NEWTON’S LAWS OF MOTION

1. FREE BODY DIAGRAM

1.1. Normal force
A) B) C) D)

1.2. Tension force

A) B) C) D)

E) F)

2. APPLICATIONS OF NEWTON’S FIRST LAW

2.1. Inertia
Qn.1. A boy standing on a long railroad car throws a ball straight upwards. The car is
moving on the horizontal road with an acceleration of 1 m/s2 and the projection velocity
in vertical direction is 9.8 m/s. How far behind the boy will the ball fall on the car?
2.2. Equilibrium problems
Qn.1. A man of mass M stands on a box of mass m as
shown in figure. A rope attached to the box and passing
over an overhead pulley.
i) With what minimum force should the man pull the
rope so as to prevent himself from falling down.
ii) Determine the normal reaction between the man
and the box.
 Qn.2. A heavy block of mass M hangs in equilibrium at the end of a
rope of mass m and length l connected to a ceiling. Determine the
tension in the rope at a distance x from the ceiling.

Qn.3. The pulling foorce P is sufficient to keep the 14N block in

equilibrium as shown. Pulleys are ideal. Find the tension (in N) in
the cable connected with ceiling.

Qn.4. A chain of mass m is attached at two points A and B of two fixed walls as shown
in figure. Due to its weight a sag is there in the chain such that at point A and B it makes
an angle Ө with the normal to the wall. Find the tension in the chain at : (Assume
tension is always along the length of the chain)
a) point A and B
b) mid point of the chain
Qn.5. Three blocks A, B and C each of mass m = 10 kg are placed on a smooth
horizontal table. There is no friction between the contact surfaces of the blocks as well.
Horizontal force F = 40 N is applied on each of A and B as
shown. Find the
a) Magnitude of normal reaction between blocks A – B
and B – C.
b) Normal reaction applied by ground on blocks A, B and C.
2.3. Lami’s theorem
Qn.1. A body of mass m is suspended by two strings making angles α and β with the
horizontal. Find the tensions in the strings.

(Where we can not use Lami’s theorem)

Qn.2. Two particles of masses 10 kg and 35 kg are connected
with four strings at points B and D as shown in figure. Determine
the tensions in various segments of the string.
 Qn.3. In the given figure the mass of the object is 10 kg and angle Ө1
and Ө2 are 60o and 30o respectively. Then find tension in each string.

3. CONSTRAINED MOTION
3.1. Rigid body constrained motion

Qn.1. Figure shows a rod of length l resting on a wall and the floor. Its
lower end A is pulled towards left with a constant velocity u. Find the
velocity of the other end B in downward direction when the rod makes
an angle Ө with the horizontal.

Qn.2. Figure shows a hemisphere and a supported rod.

Hemisphere is moving in right direction with uniform velocity
V2 and the end of rod which is in contact with ground is
moving in left direction with a velocity V1. Find the rate at
which the angle Ө is changing in terms of V1, V2, R and Ө.
3.2. String constraint
Qn.2. A ring A which can slide on a smooth wire is connected to one end of
a string as shown in the figure. Other end of the string is connected to a
hanging mass B. Find the speed of the ring when the string makes an angle
Ө with the wire and mass B is going down with a velocity v.
Qn.3. In the given figure, blocks A and B are connected with an
inextensible string. The block ‘A’ can slide on a smooth horizontal
surface.

3.3. Pulley constraint

Qn.1. In the arrangement shown in figure, the ends P and Q of an
inextensible string move downwards with uniform speed u. Pulleys A
and B are fixed. The mass M moves upwards with a speed .

Qn.2. Find the relation between acceleration of block A, B and C in the following
questions:
a) b) c)
 Qn.3. Figure shows a system of four pulleys with two masses A and B.
Find at an instant:
a) Speed of block A when the block B is going up at 1 m/s and
pulley Y is going up at 2 m/s.
b) Acceleration of block A if block B is going up at 3 m/s2 and
pulley Y is going down at 1 m/s2.

Qn.4. Consider the situation shown in figure. Find the constraint relation for velocities
of blocks A and B.
a) b)

Qn.5. Block C shown in figure is going down at

acceleration 2 m/s2. Find the acceleration of blocks
A and B.

Qn.6. Block A shown in figure move by a distance 3 m

towards left. Find the distance and direction in which the
point P on string shown in figure is displaced.
3.4. Wedge constraint