Unit 6: Forces and Newton’s Laws of Motion 

  
Lesson 6.2 
Free-Body Diagrams 
 
Contents 
Introduction 1 

Learning Objectives 2 

Warm Up 2 

Learn about It! 4 

Free-Body Diagrams 4 
Steps in Constructing Free-Body Diagrams 6 

Key Points 12 

Check Your Understanding 12 

Challenge Yourself 16 

Bibliography 16 

Key to Try It! 17 

 
   

 
  
Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 

Lesson 6.2 
Free-Body Diagrams 
 

 
 

  Introduction 
Diagrams  are  vital  tools  in  physics.  Through  them,  you  can  visualize  concepts  and 
mathematical  relations,  and  illustrate  the  interaction  of  variables  responsible  for  a  certain 
action  or  phenomenon.  One  of  the  most  indispensable  of  these  is  what  we  refer  to  as 
free-body  diagrams,  which  will  prove  to  be  crucial  in  representing  forces  and  their 
interactions  as  we  study  the  different  laws  of  motion.  Mastering  how  to  construct  them 
requires  diligence  and  attention  to  detail,  as  well  as  the  openness  to  correct  the 
misconceptions  that  we  have  about  force  and  motion.  This  lesson  is  the  first  step  towards 
this process. 

 
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Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 
 
 

Learning Objectives  DepEd Competency 

 
In this lesson, you should be able to do the  Draw free-body diagrams 
(STEM_GP12N-ld32). 
following: 
 

● Determine  the  forces  acting  on  a 

particular object.  
● Enumerate  the  steps  in  creating 
free-body diagrams. 
● Construct free-body diagrams to show 
the interaction of forces on an object. 

  Warm Up       
  Free-Body Diagrams     5 minutes 
You  have  encountered  constructing  free-body  diagrams  in  your  prior  physics  classes.  This 
game  will  allow  you  to  reinforce  this  knowledge.  With  your  groupmates,  work  only  on  the 
first  simulation  (Situation  1)  presented  in  the  interactive.  The  first  group  who  accomplishes 
the task accurately wins the game. 
 

Material 
● laptop with internet connection 

 
Procedure 
1. Open  the  simulation  using  the link on the next page. Click the hot spot button on the 
leftmost  corner  to  set the interactive into full screen. A screenshot of the simulator is 
presented in Fig. 6.2.1. 
 
 
 

 
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Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 

Free-Body Diagrams  
The Physics Classroom, “Free-Body Diagrams,” 
https://www.physicsclassroom.com/Physics-Interactives/Newt
ons-Laws/Free-Body-Diagrams/Free-Body-Diagram-Interactiv
e, last accessed on March 27, 2020.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Fig. 6.2.1. Free-body diagram interactive 
 
2. The first situation is presented in the interactive as follows: 
“A  softball  player  does  a  head-first  dive  and  is  sliding  to  the  right  across  the  infield 
dirt. Ignore air resistance.” 
3. Construct  your  free-body  diagram  according  to  the  buttons  provided  in  the 
interactive. 
 
Guide Questions 
1. What are the forces acting on the softball player? 
2. How must the correct free-body diagram look like in the given situation?  
3. Infer  the  importance  of  constructing  a  free-body  diagram  from  the  simulation  that 
you have interacted with. 

 
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Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 

  Learn about It! 

 

How do you represent all the forces acting upon an 

  object? 
 
Free-Body Diagrams 
A  free-body  diagram  is  a  vector  diagram  that  illustrates  the  overall  picture  of  the 
magnitude  and  direction  of  the  forces  that  influence an object in a given scenario. Fig. 6.2.2 
shows  an  example  of  a  free-body  diagram  with  four  types  of  forces  influencing  the  object. 
Every  arrow  is  labeled  according  to  the  type  of  force  that  it  represents.  The  arrow’s  size 
signifies  the  force’s  magnitude,  while  the  arrow’s  direction  signifies  which  way  the  force  is 
acting. 

 
Fig. 6.2.2. Free-body diagram 
 

 
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Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 
In  Lesson  1,  you  have  learned  the  different  types  of  forces  that  influence  the  motion  of  an 
object.  A  summary  of  them  is  presented  in  Table  6.2.1.  Your  knowledge  of  these  types  will 
come  in  handy  as  you  attempt  to  represent  them  in  vector  diagrams  for  the  problems 
related  to  motion  in  this  unit.  Note  that  various  sources  present  the  labels/symbols  in 
different ways. For consistency, we will use them henceforth as follows: 
 
Table 6.2.1. Forces and their labels 

Force  Label/Symbol  Definition 

force applied to an object by another 

applied force   
object 

gravitational force  force with which large bodies (such as 

 
(also called weight)  Earth) pulls an object towards itself 

force exerted upon an object as it 

friction force   
moves across a surface 

force exerted upon an object found on a 

normal force   
surface 

force exerted by a cord, string, or rope 

tension force    
that is pulled tight  

a frictional force opposing the motion of 

air resistance force   
an object that travels in air 

  
(The subscript e  force exerted by a stretched string 
spring force 
denotes the word  connected to an object 
“elastic”.) 

