HANDOUT 3: NEWTON’S LAWS OF MOTION

Physics 101: PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

3 Force

3.1 What is a force?

Definition 1. When you push someone, you exert a force. When you throw or kick a ball, you exert a
force. Based on these, force refers to an interaction with object by means of muscular activity and some

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change in the object’s velocity. However, force do not always causes motion. For example, when you are
sitting, a gravitational force acts on your body and yet you remain stationary. Another example is when
you push a wall. In everyday life, a force might involve a push or a pull. The concept is that force gives
us a description of the interaction between two objects or between the object and its environment.

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3.2 Type of Forces

Definition 2. contact force - force involves in a direct physical contact between two objects
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Some examples are stretching a string, pulling carts, kicking footballs.

Definition 3. field force/long-range force - force that does not involves in physical contact between two
objects but act through an empty spaces
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Some examples are gravitational force and electromagnetic force.

3.3 Force is a VECTOR

You can push or pull an object in different directions so force is a vector quantity. Thus, in describing a
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force, the direction must also be described as well as its magnitude (we can say that this describes how
much or how hard the force pushes or pulls).
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Note 1. The SI unit of force is NEWTON (N). We will give the precise definition later.

#« #«
When two forces F1 and F2 act at the same time at same point of an object, the effect on the body’s
#« #« #«
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motion is the same as the effect of the vector sum R = F1 + F2 of the original forces. Generally, the
effect of any of forces applied at a point of an object is the same as the effect of a single force equal to
the vector sum of the forces. This concept is called the superposition of forces.

Definition 4. net force - sum of all the forces acting on an object

#« # « # « # « X #«
R = F1 + F2 + F3 + · · · = F

P #«
where F is read as the vector sum of the forces or the net force.
COMPONENT VERSION X
Rx = Fx
X
Ry = Fy .

#« P #«
MAGNITUDE AND DIRECTION OF NET FORCE R = F
magnitude: q
R = Rx2 + Ry2

direction:

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tan θ = Ry /Rx .

NOTE: In our definition of components last time, we said that they are the magnitude of the component
vectors since we derive the components in the positive quadrant. However, the components can actually

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be negative or zero.

Example 1. Three professional wrestlers are fighting over the same champion’s belt. They apply the
three horizontal forces to the belt, where the belt is located at the origin (see figure below). The
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magnitudes of the three forces are F1 = 250 N , F2 = 50 N and F3 = 120 N . Find the x and y
components of the net force on the belt, and find the magnitude and direction of the net force.
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4 Newton’s First Law of Motion

Definition 5. Newton’s First Law of Motion: A body acted on by no net force moves with constant
velocity (which may be zero) and zero acceleration.

From the first law, we conclude that any isolated object (one that does not interact with its environment)

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is either at rest or moving with constant velocity.
Definition 6. inertia - tendency of an object to resist any attempt to change its velocity.
Definition 7. normal force - upward supporting force of the surface
Definition 8. object in equilibrium - when an object is acted on by no forces, or by several forces such
that their vector sum is zero

object in equilibrium X #«
F =0

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P #«
Note: F = 0 means that each component of the net force is zero, so
X
Fx = 0
X
Fy = 0.

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Example 2. You are driving a Porsche 911 Carrera on a straight testing track at a constant speed of
150 km/h. You pass a 1971 Volkswagen Beetle doing a constant 75 km/h. For which car is the net force
greater?
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5 Newton’s Second Law of Motion
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5.1 Mass
P #«
For a given object, the ratio of the magnitude | F | of net force to the magnitude a of acceleration is
constant, regardless of the magnitude of the net force. This ratio is called the inertial mass, or simply
the mass, of an object and we denote it by m.
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mass: X #«
m=| F |/a.
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Definition 9. mass - a quantitative measure of intertia

Note 2. The greater the object’s mass is, the more a body resists being accelerated.
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Note 3. SI Unit for Mass: Kilogram (kg)

Definition 10. newton 1 N = 1 kg · m/s2

If the net force applied to an object is same, the ratio of the masses is the inverse of the ratio of the
accelerations.

