Unit IV Newton’s Laws of Motion

Unit IV: Newton’s Laws of Motion

Introduction

When you drive across a bridge, you expect it to remain stable. You also expect
to speed up or slow your car in response to traffic changes. In both cases, you
deal with forces. The forces on the bridge are in equilibrium, so it stays in place.
In contrast, the force produced by your car engine causes a change in motion.
Isaac Newton discovered the laws of motion that describe these situations.

Forces affect every moment of your life. Your body is held to Earth by force and
held together by the forces of charged particles. When you open a door, walk
down a street, lift your fork, or touch a baby’s face, you are applying forces.
Zooming in deeper, your body’s atoms are held together by electrical forces, and
the core of the atom, called the nucleus, is held together by the strongest force we
know—strong nuclear force.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this unit, the students will be able to

1. Construct the free-body diagram for a particle

2. Describe the Newton’s Laws of Motion
3. Calculate the equilibrium for a system and apply Newton’s law on
moving bodies.

4.1 Basic Related Concepts

Discussion

1. Free Body Diagram (FBD)

The FBD is a diagram of the body or object in question isolated from

other parts of the system and showing all the forces acting on it.

2. Force (𝐹)

exerted either as a push or a pull

➢ an action that tends to change the state or motion of a body
➢ is a vector (it has magnitude and direction)
➢ unit in SI is the Newton, N
➢ in many systems, force is exerted without the bodies being in contact
(contact forces), but force can also be exerted without the bodies
being in contact (non-contact forces like gravitational, magnetic, and
electrostatic forces)

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 Unit IV Newton’s Laws of Motion

3. Mass (𝑚) and Weight (𝑊)

Mass is the quantitative measure of inertia of a body or the amount of

matter in the body. Inertia is that property of matter that makes it resist
any change in its initial state or uniform motion. Weight is a force
(gravitational) the earth exerts on a body expressed in Newtons (N). It is
always acting at the center of gravity and is directed downward.

𝑊 = 𝑚𝑔

4. Frictional force 𝐹𝑓 and Normal force 𝑁

Whenever one of the two surfaces (bodies) in contact moves relative to

the other, two surfaces will always have two forces on each other. One is
always perpendicular to the surface in contact or always perpendicular to
the surface where the body rests. It is called the Normal force while the
other is always parallel to the surface and always opposite in direction of
motion or impending motion. This is called frictional force or simply
friction.

Two Types of Friction

a) Static friction (𝜇𝑠 ) – acts when motion is just impending. No relative

motion between the forces in contact.
b) Kinetic friction (𝜇𝑠 ) – acts when the forces are in motion

The ratio of the frictional force to the normal force is always constant and
is called coefficient of friction. Coefficient of friction is always greater
than zero but less than unity.

𝐹𝑓
𝜇=
𝑁

The principles of dynamics are based on the set of laws formulated by Sir Isaac
Newton (1642-1727).

The First Law (Law of Inertia)

When no external forces unbalanced force acts on a body, it

remains at rest if it is initially at rest or remains in uniform
motion along a straight line if it is initially in motion.

The term external or unbalanced force means the vector sum of all forces acting
on the body.

The Second Law (Law of Force and Acceleration)

When the vector sum or the resultant of the forces acting on a

body is not equal to zero, the body will move with an
acceleration that is: in the same direction as the resultant of the
forces; directly proportional to the resultant ; and inversely
proportional to the body.

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The second law is just an extension of the first law. The first law tells us that the
state of motion of a body is equal to zero if the vector sum of the forces is equal
to zero while the second law tells us that the state of motion is not equal to zero if
the vector sum of the forces is not equal to zero.

The Third Law (Law of Action and Reaction)

Between two bodies 𝐴 and 𝐵 exerting forces on each other, the

force exerted by on body (body 𝐴) on the other body (body 𝐵) is
always of the same magnitude but in the opposite direction to the
force exerted by body 𝐵 on body 𝐴.

4.2 Newton’s 1st Law and Equilibrium of a Particle

Discussion

A particle is an idealized model for a body wherein the forces can be said to be
acting on the same point. A particle in equilibrium is a body either at rest or in
uniform motion along a straight line at constant speed. The 1st law states that
there is no unbalanced force acting on it. The resultant of all the forces acting on
it is equal to zero.

