ice.

Identify the acting forces, in this case, we have the weight, normal, 𝑓𝑘 , and the
applied force that caused the motion. The object is at motion at the x-axis and
equilibrium at y-axis, therefore, use Newton’s third and second law respectively.
Draw the FBD,

We know that 𝜇𝑘 = 𝑓𝑘 /𝑛, meaning, we have to solve for the normal and frictional
force first. Identify the given, we have the puck’s initial and final speed and distance.
We cannot go directly with the summation of forces because the given values are
not sufficient. Utilizing the given to solve the unknown, we have,
𝑣𝑓2 = 𝑣𝑖2 + 2𝑎(𝑥𝑓 − 𝑥𝑖 )
𝑚 𝑚 2
0 = (20.0 ) + 2𝑎(1.20 𝑥102 − 0 𝑚)
𝑠 𝑠
𝑎 = −1.67 𝑚/𝑠 2
Now we can proceed to Newton’s second law for the y-axis,
∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 𝑛 − 𝐹𝑔 = 0
𝑛 = 𝑚𝑔
Then Newton’s third law for the x-axis,
∑ 𝐹𝑥 = − 𝑓𝑘 = 𝑚𝑎
−𝜇𝑘 𝑛 = 𝑚𝑎
𝑚 𝑚
−𝜇𝑘 (𝑚) (9.80 2 ) = 𝑚(−1.67 2 )
𝑠 𝑠
𝝁𝒌 = 𝟎. 𝟏𝟕𝟎
Self-Help: You can also refer to the sources below to help you further understand the
lesson:

*Serway, R. (2014). Physics for Scientist and Engineers with Modern Physics (9th ed)
Australia: Cengage Learning..
*Katz, D. (2017). Physics for Scientist and Engineers: Foundations and Connections.
Australia: Cengage Learning.

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*Young, H. D. (2016). Sears and Zemanky's University Physics with Modern Physics (14th
ed.). Harlow, England: Pearson

Let’s Check

Activity 1. Practice Problems

Problem 1. Laws of Motion

The heaviest invertebrate is the giant squid, which is estimated to have a weight of about 2
tons spread out over its length of 70 feet. What is its weight in newtons?

Problem 2: Laws of Motion

A 6.0-kg object undergoes an acceleration of 2.0 m/s2.

a. What is the magnitude of the resultant force acting on it?

b. If this same force is applied to a 4.0-kg object, what acceleration is produced?

Problem 3: Laws of Motion

A 75-kg man standing on a scale in an elevator notes that as the elevator rises, the scale
reads 825 N. What is the acceleration of the elevator?

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Problem 4: Laws of Motion

A dockworker loading crates on a ship finds that a 20-kg crate, initially at rest on a
horizontal surface, requires a 75-N horizontal force to set it in motion. However, after the
crate is in motion, a horizontal force of 60 N is required to keep it moving with a constant
speed. Find the coefficients of static and kinetic friction between crate and floor.

Let’s Analyze

Problem 1: Laws of Motion

A 5.0-g bullet leaves the muzzle of a rifle with a speed of 320 m/s. What force (assumed
constant) is exerted on the bullet while it is traveling down the 0.82-m-long barrel of the
rifle?

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Problem 2: Laws of Motion

Two forces are applied to a car to move it, as shown below.

a. What is the resultant of these two forces?

b. If the car has a mass of 3 000 kg, what acceleration does it have? Ignore friction.

Problem 3: Laws of Motion

A 150-N bird feeder is supported by three cables as shown. Find the tension in
each cable.

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Problem 4: Laws of Motion

A 1 000-N crate is being pushed across a level floor at a constant speed by a force of 300 N
at an angle of 20.0° below the horizontal, as shown in Figure a.

a. What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the crate and the floor?
b. If the 300-N force is instead pulling the block at an angle of 20.0° above the horizontal,
as shown in Figure b, what will be the acceleration of the crate? Assume that the coefficient
of friction is the same as that found in part (a).

In a Nutshell

Activity 1

A space explorer is moving through space far from any planet or star. He notices a large
rock, taken as a specimen from an alien planet, floating around the cabin of the ship. Should
he push it gently, or should he kick it toward the storage compartment? Explain.

Activity 2:

If only one force acts on an object, can it be in equilibrium? Explain.

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