 
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Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 

What is a free-body diagram? 

 
 
 
Fig.  6.2.3  shows  another  example  of  a  free-body  diagram  juxtaposed  with  a  real-life 
scenario  of  motion  that  it  represents.  Observe  how  the  external  forces  that  influence  the 
object are presented in the diagram. 
 

 
Fig. 6.2.3. Free-body diagram of a runner on her starting block 
 
Steps in Constructing Free-Body Diagrams 
1. Read  and  ensure  that  you  understood  the  problem  at  hand.  Create  a  mental  sketch 
of the scenario.  
2. Take  one  object  at  a  time  and  draw  a  free-body  diagram  for it that illustrates all the 
external  forces,  including  the  unknown  ones, that act upon that object. The net 
force,  or  the  sum  total  of  the  forces,  does  not  have  to  be  included  in  the diagram. If 
more  than  one  object  is  presented,  individually  draw  their  respective  free-body 
diagrams. 
 
You  may  choose  to  draw  a  box  around  the  chosen  object  to  clearly  see  the  forces 
acting  on  the  object  along  with  their  corresponding  labels.  Sometimes,  the  object  is 
presented  as  a  particle  (with  no  given  size,  shape,  or  rotation)  and  is  placed  at  the 
center  of  an  xy-coordinate  system.  We will do so in all of the free-body diagrams that 
follow. 
 

 
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Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 
3. Draw  the  arrow  that  corresponds  to  each  force  vector  according  to  its  magnitude 
and direction. Label each accordingly. 
4. Then,  present  the  x-  and  y-components  of  a  particular  force.  (This  is  mostly 
applicable  for  problems  related  to  the  first  and  second  laws  of  motion,  and we shall 
probe this step further once we discuss those topics.)  
5. Solve the equation for the unknown value(s). 
 

Remember 
When  drawing  a free-body diagram, include only the external forces 
that  influence  the  object’s  motion.  The  forces  that  the  object  under 
consideration  exerts upon other objects must not be included in the 
free-body diagram. 

 
 

How do you represent forces in a free-body 

  diagram? 
 

  Let’s Practice!  

Example 1    
Draw a free-body diagram for a paperweight that is at rest on a desk. 
 
Solution 
Step 1: List the forces acting on the object under consideration, along with their  
respective magnitudes. 
Normal force (N) 
Gravitational force (W) 
Since the paperweight is at rest, the length of the arrows must be equal. 
 
 
 
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Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 
Step 2: Identify which of the forces are along the x- and the y-axes. 
 

x-axis  y-axis 

none  N 
W 

 
Step 3: Draw the free-body diagram.  

 
 

1  Try It!  
Construct a free-body diagram of a coffee mug at rest on a tabletop. 

 
 
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Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 

Example 2  
Gregory pulled a 2 kg box attached to a rope along the frictionless surface of the floor with a 
force of magnitude 30.0 N. He exerted this force at a 30-degree angle to the east.   
 
Solution 
Step 1: List the forces acting on the object under consideration, along with their  
respective magnitudes. 
Tension force (T) 
Gravitational force (W) 
Normal force (N) 
 
Step 2: Identify which of the forces are along the x- and the y-axes. 
Since the box is pulled at an angle, its tension force will have both an x- and a  
y-component. 

x-axis  y-axis 

   
W 
N 

 
Step 3: Draw the free-body diagram.  

 
Tension force has been decomposed into x- and y- components. 

 
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Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 

2  Try It!  
A  30  kg  cabinet  attached  to  a  rope  was  pulled  along  the  frictionless  surface  of  the 
floor  with  a  force  of  magnitude  150.0  N.  This  force  was  exerted at a 60-degree angle 
to the east.   

Example 3  
Two  trunks,  A  and  B,  with  masses  15.0  kg  and  13.5  kg,  respectively,  are  attached  to  a 
lightweight  cord  and  are  at  rest  on  a  frictionless  horizontal  surface,  as  shown  below.  A 
horizontal  35.0  N  horizontal  force  is  applied  to  the  13.5  kg  trunk.  Find  the  tension  force 
between the two trunks. 
 

 
 
Solution 
Step 1: Since there are two objects involved, it is necessary to draw the two free-body  
diagrams individually. 
List the forces acting on each object under consideration, along with their  
respective magnitudes. 
 

Trunk A  Trunk B 

W  N 
N  T 

  W 

T 

 
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Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 
Step 2: Identify which of the forces are along the x- and the y-axes. 
 

  x-axis  y-axis 

Trunk A  , T  N, W 

Trunk B  T  N, W 

 
Step 3: Draw the free-body diagrams.  
For trunk A: 

 
For trunk B: 

 
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Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 

3  Try It!  
A rope connects two boxes A and B situated at rest on a horizontal surface. Box A has 
mass  equal  to  5  kg  and  Box  B  has  mass  equal  to  3.4  kg.  A  horizontal  force  with 
magnitude  43.5  N  is  applied  on  Box  B.  Determine the tension force between the two 
boxes. 