The summation of all forces acting along the 𝑥 axis is zero.

∑ 𝐹𝑥 = 0

The summation of all forces acting along the 𝑦 axis is zero.

∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 0

The summation of moment about a point is zero.

∑𝑀 = 0

Example 4.2.1: Newton’s 1st Law

Suppose a box with mass 𝑚 = 100 kg rests on a horizontal surface. To

get it moving, you have to pull it with a horizontal force of 200 N, but
once it is moving, you can keep it with constant speed by pulling it with
a 150 N force.

a) What are the coefficients of static and kinetic friction?

b) Suppose you want to pull the box with a rope instead of just pulling
it, this time with an angle of 30° with the horizontal. What would be
the corresponding tension in the rope?

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Solution:

Given: 𝑚 = 100 kg; 𝑃𝑠 = 200 N ; 𝑃𝑘 = 150 N

a) First finding the coefficient of static friction (not yet moving)

∑ 𝐹𝑥 = 0 ∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 0
𝑃𝑠 − 𝐹𝑓𝑠 = 0 𝑁−𝑊 =0
𝑃𝑠 − 𝜇𝑠 𝑁 = 0 𝑁 = 𝑊 = 𝑚𝑔

𝑃𝑠 − 𝜇𝑠 𝑚𝑔 = 0
200 − 𝜇𝑠 (100)(9.8) = 0
𝜇𝑠 = 0.204

After the box is moving, force to maintain it at constant speed is

lesser

∑ 𝐹𝑥 = 0 ∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 0
𝑃𝑘 − 𝐹𝑓𝑘 = 0 𝑁−𝑊 =0
𝑃𝑘 − 𝜇𝑘 𝑁 = 0 𝑁 = 𝑊 = 𝑚𝑔

𝑃𝑘 − 𝜇𝑘 𝑚𝑔 = 0
150 − 𝜇𝑘 (100)(9.8) = 0
𝜇𝑘 = 0.153

b) To keep the box moving with this time with a rope angled at 30°

∑ 𝐹𝑥 = 0 ∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 0
𝑃𝑠𝑥 − 𝐹𝑓𝑠 = 0 𝑃𝑠𝑦 + 𝑁 − 𝑊 = 0
𝑃𝑠𝑥 − 𝜇𝑠 𝑁 = 0 𝑃𝑠𝑦 + 𝑁 − 𝑊 = 0
𝑁 = 𝑊 − 𝑃𝑠𝑦

𝑃𝑠𝑥 − 𝜇𝑠 (𝑊 − 𝑃𝑠𝑦 ) = 0
𝑃𝑠 cos 𝜃 − 𝜇𝑠 (𝑚𝑔 − 𝑃𝑠 sin 𝜃) = 0
𝑃𝑠 cos 30° − (0.204)[(100)(9.8) − 𝑃𝑠 sin 30°] = 0
𝑃𝑠 = 207 N

To keep moving at constant speed.

∑ 𝐹𝑥 = 0 ∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 0
𝑃𝑘𝑥 − 𝐹𝑓𝑠 = 0 𝑃𝑘𝑦 + 𝑁 − 𝑊 = 0
𝑃𝑘𝑥 − 𝜇𝑠 𝑁 = 0 𝑃𝑘𝑦 + 𝑁 − 𝑊 = 0
𝑁 = 𝑊 − 𝑃𝑘𝑦

𝑃𝑘𝑥 − 𝜇𝑘 (𝑊 − 𝑃𝑘𝑦 ) = 0
𝑃𝑘 cos 𝜃 − 𝜇𝑘 (𝑚𝑔 − 𝑃𝑘 sin 𝜃) = 0
𝑃𝑘 cos 30° − (0.153)[(100)(9.8) − 𝑃𝑘 sin 30°] = 0
𝑃𝑘 = 159 N

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Example 4.2.2: Newton’s 1st Law

Determine the magnitude of the forces 𝐶 and 𝑇, which, along with the
other three forces shown, act on the bridge-truss joint.

Figure 4-1.

