Forces

Forces, Part 1: Whats a Force?

Reading Quiz: Question 1

What is a net force?

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.

The x-direction force only.

The y-direction force only.
The sum of all the forces on a body.
The sum of any contact forces on a
body.
The force a net will exert on a body.

0%
0%
99%
1%
0%

Reading Quiz: Question 2

Which of these is not a force discussed in Chapter 5?

1.
2.
3.
4.

The tension force.

The centripetal force.
The normal force.
The friction force.

1%
96%
3%
1%

Reading Quiz: Question 3

The diagram that shows all forces acting on an object is

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.

A force diagram.
A net-force diagram.
A free-force diagram.
A free-body diagram.
A net-body diagram.

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A Series of Experiments

The push/pull experiment.

The normal force experiment.
The gravity experiment.

The Push/Pull Experiment

A force is a push or a pull; its a specific action.

What is the agent of the force?

Forces: Tension

Tension Force

The Normal Force Experiment

What forces are on the book?

Really ?

Forces: Normal Force

Normal Force

The Gravity Experiment

ConcepTest 1
You throw a ball straight up. After you have released it, just
before it reaches its maximum height, what force(s) are acting
on the ball?
1.
2.
3.

4.

Gravity (down)
Gravity (down) and inertia (up)
Gravity (down) and the force
of the throw (up)
Inertia (up)

35%
43%
21%

1%

ConcepTest 2
You stand on a scale in your bathroom; it reads 150 lb. In
which of the following situations will your scale read less than
150 lb with you standing on it?
1.
2.
3.

4.

5.

in an elevator that is accelerating upward

in an elevator that is accelerating downward
in an elevator that is moving up at constant
velocity
in an elevator that is moving down at
constant velocity
two of the above

4%
86%
0%
1%
9%

ConcepTest 3
You may have heard the statement Friction opposes motion.
This statement is

1.
2.
3.

hogwash.
true.
true in some cases, false in others.

1%
49%
50%

Force Vectors

Combining Forces

To find the net force, just add the forces vectorially:

Newtons Second Law

ConcepTest 4
In which direction does the object accelerate?

1.

2.
3.
4.
5.

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

0%
0%
0%
0%
0%

ConcepTest 6
A crate is moving to the right on a conveyor belt without
slipping. The conveyor belt maintains a constant speed. The
force of friction on the crate is

1.
2.
3.

to the right
zero
to the left

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0%
0%

Newtons First Law

An object with no net force acting on it

is in mechanical equilibrium. Either:

The object is at rest (static equilibrium)

The object is moving in a straight line with
constant velocity (dynamic equilibrium)

ConcepTest 7
Is there a force pushing you forward?

1.
2.

Yes
No

0%
100%

Free Body Diagrams

Example 1
A boy is pushing a box across the floor at a steadily increasing
speed.

Example 2
A tow rope pulls a skier up a snow-covered hill at a constant
speed.

Example 3
Youve slammed on your car brakes while going down a hill.
Youre skidding to a halt.

ConcepTest 8
An elevator suspended by a cable is moving upward and
slowing to a stop. Which free-body diagram is correct?

1.
2.
3.

4.
5.

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

5%
6%
84%
4%
1%

For next day

Read chapter 6 all of it.

Its big and filled with lots of examples. Try some of them!

Part 2: Newtons Second Law

ConcepTest 9
If you know all the forces on an object, can you tell in which
direction the object is moving?

1.
2.

Yes
No

28%
72%

Using Newtons Second Law

The essence of Newtonian mechanics can be expressed in

two steps:

The forces on an object determine its acceleration a = Fnet/m

The objects trajectory can be determined by using the equations of

kinematics.

Mass, Weight, and Gravity

Mass is a scalar quantity that describes an objects inertia.

Mass is an intrinsic property of an object.

Gravity is an attractive, long-range force between any two

objects.

Weight is a measurement, the result of weighing yourself.

Mass and weight are not the same thing.

Try weighing yourself on an elevator when its going up, going
down, or falling freely

Example: A hanging block

A 100 kg block on hangs on a rope. Find the tension in the rope
if the block is accelerating upward at 5 m/s2.

Example: A skier
A 75 kg skier starts down a 50 m high, 10 slope on frictionless
skis. What is his speed at the bottom?

Friction

We will use a simple model of friction:

Friction

ConcepTest 5
An object is held in place by friction on an inclined surface. The
angle of inclination is increased until the object starts moving.
If the surface is kept at this angle, the object

1.
2.
3.

4.

slows down.
moves at uniform speed.
speeds up.
none of the above.

