Assignment

I. Answer the following questions

A. Use the following force diagram of a mass hanging from a pulley by a massless rope to
answer Questions 1 to 3. Letters on the diagram signify vectors.

1. Which vector represents the gravitational force Earth exerts on the mass?
2. Which vector(s) represent the force of tension?
3. Which two vectors always have equal magnitudes?

B. Use the following force diagram, showing a box of mass m sitting on a tabletop, to
answer Questions 4 and 5. Letters on the diagram signify vectors.
 1. Which vector represents the normal force exerted on the box?
2. Assuming the table completely supports the box’s weight, what equality must be true in
terms of A, B, C, and D — the magnitudes of the vectors displayed?

II. Apply the method described in this lesson to construct free-body diagrams for the
various situations described below.

#1

Suppose that you are pushing a crate of mass m over a horizontal frictionless plane. Draw an
FBD of the crate.

#2

Jack is pulling a box up an incline which makes an angle of 30° with the horizontal. Assuming
there is no friction, draw a free-body diagram of the box.

#3

A block is pulled over a horizontal plane with a force F that makes an angle of 15° with the
horizontal. Assuming there is friction between the block and the plane, draw a free-body diagram
of the block.

#4
Fred is pushing his bag down a ramp with friction. The ramp makes an angle of 15° with the
horizontal.

Draw an FBD of the bag.

#5

A sphere is hanging from a string attached to the ceiling.

Draw a free-body diagram of the hanging sphere.