IF SAME NET FORCE IS APPLIED:

m1 a2
=
m2 a1

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5.2 Newton’s Second Law

Definition 11. Newton’s Second Law of Motion If a net external force acts on a body, the body
accelerates. The direction of acceleration is the same as the direction of the net force. The net force
vector is equal to the mass of the body times the acceleration of the body.

Newton’s Second Law of Motion in symbols:

X #«
F = m #«
a.

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Components wise: X
Fx = max
X
Fy = may .

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Example 3. A worker applies a constant horizontal force with magnitude 20 N to a box with mass 40
kg resting on a level floor with negligible friction. What is the acceleration of the box?
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Example 4. A waitress shoves a ketchup bottle with mass 0.45 kg toward the right along a smooth,
level lunch counter. As the bottle leaves her hand, it has an initial velocity of 2.8 m/s. As it slides, it
slows down because of the constant horizontal friction force exerted on it by the counter top. It slides a
distance of 1 m before coming to rest. What are the magnitude and direction of the friction force acting
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on it?

5.3 Weight
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Definition 12. weight - force of the earth’s gravitational attraction for the body

weight
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#« = m #«
w g.

We often use g = 9.8 m/s2 for problems on the earth. This value however, varies somewhat from point
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to point on the earth’s surface.

Note 4. g decreases with increasing distance from the center of the earth. An object weigh less at higher
altitudes than at sea level.

Because weight depends on g, weight varies with geographical location.

Example 5. A student has a mass 70 kg. The magnitude of student’s weight in a location where g = 9.8
m/s2 is 68 N. At the top of the mountain, where g = 9.77 m/s2 , what is the magnitude of the student’s
weight?

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Example 6. A 1.96 × 104 N Lincoln Town Car traveling in the +x-direction makes a fast stop; the
x-component of the net force acting on it is −1.5 × 104 N . What is its acceleration?

5.4 Newton’s Third Law of Motion

Definition 13. Newton’s Third Law If body A exerts a force on body B (an ’action’), then body B
exerts a force on body A (a ’reaction’). These two forces have the same magnitude but are opposite in
direction. These two forces act on different bodies.

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Newton’s Third Law
#« #«
F AB = −F BA
#« #«
where F AB is the force exerted by body A on body B and F BA is the force exerted by body B on body

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A.

Example 7. After your sports car breaks down, you start to push it to the nearest repair shop. While
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the car is starting to move, how does the force you exert on the car compare to the force the car exerts
on you? How do these forces compare when you are pushing the car along at a constant speed?

Example 8. An apple sits on a table in equilibrium. What forces act on it? What is the reaction force
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to each of the forces on the apple? What are the action-reactions pairs?

5.5 Free-Body Diagram

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In solving problems involving force, it is often helpful to draw a diagram that shows the force/s acting
on an object.
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Definition 14. free-body diagram - in this diagram, the object is represented as a dot and showing the
forces that act on the object as being applied to the dot

Example 9. The figure below shows the free-body diagram of a crate being pulled to the right on a
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frictionless floor.

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5.6 Problem’s on Newton’s Laws of Motion

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Newton’s First Law: Particles in Equilibrium

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P #« P P
Recall that the net force is F = 0 with component form Fx = 0 and Fy = 0.
Definition 15. When a rope attached to an object is pulling the object, the rope exerts a force on the
object in a direction away from the object, parallel to the rope. The magnitude T of that force is called
the tension in the rope. This is applicable also in strings, cables, etc.
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Example 10. A gymnast with mass 50 kg suspends herself from lower end of a hanging rope. The
upper end of the rope is attached to the gymnasium ceiling. What is the gymnast’s weight? What force
(magnitude and direction) does the rope exert on her? What is the tension at the top of the rope?
Assume that the mass of the rope itself is negligible.

Example 11. Suppose that in the previous example, the weight of the rope is not negligible but is 120
N . Find the tension at each end of the rope.

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Example 12. A traffic light weighing 122 N hangs from a cable tied to two other cables fastened to
a support as in the figure below. The upper cables make anglesc of θ1 = 37◦ and θ2 = 53◦ with the
horizontal. These upper cables are not as strong as the vertical cable and will break if the tension in
them exceeds 100 N . Does the traffic light remain hanging in this situation, or will one of the cables
break?

