PH031 – Modern Mechanics

Fall 2021

The Fundamental
Interactions
Dr.Waleed Zein
Associate Professor
Faculty of Engineering - EUI
Waleed.zein@eui.edu.eg
Or walidzein@gmail.com
Whatsapp : 01129366633
 Predictions using the Momentum Principle

The Momentum Principle Update form of the momentum principle

p f - pi = Fnet Dt
Dp = Fnet Dt p f = pi + Fnet Dt

Short enough,
p fx , p fy , p fz = pix , piy , piz + Fnet , x , Fnet , y , Fnet , z t F~const

For components: p fx = pix + Fnet , x t

p fy = piy + Fnet , y t
p fz = piz + Fnet , z t
 Example: colliding students
Two students are late for class and run into each other head-on.
Q: Estimate the force that one student exerts on the other during collision

Simplest model: Ffloor , N

F
Fair

Ffloor , P
FEarth

System: one spherical student

Surroundings: earth, ground, air, second spherical student

Force: Gravity, Normal, Friction, Air Resistance, Other Student – unknown!

 Example: colliding students
y
Ffloor , N
Strategy:
F
Fair
p f − pi = Fnet t
Ffloor , P p =  mv
FEarth
rf = ri + vavg t
x

p f − pi = Fnet t
 0, 0  −  pix , 0 = Ffloor , P − Fair − F , Ffloor , N − FEarth  t
 − pix ,0 = − F ,0  t
pix = F t
 Example: colliding students
y
Ffloor , N
Strategy:
F
Fair
p f − pi = Fnet t
Ffloor , P p =  mv
FEarth
rf = ri + vavg t
x
pix = F t
What is the collision time? Assume: vi =5 m/s, x=0.05m

x x x
= t = t = t = 0.02 s
vavg
t vavg ( vi + v f ) / 2
What is the initial momentum? Assume: m=60 kg pix = mvix = 300 kg  m/s

pix 300 kg  m/s

Find F: F= = = 15000 N
t 0.02 s
 The Four Fundamental Forces

“Composite”
forces like the
spring force, air
drag, friction, etc.
are combinations
of these four
fundamental
forces
 Newton’s Great Insight:
The force that attracts things toward the earth (e.g. a falling
apple) is the same force that keeps planets orbiting about
the sun
 The gravitational force law
m2

Newton Cavendish
r2−1
m2 m1 N×m2
Fgrav on 2by1 = −G 2
rˆ2−1 G = 6.7 10 −11

r̂2−1 r2−1 kg 2
Gravitational constant
m1

r2 m2

r2−1  r2 − r1
r1

m1
 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
 Distance between two objects
Real objects: have size

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.
Can model as a point mass!
 Clicker question #1

A
B

m2 m1
Fgrav on 2by1 = −G 2
rˆ2−1
r2−1

What is the distance between these two spheres to be used

in gravitational law?
 Gravitational force on a planet
m2 m1
Fgrav on 2by1 = −G 2
rˆ2−1 star planet
r2−1
m1 = 4 1030 kg m2 = 3 1024 kg
r1 = 2,1,1.5 1011 m r2 = 3,3.5, −0.5  1011 m
r2−1
1. Calculate r2−1  r2 − r1
r2−1 = 1, 2.5, −2 1011 m

(110 m ) + ( 2.5 10 m ) + ( −2 10 m ) = 3.35 1011 m

2 2 2
2. Distance r2−1 =
11 11 11

r2−1 1, 2.5, −2 1011 m

3. Unit vector: rˆ2−1 = = = 0.299, 0.746, −0.597
r2−1 3.35 10 m
11

m2 m1
3. Force: Fgrav on 2by1 = −G 2
rˆ2−1 = −7.16 1021 0.299,0.746,-0.597 N
r2−1
Fgrav on planet bystar = 7.16 1021 -0.299,-0.746,0.597 N
magnitude direction
Gravitational force near the Earth’s surface

M Em
m
Fgrav on m by M E = −G 2
rˆ
RE
RE ~ The same for all objects on surface

Fgrav on m by M E = gm
ME
Gravitational g = −G 2
rˆ
field
RE
The magnitude: g = 9.8 N/kg
ME = 5.976 ×1024 kg
RE = 6.37 ×106 m
Fg = mg
 Predicting motion of a planet

Where will the planet be after one month?

Use position update formula:

p rf = ri + vavg t
If we assume that velocity is constant
Does not work because the force is
changing the velocity!
F
The force changes with position.
The momentum changes with position.

In general, there is no algebraic equation to

predict motion of more than 2 interacting
objects.
Iterative prediction of a motion of one planet
Simple case: one planet
star is fixed in space
1. Calculate gravitational force:
m2 m1
Fgrav on 2by1 = −G 2
rˆ2−1
r2−1
p
2. Update momentum p f = pi + Fnet t
Choose t short enough
(F & v do not change much)

F 3. Calculate v and update position

rf = ri + vavg t
4. Repeat

Critical parameter: t
 Iterative prediction of motion
Real case: many objects
objects are free to move

1. Calculate net force on each mass:

Fon mi =  Fm j on mi
ij

2. Update momentum of each mass

p f = pi + Fnet Dt
Choose t short enough
(F & v do not change much)
3. Calculate v and update position of each mass
Iterative approach: works for rf = ri + vavg Dt
any kind of force, not just
gravity! 4. Repeat

t is a critical parameter!
Example