Key Points 
___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
 
● A  free-body  diagram  is  a  vector  diagram  that  illustrates  the  overall  picture  of  the 
magnitude and direction of the forces that influence an object in a given scenario. 
● The  arrow’s  size  in  a  free-body  diagram  signifies  the  force’s  magnitude,  while  the 
arrow’s direction signifies which way the force is acting. 
● When  drawing  a  free-body  diagram,  include  only the external forces that influence 
the  object’s  motion.  The  forces  that  the  object  under  consideration  exerts  upon 
other objects must not be included in the free-body diagram. 
___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
 

  Check Your Understanding 

 

A. Identify whether each statement is true or false. 

______________  1.  A  free-body  diagram shows the internal and external forces 

present in a given system.   

______________  2.  The  arrow’s  size  in  a  free-body  diagram signifies the force’s 

magnitude.  

______________  3.  In  a  free-body  diagram,  the  normal  force N must always be 

perpendicular to the surface.  

 
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Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 

______________  4.  A  free-body  diagram  illustrates  the  magnitude  and 

direction  of  the  forces  that  influence  an  object  in  a  given 
scenario.   

______________  5.  Tension  force  T  refers  to  the  force  exerted  by  a  stretched 
string connected to an object.   

______________  6.  In  a  free-body  diagram,  the  arrow  for  gravitational  force 
may be upward or downward.  

______________  7.  The  net  force,  or  the  sum  total  of  the  forces,  has  to  be 
included when constructing a free-body diagram. 

______________  8.  Spring  force  refers  to  the  force  exerted by a cord, string, or 

rope that is pulled tight against an object.   

______________  9.  In  a  free-body  diagram,  friction  force  F  is  shown  to 
represent  the  force  exerted  upon  an  object  as  it  moves 
across a surface.   

______________  10.  The  applied  force  will  always  have  vertical  and  horizontal 
components in a free-body diagram. 

B. Supply  the  forces  missing  in  each  of  the  following  free-body 
 
diagrams and label each accordingly. 

 
1. A pencil is falling from a tree. Neglect air resistance. 

 
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Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 
2-3. A cell phone is at rest on a board. 

 
 
4. A marsupial gliding down to the ground from a tree with constant velocity 
Consider air resistance.  

 
 
5. A woman carries a bag with one strap suspended motionless from her shoulder. 

 
 

 
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Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 
6. A parachute falling at a constant rate 

 
 
7-8. A vehicle moves to the right before deciding to slow down. Neglect air resistance. 

 
 
9-10. A force is applied to move a book eastward across the table at a constant  
velocity. Neglect air resistance. 

 
 
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Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 
 

  Challenge Yourself 
 

Create  a  free-body  diagram  for  each  of  the  following  scenarios. 

Each  diagram  corresponds  to  one  point  and  will  be  evaluated  on 
the basis of completeness and accuracy.  

 
1. A tree frog glides down a tree with constant velocity. 
2. A  coffee  mug  is moved across the table rightward. Consider friction and disregard air 
resistance. 
3. A  dogsled  is  tugged  across  the  snow  with  a  rightward  acceleration.  Disregard  air 
resistance.  
4. A ball is about to reach its peak after being kicked hard. Disregard air resistance. 
5. An  athlete  clasps  onto  a  bar  attached  by  two  ropes  to  the  ceiling.  If  the  athlete  is 
hanging  still  in  midair,  how  would  a  free-body  diagram  of  the  forces  acting  on  the 
combination of the athlete and the bar look like? 
 

  Bibliography 
Faughn,  Jerry  S.  and  Raymond  A.  Serway.  Serway’s  College  Physics  (7th  ed).  Singapore: 
Brooks/Cole, 2006. 
 
Giancoli,  Douglas  C.  Physics  Principles  with  Applications  (7th  ed).  USA:  Pearson  Education, 
2014. 
 
Macalalad, E. P. and Vergara, R. L. 2011. Exploring the Realms of Science: Physics. Valenzuela 
City: JO-ES Publishing House, Inc. 
 
Serway,  Raymond  A.  and  John  W.  Jewett,  Jr.  Physics  for  Scientists  and  Engineers  with  Modern 
Physics (9th ed). USA: Brooks/Cole, 2014. 
 

 
6.2. Free-Body Diagrams  16 
 
  
Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 
Young,  Hugh  D.,  Roger  A.  Freedman,  and  A.  Lewis  Ford.  Sears  and  Zemansky’s  University 
Physics with Modern Physics (13th ed). USA: Pearson Education, 2012. 
 

  Key to Try It! 

1.    

 
2.  

 
 
 
 
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Unit 6: Force and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 
3.  

 
 

 
6.2. Free-Body Diagrams  18