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Newton’s Second Law of Motion: Dynamics of Particles
Note that when a net force is applied on an object, the P
object might experience an acceleration. In this
#« #« P
case, according to the Newton’s Second Law of Motion, F = m a . Its component form: Fx = max ,
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P
Fy = may .

Example 13. An iceboat is at rest on a perfectly frictionless horizontal surface. A steady wind is
blowing (along the direction of the runners) so that 4 s after the iceboat is released, it attains a velocity
of 6 m/s. What constant horizontal force FW does the wind exert on the iceboat? The mass of the
iceboat and rider is 200 kg.
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Example 14. Consider the iceboat moving on a frictionless surface, as in the Example 13. But now
let’s suppose that once the iceboat starts to move, its position as a function of time is

x(t) = 1.2t2 − 0.2t3

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where t is in seconds and x is in meters. Find the force FW exerted by the wind as a function of time in
this case. What is this force at time t = 3 s? For what times is the force zero? Positive? Negative?

Example 15. Suppose the wind is once again blowing steadily in the +x-direction as in the Example
13, so that the iceboat has a constant acceleration ax = 1.5 m/s2 . Now, however, there is a constant
horizontal friction force with magnitude 100 N that opposes the motion of the iceboat. In this case,
what force FW must the wind exert on the iceboat?

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Example 16. An elevator and its load have a total mass of 800 kg. The elevator is originally moving
downward at 10 m/s; it slows to a stop with constant acceleration in a distance 25 m. Find the tension
T in the supporting cable while the elevator is being brought to rest.

Example 17. A 50 kg woman stands on a bathroom scale while riding in the elevator in Example 16.
What is the reading on the scale?

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5.7 Frictional Forces
#«
Definition 16. friction ( f ) - resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another
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Definition 17. kinetic friction force (fk ) - kind of friction that acts when a body slides over a surface

magnitude of kinetic friction force

fk = µk n
where µk is the coefficient of kinetic friction and n is the magnitude of the normal force.
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Note 5. The more slippery the surface, the smaller the coefficient of friction.
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Definition 18. static friction force (fs ) - when a body is not moving relative to a surface
Note 6. Static friction force is the phenomenon we experience whenever we try to slide something and
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fail to move until we make enough effort to get it sliding, with any smaller force the object stays put.

maximum value of static friction force

fs ≤ µs n

where µs is the coefficient of the static friction and n is the magnitude of the normal force.
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Graph of friction force:

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Coefficients of friction table:

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Example 18. A hockey puck on a frozen pond is given an initial speed of 20 m/s. If the puck always
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remains on the ice and slides 115 m before coming to rest, determine the coefficient of kinetic friction
between the puck and ice.

Example 19. A delivery company has just unloaded a 500-N crate full of home exercise equipment
in your driveway. You find that to get it started moving toward your garage, you have to pull with a
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horizontal force of magnitude 230 N . Once it ’breaks loose’ and starts to move, you can keep it moving
at constant velocity with only 200 N . What are the coefficients of static and kinetic friction?
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Example 20. In example 19, what is the friction force if the crate is at rest on the surface and a
horizontal force of 50 N is applied to it?
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Example 21. In example 19, suppose you try to move your crate full of exercise equipment by tying
a rope around it and pulling upward on the rope at angle of 30◦ above the horizontal. How hard do
you have to pull to keep the crate moving with constant velocity? Is this easier or harder than pulling
horizontally? Assume w = 500 N and µk = 0.4.

Force in a Uniform Circular Motion

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If an object is moving in a circular path of radius r at a constant speed v, it experiences a centripetal
acceleration. Because the object is accelerating, net force must be acting on the object. That force is
directed toward the center of the circular path and is related to the centripetal acceleration.

Net Force in Uniform Circular Motion

X v2
F = mac = m .
r

Example 22. A puck of mass 0.5 kg is attached to the end of a cord 1.5 m long. The puck moves in a

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horizontal circle. If thed cord can withstand a maximum tension of 50 N , what is the maximum speed
at which the puck can move before the cord breaks? Assume the string remains horizontal during the
motion?

