Chapter 3

1 Draw free body diagrams for, (a) a box resting on the floor, (b) the examples shown below

(c) A free fall parachutist falling through the air, (d) a boat floating in water.

2. A ball of weight 10 N is suspended on a string and pulled to one side by another horizontal
string as shown in Figure below. If the forces are balanced:

(a) Write an equation for the horizontal components of the forces acting on the ball
(b) Write an equation for the vertical components of the forces acting on the ball
(c) Use the second equation to calculate the tension in the upper string, T
(d) Use your answer to (c) plus the first equation to find the horizontal force F.

3. The condition for the forces to be balanced is that the sum of components of the forces in
any two perpendicular components is zero. In the ‘box on a ramp’ example the vertical and
horizontal components were taken. However, it is sometimes more convenient to consider
Components parallel and perpendicular to the ramp. Consider the situation in Figure below.
If the forces on this box are balanced:

(a) Write an equation for the components of the forces parallel to the ramp
(b) Write an equation for the forces perpendicular to the ramp
(c) Use your answers to find the friction (F) and normal force (N).
4. A rock climber is hanging from a rope attached to the cliff by two bolts as shown in Figure
below. If the forces are balanced

(a) Write an equation for the vertical component of the forces on the knot
(b) Write an equation for the horizontal forces exerted on the knot
(c) Calculate the tension T in the ropes joined to the bolts.
The result of this calculation shows why ropes should not be connected in this way.

5. A net force of 265 N accelerates a bike and rider at 2.30 m s 2 . What is the mass of the bike
and rider together?

6. How much tension must a rope withstand if it is used to accelerate a 960-kg car horizontally
along a frictionless surface at 1.20 m s 2 ?

7. What is the weight of a 76-kg astronaut (a) on Earth, (b) on the Moon ( g = 1.7 m s 2 ) , (c) on
Mars ( g = 3.7 m s ,
2
) (d) in outer space traveling with constant velocity?

8. A 12.0-kg bucket is lowered vertically by a rope in which there is 163 N of tension at a given
instant. What is the acceleration of the bucket? Is it up or down?

9. By resolving the vectors into components, calculate if the following bodies are in
translational equilibrium or not. If not, calculate the resultant force.
10. If the following two examples are in equilibrium, calculate the unknown forces F1, F2 and
F3.

11. A rope is used to pull a felled tree (mass 50 kg) along the ground. A tension of 1000 N
causes the tree to move from rest to a velocity of 0.1 ms-1 in 2 s. Calculate the force due to
friction acting on the tree.

12. Two masses are arranged on a frictionless table as shown in Figure 2.50. Calculate:
(a) The acceleration of the masses
(b) The tension in the string.

13. Use Newton’s first and third laws to explain the following:
(a) When burning gas is forced downwards out of a rocket motor, the rocket accelerates up.
(b) When the water cannons on the boat in the photo are operating, the boat accelerates
Forwards.
(c) When you step forwards off a skateboard, the skateboard accelerates backwards.
(d) A table tennis ball is immersed in a fluid and held down by a string as shown in Figure
The container is placed on a balance. What will happen to the reading of the balance if
the string breaks?