1%
20%
77%
2%

Example: Book against the wall

Suppose you press a book against the wall with your hand.
The book is not moving. Draw a free-body diagram and list
the forces acting on the book.

Example: Book against the wall

Now suppose you decrease your push, but not enough for
the book to slip.
What happens to the force of gravity?
1.
2.
3.

Increases in magnitude
Decreases in magnitude
Stays the same

0%
0%
0%

Example: Book against the wall

Now suppose you decrease your push, but not enough for
the book to slip.
What happens to the normal force?
1.
2.
3.

Increases in magnitude
Decreases in magnitude
Stays the same

0%
0%
0%

Example: Book against the wall

Now suppose you decrease your push, but not enough for
the book to slip.
What happens to the friction force?
1.
2.
3.

Increases in magnitude
Decreases in magnitude
Stays the same

0%
0%
0%

Example: A box of nails

You and your friend Peter are putting new shingles on a roof
pitched at 25. Youre sitting on the very top of the roof when
Peter, who is at the edge of the roof directly below you, 5.0 m
away, asks you for the box of nails. Rather than carry the 2.5 kg
box of nails down to Peter, you decide to give the box a push
and have it slide down to him. If the coefficient of kinetic
friction between the box and roof is 0.55, with what speed
should you push the box to have it gently come to rest right at
the edge of the roof?

For next day

Read chapter 7!

(Chapter 7 is arguably the most difficult topic we cover in Physics I. I

highly recommend you do the reading, and we will definitely have a
reading quiz on Friday it.)

Part 3: Newtons Third Law

Reading Quiz: Question 1

The propulsion force on a car is due to

A.
B.
C.
D.

static friction.
kinetic friction.
the car engine.
elastic energy.

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Reading Quiz: Question 2

Is the tension in rope 2 greater than, less than, or equal to the
tension in rope 1?
A.
B.
C.

greater than rope 2

less than rope 2
equal to rope 2

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Reading Quiz: Question 3

An acceleration constraint says that in some circumstances
A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

the acceleration of an object has to be

positive.
two objects have to accelerate in the same
direction.
the magnitude of the accelerations of two
objects have to be equal.
an object is prevented from accelerating.
Acceleration constraints were not discussed in
this chapter.

0%
0%
0%
0%
0%

Interacting Objects

If object A exerts a force on object B, then object B exerts a

force on object A. The pair of forces, as shown, is called an
action/reaction pair.

Analyzing Interacting Objects

Analyzing Interacting Objects

Example Pushing a crate

The figure shows a person pushing a large crate across a
rough surface. Identify all interactions, show them on an
interaction diagram, then draw free-body diagrams of the
person and the crate.

Example Pushing a crate

Interaction diagrams:

Example Pushing a crate

Free body diagrams:

ConcepTest 10
Consider the situation below. Assume there is friction on all
surfaces. How many forces are acting on the lower 2.0 kg
block?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

(e)
(f)

3
4
5
6
7
8

0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%

ConcepTest 11
A mosquito collides head-on with a car traveling 100 km/h.
How does the size of the force the car exerts on the mosquito
compare to the size of the force the mosquito exert on the
car?
a)

b)

c)

The car exerts more force on the

mosquito.
The mosquito exerts more force on
the car.
The each exert the same force

0%
0%
0%

Newtons Third Law

What happens when you drop a ball?

It falls, of course. But if the ball and the earth exert equal and
opposite forces on each other, why doesnt the earth fall up to
meet the ball?

The forces are equal but the accelerations are not!

Propulsion

Acceleration Constraints

Take a look at the tow truck and car below.

As long as the rope doesnt stretch, the truck and car must have the
same acceleration.

This is called an acceleration constraint.

Its an independent piece of information that could help you solve a

problem.

Example: Acceleration constraints

Write the acceleration constraint in terms of components
for the following situation:
1

Example: Acceleration constraints

Write the acceleration constraint in terms of components
for the following situation:
1
2

Fpull

Interacting-Objects Problem-Solving Strategy

Interacting-Objects Problem-Solving Strategy

Example: An easy one

Consider the two blocks below, of masses MA = 12 kg and MB =
5.0 kg. Assuming a frictionless surface, what is the acceleration
of the smaller block?

Example: A slightly harder one

Consider the two blocks below, of masses MA = 12 kg and MB =
5.0 kg. Taking the coefficient of friction between the surface
and the larger block to be 0.20, what is the acceleration of the
smaller block?

k = 0.20

Example: The hardest one

The two blocks are sliding down the incline. What is the
tension in the massless string?