CHAPTER 3:

NEWTON’S LAW OF
MOTION AND ITS
APPLICATIONS
Learning Outcome:
3.1 INTRODUCTION
At the end of this chapter, students should be able to:
 Identify the forces acting on a body in different
situations:
◦ Weight
◦ Tension
◦ Normal Force
◦ Friction
 Draw free body diagram.
 Determine the resultant force.

2
 3.1.1 Basic of Forces & Free body diagram
• is defined as something capable of changing state of motion or
size or dimension of a body.
• There are 4 types of fundamental forces in nature:
a) Gravitational forces
b) Electromagnetive forces
c) Strong nucleur forces
d) weak nucleur forces
• Since force has magnitude and direction, it is a vector quantity
The magnitude of a force can
be measured using a spring
scale.
• If several forces acts simultaneously on the same object, it is
the net force that determines the motion of the object.
• The net force is the vector sum of all the forces acting on the object
and it is often called resultant force. 3
Examples of applied forces
 
Weight (Force), W
• Weight is defined as the force with which a body is attracted
towards the center of the earth.

• It is dependant on where it is measured, because the

value of g varies at different localities on the earth’s surface.

• It always directed toward the centre of the earth or in

the same direction of acceleration due to gravity, g.

• It is a vector quantity.
• The S.I. unit is kg m s-2 or Newton (N).
 
Equation: W  mg
5
 W

Figure 3.1.1

All the W pointing downward as shown in figure 3.1.1 above

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 
Tension, T

• Tension is the magnitude of the pulling force that is directed

away from the object and attempts to stretch & elongate
the object. (figure 3.1.2)
• Measured in Newton and is always parallel to the string on
which it applies.

Single string system:

T T
ϴ
m1 T m1 m1

Figure 3.1.2
7
Single string system (smooth pulley)

T The tension T acts for the whole

T one string but it will be different
if it acts on different masses, T1
T and T2 as shown in fig 3.1.3 and
Fig 3.1.4
T

Fig 3.1.3 m1

Multiple string system T2 T2 T3 T3

T1 m1 m2

Fig 3.1.4
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Multiple string system (inclined plane)

T2 T2 T3 T3
T2 m3
T2 T3

m2 T3
T1
T1 T1
T1 m4
m1
Fig 3.1.5

The are three different tension T1, T2 and T3

acts on different masses of m1, m2 and m3
as shown in fig 3.1.5. 9
Normal Force (Reaction Force), N or R
is the contact force component , which is perpendicular to the surface
of contact and exerted on an object by preventing the object from
penetrating the surface. (fig 3.1.6)
N2 Surface 3

N1 Surface 2 N3
m3
m2
Surface 1
m1

Fig 3.1.6

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 
Frictional force, f
• is defined as a force that resists the motion of one surface relative
to another with which it is in contact.
• is independent of the area of contact between the two surfaces

• is directly proportional to the reaction force.

f N f  N where
f : frictional force
μ : coefficien t of friction

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 N N N

F F F
fs fs = max fk

W W W
Block at rest Block about to slide Block is sliding

Figure 3.1.7

There are three different stages of friction acts on a block which

are going to slide as shown in figure 3.1.7.
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Free Body Diagram
• is defined as a diagram showing the chosen body by itself,
with vectors drawn to show the magnitude & directions of all
the forces applied to the body by the other bodies that interact
with it.
• A single point may represent the object.
Example : Sketch free body diagrams for each case
Case 1 : Horizontal surface
a) An object lies at rest on a flat horizontal surface

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 b) A box is pulled along a rough horizontal surface by a
horizontal force, F
a
m F

Case 2 : Inclined Plane

A box is pulled up along a rough inclined plane by a force, F
F
a

m
Case 3 : Hanging object
An object is hang by using a light string

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Case 4 : Pulley

m1

m2

m1

m2
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Learning Outcome:
3.2 Newton's Law of Motion
At the end of this chapter, students should be able to:
 State Newton’s First Law
 Define mass as a measure of inertia.
 Define the equilibrium of a particle.
 Apply Newton’s First Law in equilibrium of forces.
 State and apply Newton’s Second Law.
 State and apply Newton’s Third Law.

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 3.2 Newton’s laws of motion
Newton’s first law of motion
states “an object at rest will remain at rest, or continues to
move with uniform velocity in a straight line unless it is
acted upon by a external forces”

Fnett  F  0

The first law gives the idea of inertia.

Inertia
is defined as the tendency of an object to resist any change
in its state of rest or motion.
is a scalar quantity.
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• Figures 3.2 show the example of real experience of inertia.

Figure 3.2

Equilibrium of object / particle

Equilibrium of object / particle occurs when the net force exerted
on it is zero.
The resultant of forces is zero. (Translational equilibrium)

F  0 Newton’s 1st law of motion

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 Example 3.2.1 :
Figure 3.2.1 shows a system that is in Solution :
equilibrium. Let T1 = 30 N and ϴ = 400 . For x-component
Calculate T2 and W.
∑ Fx = 0
ϴ =
T2
T1

For y-component
∑ Fy = 0
W
Figure 3.2.1 20
State and apply Newton’s Second Law.
states “the rate of change of linear momentum of a moving body
is proportional to the resultant force and is in the same direction
as the force acting on it”

dp
its can be represented by F 
dt

where
 F : resultant force
dp : Change in momentum
dt : time interval

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Newton’s 2nd law of motion restates that “The acceleration of an
object is directly proportional to the nett force acting on it and
inversely proportional to its mass”.