Solution:

∑ 𝐹𝑥 = 0 ∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 0
8 + 𝑇 cos 40° + 𝐶 sin 20° − 16 = 0 𝑇 sin 40° − 𝐶 cos 20° − 3 = 0
0.766𝑇 + 0.342𝐶 = 8 (a) 0.643𝑇 − 0.940𝐶 = 3 (b)

Solving the equations (a) and (b) simultaneously

𝑇 = 9.09 kN 𝐶 = 3.03 kN

Example 4.2.3: Newton’s 1st Law

Figure 4-2.

Determine the tension in cables 𝐵𝐴 and 𝐵𝐶 necessary to support the 60-

kg cylinder.

Solution:

∑ 𝐹𝑥 = 0 ∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 0
4 3
𝑇𝐶 cos 45° − 𝑇 =0 𝑇𝐶 sin 45° + 𝑇𝐴 − 60(9.8) = 0
5 𝐴 5
4 3
𝑇𝐶 cos 45° − 𝑇 = 0 (a) 𝑇𝐶 sin 45° + 𝑇 = 60(9.8) (b)
5 𝐴 5 𝐴

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 Unit IV Newton’s Laws of Motion

Solving equations (a) and (b) simultaneously

𝑇𝐶 = 475 N 𝑇𝐴 = 420 N

Inclined Plane

Make the 𝑥 axis parallel to the plane and the 𝑦 axis perpendicular to the plane. A
body regardless of its weight, slides down an inclined plane with constant speed
if the tangent of the slope equals the coefficient of kinetic friction.

𝜇𝑘 = tan 𝜃

Example 4.2.4: Inclined Plane

At what angle should an inclined plane have with the horizontal, so that a
100 kg body would slide downward a constant speed if the coefficient of
kinetic friction is 0.3?

Solution:

𝜇𝑘 = tan 𝜃
0.3 = tan 𝜃
𝜃 = 16.7°

Example 4.2.5: Inclined Plane

A skier of mass 62 kg is sliding down a snowy slope at a constant

velocity. Find the coefficient of kinetic friction for the skier if friction is
known to be 45 N.

Figure 4-3.

Solution:

∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 0
𝑁 − 𝑊𝑦 = 0
𝑁 − 𝑊 cos 𝜃 = 0
𝑁 − 𝑚𝑔 cos 𝜃 = 0
𝑁 = 𝑚𝑔 cos 𝜃

𝐹𝑓
𝜇𝑘 =
𝑁
45
𝜇𝑘 = 62(9.8) cos 25°
𝜇𝑘 = 0.082

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Example 4.2.3: Inclined Plane

A 100 kg mass rests on a 30° inclined plane. Neglecting friction, how

much pull must one exert to bring the mass up the plane?

Solution:

Given: 𝑚 = 100 kg ; 𝜃 = 30°

∑ 𝐹𝑥 = 0
𝑃 − 𝐹𝑓 − 𝑊𝑥 = 0
𝑃 − 𝐹𝑓 − 𝑊 sin 𝜃 = 0
𝑃 − 𝐹𝑓 − 𝑚𝑔 sin 𝜃 = 0
𝑃 − 0 − 100(9.8) sin 30° = 0

𝑃 = 490 N

Try These

1. The crate has a weight of 550 lb. Determine the force in each supporting cable.

Figure 4-4.

2. The members of the truss are pin connected at joint 𝑂. Determine the magnitude
of 𝐹1 and its angle 𝜃 for equilibrium. Set 𝐹2 = 6 kN.

Figure 4-5.

3. A 250 lb block is initially at rest on a flat surface that is inclined at 30 degrees. If

the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.3 and the coefficient of static friction is 0.4,
find the force required to start the block moving up the plane.

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4. A 5.0 m ladder leans against the wall at a point 4.0 m above the ground. The
ladder is uniform and has a mass of 12 kg. Assuming the wall is frictionless, and
the ground is not, determine the horizontal component of the force exerted by
the ground on the ladder.
5. A contestant in a winter sporting event pushes a 45 kg block of ice across a
frozen lake. Calculate the minimum force 𝐹 he must exert to get the block
moving.

Figure 4-6.

References

ARESTA M., (2012). Lecture Module in Physics 11. 2011-2012 version.

HIBBELER R.C. (1981) Statics. 13th Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall

HIBBELER, R.C. (2010). Dynamics. (12th edition). Pearson Prentice Hall

LING, S. et.al. (2018). University Physics Volume 1. Openstax

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