The Birth of Dynamics

Kinematics:
study of motion

Dynamics:
study of causes of accelerations

Isaac Newton (1643-1727)

A baseball is thrown straight upward. Which of these
questions are about kinematics and which about
dynamics?
A: How high will the ball go?
B: How long will it take to reach that highest point?
C: What would be the effect of throwing it twice as hard?
D: Which takes longer, the trip up, or the trip down?
E: Why does the acceleration remain the same whether
the ball is moving up or down?

1. A, B, C are kinematics, D, E are dynamics.

2. A, B, are kinematics, C, D, E are dynamics.
3. A, D are kinematics, B, C, E are dynamics.
4. A, B, D are kinematics, C, E are dynamics.
5. C, E are kinematics, A, B, D are dynamics.
A baseball is thrown straight upward. Which of these
questions are about kinematics and which about
dynamics?
A: How high will the ball go?
B: How long will it take to reach that highest point?
C: What would be the effect of throwing it twice as hard?
D: Which takes longer, the trip up, or the trip down?
E: Why does the acceleration remain the same whether
the ball is moving up or down?

1. A, B, C are kinematics, D, E are dynamics. All issues that concern

determining the
2. A, B, are kinematics, C, D, E are dynamics. acceleration (or the
causes of it) are
3. A, D are kinematics, B, C, E are dynamics. dynamics.
4. A, B, D are kinematics, C, E are dynamics.
5. C, E are kinematics, A, B, D are dynamics.
A note on vectors: they have associated a magnitude
and a direction.

Example: several forces acting on an object

2 forces cancelling each other

3 forces cancelling each other:

Notice how the vectors add up to zero.
A note on vectors: they have associated a magnitude
and a direction.

Notice that we still use a + sign:

the information about the direction of the forces is in and
Newtons Laws
Newtons Laws:

1) 0 0

2) /

3)
, ,

Isaac Newton (1643-1727)

Newtons Laws
Today we discuss 1)
Newtons Laws:

1) 0 0

2) /

3)
, ,

Isaac Newton (1643-1727)

A car is going in a straight highway at a constant speed
of 65 m/h. Is it accelerating?

1: No.
2: Yes: due to friction with the air.
3: Yes: due to friction with the road.
4: Yes: due to both friction with air and road.
5: Yes: due to dissipation in the engine.
A car is going in a straight highway at a constant speed
of 65 m/h. Is it accelerating?

1: No.
2: Yes: due to friction with the air.
3: Yes: due to friction with the road.
4: Yes: due to both friction with air and road.
5: Yes: due to dissipation in the engine.

The engine is probably accelerating to compensate for friction,

but the car as a whole is not.
A car is going in a straight highway at a constant speed
of 65 m/h. Is there a net force on it?

1: No.
2: Yes: due to friction with the air.
3: Yes: due to friction with the road.
4: Yes: due to both friction with air and road.
5: Yes: due to dissipation in the engine.
A car is going in a straight highway at a constant speed
of 65 m/h. Is there a net force on it?

1: No.
2: Yes: due to friction with the air.
3: Yes: due to friction with the road.
4: Yes: due to both friction with air and road.
5: Yes: due to dissipation in the engine.
A car is going in a straight highway at a constant speed
of 65 m/h. What are the external forces acting on the car
as a whole?

1: Friction from the road.

2: Friction from the air.
3: Force from the engine.
4: All of the above.
5: Friction from the road and friction from the air.
A car is going in a straight highway at a constant speed
of 65 m/h. What are the external forces acting on the car
as a whole?

We call this a
Free Body Diagram

1: Friction from the road.

2: Friction from the air. The torque from the engine
is internal to the car.
3: Force from the engine.
4: All of the above.
5: Friction from the road and friction from the air.
Free body diagram examples:

1) Object sitting on table

The FBD of the object

has all forces due to
other objects that
interact with the one in
question.
The diagram shows
the weight, Fg, and
replaces the table by
its interaction with the
object: the normal
force, FN.
Free body diagram examples:

2) Object on incline

Here there could be in

addition a friction force
pointing opposite the
direction of motion.

Notice that the

magnitude of the
normal force is such
as to cancel the
component of the
weight perpendicular
to the surface.