 F
a
m
One newton(1 N) is defined as the amount of nett force that gives
an acceleration of one metre per second squared to a body with a
mass of one kilogramme. 1 N = 1 kg m s-2

F is a nett force or effective force or resultant force.

The force which causes the motion of an object.
If the forces act on an object and the object moving at uniform
acceleration (not at rest or not inthe equilibrium) hence
Fnett   F  ma 22
Example 3.2.2 :

Three wooden blocks connected by a rope of negligible mass

are being dragged by a horizontal force, F in Figure 3.2.2
 
 T1 T2
F m1 m2 m3
Figure 3.2,2
Suppose that F = 1000 N, m1 = 3 kg, m2 = 15 kg and m3 = 30
kg. Determine
a. the acceleration of blocks system.
b. the tension of the rope, T1 and T2.
Neglect the friction between the floor and the wooden blocks.

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Solution :
a. For the block, m1 = 3 kg

a
 
F m1 T1
(1)
For the block, m2 = 15 kg

a
 
T1 m2 T2
(2)
For the block, m3 = 30 kg

a

T2 m3
(3)
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Solution :
a. By substituting eq. (3) into eq. (2) thus
(4)

Eq. (1)(4) :

b. By substituting the value of acceleration into equations (4) and

(3), therefore

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Example 3.2.3 :

Two objects of masses m1 = 10 kg and m2 = 15 kg are connected

by a light string which passes over a smooth pulley as shown in
Figure 3.2.3. Calculate
a. the acceleration of the object of mass 10 kg.
b. the tension in the each string.
(Given g = 9.81 m s2)
m1
Solution :
a. For the object m1= 10 kg,
m2

T1 Figure 3.2.3
 where
a
(1)

W
1m
1g 26
Solution :
a. For the object m2= 15 kg,

TT2 1

 (2)
a
Eq. (1) + (2) :


W 2  m2 g
b. Substitute the value of acceleration into equation (1) thus

Therefore
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Newton’s third law of motion
states “every action force has a reaction force that is equal in
magnitude but opposite in direction”.
For example :
When the student push on the wall it will push back with
the same force. (refer to Figure 3.2.1)

B (wall)  

A (hand)
 F AB   F BA
FBA FAB
Figure 3.2.1

Where is a force by the hand on the wall (action)
F AB

F BA is a force by the wall on the hand (reaction)
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 When a book is placed on the table. (refer to Figure 3.2.2)
Force by the table on the book (reaction)

Figure 3.2.2

Force by the book on the table (action)

If a car is accelerating forward, it is because its tyres are pushing

backward on the road and the road is pushing forward on the tyres.
A rocket moves forward as a result of the push exerted on
it by the exhaust gases which the rocket has pushed out.
In all cases when two bodies interact, the action and reaction
forces act on different bodies.
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Apparent weight
The motion of an elevator can give rise to the sensation
of being heavier or lighter.

The force exerted on our feet by the floor of the elevator.

If this force is greater than our weight, we felt heavier, if
less than our weight , we felt lighter.

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 Case 1 : Motion of a lift
Consider a person standing inside a lift as shown in
Figures 3.2.7a, 3.2.7b and 3.2.7c.
a. Lift moving upward at a uniform velocity

Since the lift moving at a

uniform velocity, thus
N ay  0
Therefore

F y 0
N  mg  0
Figure 3.2.7a N  mg
W  mg 31
b. Lift moving upwards at a constant acceleration, a

By applying the newton’s 2nd

 law of motion, thus
N

F y  ma y
 N  mg  ma
a
N  m( a  g )
Figure 3.2.7b

W  mg

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c. Lift moving downwards at a constant acceleration, a

By applying the newton’s 2nd

 law of motion, thus
N
F y  ma y

 mg  N  ma
a
N  m( g  a )

Figure 3.2.7c

W  mg
Caution : N is also known as apparent weight and
W is true weight. 33
Case 2 : An object on Horizontal surface
Consider a box of mass m is pulled along a horizontal
surface by a horizontal force, F as shown in Figure 3.2.8

N a

F
f
Figure 3.2.8
mg
x-component : F x  Fnett  ma F  f  ma

y-component : F y 0 N  mg
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 
F
Example 3.2.4 :
30

Figure 3.2.10

A box of mass 20 kg is on a rough horizontal plane. The box

is pulled by a force, F which is applied at an angle of 30
above horizontal as shown in Figure 3.2.10. If the coefficient
of static friction between the box and the plane is 0.3 and the
box moves at a constant speed, calculate
a. the normal reaction force,
b. the applied force F,
c. the static friction force.
(Given g = 9.81 m s-2)
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 Solution : m  20 kg; μ s  0.3
constant speed 
F
F sin 30

N 30
 F cos30
fs

mg
a. Since the box moves at constant speed thus a0
x-component :
F x 0

(1)

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Solution : y-component : F y 0

(2)

By substituting eq. (1) into eq. (2), hence

b. Therefore the applied force is given by

c. The static friction force is

f s  μs N
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Example 3.2.5 :

Two blocks, A of mass 10 kg and B of mass 30 kg, are side by side

and in contact with each another. They are pushed along a smooth
floor under the action of a constant force F of magnitude 200 N
applied to A as shown in Figure 3.2.4. Determine
a. the acceleration of the blocks,  B
b. the force exerted by A on B. F A

Figure 3.2.4

Solution : m A  10 kg; mB  30 kg; F  200 N

a. Let the acceleration of the blocks is a. Therefore

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 Solution :
b. For the object
 A,
a

F A FBA

From the Newton’s 3rd law, thus

OR
For the object B,

a

FAB B

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 THE END…
Next Chapter…
CHAPTER 4 :
Work, Energy and Power