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Example 23. A 1,500-kg car moving on a flat, horizontal road negotiates a curve. If the radius of the
curve is 35 m and the coefficient of static friction between the tires and dry pavement is 0.523, find the
maximum speed the car can have and still make the turn successfully.
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Exercise 1. Solve/Answer the following.

1. Which of the following statements is correct? (a) It is possible for an object to have motion in
the absence of forces on the object. (b) It is possible to have forces on an object in the absence of
motion of the object. (c) Neither statement (a) nor statement (b) is correct. (d) Both statements
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(a) and (b) are correct.

2. An object experiences no acceleration. Which of the following cannot be true for the object? (a)
A single force acts on the object. (b) No forces act on the object. (c) Forces act on the object, but
the forces cancel.

3. You push an object, initially at rest, across a frictionless floor with a constant force for a time
interval ∆t, resulting in a final speed of v for the object. You then repeat the experiment, but with
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a force that is twice as large. What time interval is now required to reach the same final speed v?
(a) 4∆t (b) 2∆t (c) ∆t (d) ∆t/2 (e) ∆/4.
4. A 3-kg object undergoes an acceleration given by #«
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a = (2î + 5ĵ) m/s2 . Find (a) the resultant force

acting on the object and (b) the magnitude of the resultant force.

5. A bag of cement weighing 325 N hangs in equilibrium from three wires as suggested in the figure
below. Two of the wires make angles θ1 = 60◦ and θ2 = 40◦ with the horizontal. Assuming the
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 system is in equilibrium, find the tensions T1 , T2 , and T3 in the wires.

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6. Two people pull as hard as they can on horizontal ropes attached to a boat that has a mass of 200
kg. If they pull in the same direction, the boat has an acceleration of 1.52 m/s2 to the right. If
they pull in opposite directions, the boat has an acceleration of 0.518 m/s2 to the left. What is
the magnitude of the force each person exerts on the boat? Disregard any other horizontal forces
on the boat.
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7. A 25-kg block is initially at rest on a horizontal surface. A horizontal force of 75 N is required
to set the block in motion, after which a horizontal force of 60 N is required to keep the block
moving with constant speed. Find (a) the coefficient of static friction and (b) the coefficient of
kinetic friction between the block and the surface.
8. A woman at an airport is towing her 20 kg suitcase at constant speed by pulling a strap at an
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angle θ above the horizontal. She pulls on the strap with a 35 N force, and the friction force on
the suitcase is 20 N . (a) Draw a free- body diagram of the suitcase, (b) What angle does the strap
make with the horizontal? (c) What is the magnitude of the normal force that the ground exerts
on the suitcase?
9. A light string can support a stationary hanging load of 25 kg before breaking. An object of mass
m = 3 kg attached to the string rotates on a frictionless, horizontal table in a circle of radius
r = 0.8 m, and the other end of the string is held fixed. What range of speeds can the object have
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before the string breaks?

Exercise 2. Additional Problems.
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1. Assume that Spiderman is hanging upside down using his web. The tension in his web is 779 N .
What is the mass of Spiderman? The web will break once the tension on his web exceeds 800 N .
What is the maximum mass of Spiderman so that the web will not break?
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2. An object of mass m1 = 5 kg placed on a frictionless, horizontal table is connected to a string

that passes over a pulley and then is fastened to a hanging object of mass m2 = 9 kg as shown in
the figure below. (a) Draw a free-body diagrams of both objects. Find (b) the magnitude of the
acceleration of the objects and (c) the tension in the string.

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 3. A setup similar to the one shown in the figure below is often used in hospitals to support and
apply a horizontal traction force to an injured leg. (a) Determine the force of tension in the rope
supporting the leg. (b) What is the traction force exerted to the right on the leg?

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References:
Serway, Raymund A. and Jewett, John W. Jr. (2010). Physics for Scientists and Engineers 8th Edition.
Lachina Publishing Services, USA.
Young et al. (2012). University Physics 14th Edition Addison Wesley, USA.

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