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Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

Year 5 IBDP Physics 2015

2.2 Forces

1 The diagram shows five bodies (a)-(e) together with the mass of each. Calculate the
acceleration of each body.

[(a) 5.0 m s-2 (b) 4.0 m s-2 (c) 7.5 m s-2 (d) 1.2 m s-2 (e) 5.0 m s-2]

(a) Resultant force  50  10  60 N

60
Acceleration   5.0ms 2
12
(b) Resultant force  30  10  20 N
20
Acceleration   4.0ms 2
5.0
(c) Resultant force  2.0  1.5  0.5  3.0 N
3.0
Acceleration   7.5ms 2
0.4
(d) Resultant force  60  22  38kN
38000
Acceleration   1.2ms 2
32000
3.0  10 9
(e) Acceleration  6 3
 5.0ms 2
0.60  10  10

2 Two women push a car of mass 800 kg to get it started. Each pushes with a force of 300 N
and the resistance forces are equivalent to an opposing force of 160 N. What is the
acceleration of the car? [0.55 m s-2]

Resultant force  2  300  160  440 N

440
Acceleration   0.55ms 2
800
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3 A person is unlikely to be killed in a car crash if, held by a

seatbelt, he or she accelerates at -250 m s-2 or less.
(a) What is the pull exerted by the seatbelt on
(i) a man of mass 84 kg,
(ii) a child of mass 32 kg,
at this maximum safe acceleration.
(b) Express your answers to (a) as a multiple of the person’s weight.
[(a)(i) 21 kN (ii) 8.0 kN (b) both 26 times]
(a)(i) Pull exerted  84  250  21000N  21kN
(ii) Pull exerted  32  250  8000 N  8.0kN
84  250
(b)(i) Multiple   25.5
84  9.81
32  250
(ii) Multiple   25.5
32  9.81

4 A tractor pulls a log of mass 2000 kg. When the tractor is pulling with a force of 1300 N the
acceleration of the log is 0.050 m s-2. What resistance force does the ground exert on the log?
[1200 N]
Fresul tan t  ma
1300  Fresis tan ce  2000  0.050  Fresis tan ce  1200 N

5 In a 10 minute interval during the Apollo 11 flight to the Moon the spacecraft’s speed
decreased from 5374 m s-1 to 5102 m s-1 (with the rocket motors not in use). The mass of the
spacecraft was 4.4 x 104 kg. Calculate the average force exerted on the spacecraft during this
time. [2.0 x 104 N]

Faverage  ma
 5102  5374 
Faverage  4.4  10 4     2.0  10 N
4

 10  60 
Note: The negative sign means that the force acts in the opposite direction to the motion of
the spacecraft.

6 A boy catches a cricket ball of mass 160 g which is moving at 20 m s-1.

(a) Find the force which he must exert to stop it in
(i) 0.10 s,
(ii) 0.50 s. [(a)(i) 32 N (ii) 6.4 N]
 0  20 
(i) Faverage  0.160     32 N
 0.10 
 0  20 
(ii) Faverage  0.160     6.4 N
 0.50 
(b) Describe how he can vary the time in this way, and explain the advantage of lengthening
the time in which the ball is stopped.
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He can vary the time by moving his hand in the direction of the ball upon impact or using
gloves of different thickness of padding.
The force experienced by the hand will be reduced.

7 A free-body force diagram for a rear wheel drive car is shown in the diagram.
a. Write a phase describing each of the forces S and T.
b. How are S and T related when the car is moving
(i) at a constant velocity,
(ii) at a constant acceleration a?
c. Describe what happens to the forces S and T when
the driver applies the brakes and slows the car
down.

(a) S – the force acting on the car due to the ground

T – the resistive force due to air
(b) (i) S = T
(ii) S – T = mcara
(c) Both the forces S and T reduced. Since T is proportional to the square of the velocity of
the car, when the car slows down, T is reduced. When the car slows down, the rotation
of the wheel decreases. This reduces the force that the car acts on the ground and hence
S decreases (N’s 3rd Law).

8 A sprinter of mass 60 kg reaches her top speed of 12 m s-1 in the first 15 m of her run.
a. Calculate her average acceleration during this process.
b. Hence calculate the horizontal force (assumed to be constant) which the ground has
been exerted on her.
c. What size horizontal force has she been exerting on the ground? Explain.

(a) Given u  0ms 1 , v  12ms 1 and s  15m

Using v  u  2as
2 2

122  02  2a15  a  4.8ms 2

(b) F  ma  60  4.8  288N
(c) 288N . By Newton’s 3rd Law, the force that she exerts on the ground is equal to
the force that the ground exerts on her.

9 A lift has a mass of 1200 kg. Calculate the tension in the cable supporting the lift when the lift
is
a. ascending at a constant velocity,
b. ascending with an upward acceleration of 2.0 m s-2,
c. descending with a downward acceleration of 3.0 m s-2, T
d. descending with an upward acceleration of 3.0 m s-2.

(a) At constant velocity,

T  mg  1200  9.81  1.2 10 4 N
(b) Ascending with an upward acceleration of 2.0 m s-2,
mg
T  mg  ma
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T  12009.81  12002.0  T  1.4 104 N

(c) Descending with a downward acceleration of 3.0 m s-2
T  mg  ma
T  12009.81  1200 3.0  T  8.2 103 N
(d) Descending with an upward acceleration of 3.0 m s-2
T  mg  ma
T  12009.81  12003.0  T  1.5 104 N

10 A pendulum bob hangs by a thread from the roof of a railway carriage. Describe and explain,
using free-body diagrams for the pendulum bob, what happens to the bob when the train is
a. accelerating forward,
b. moving at a constant velocity,
c. slowing down.
For (a) make any possible calculations if the train acceleration is 0.80 m s-2.

(a) The pendulum bob is displaced backwards. a

Due the inertia (Newton’s 1st Law), the pendulum is
reluctant to move when the train accelerates forward.
Hence it is displaced backwards.

(b) The pendulum is vertical.

According to Newton’s 1st Law, since the train is moving with constant velocity, there
is no resultant force acting on the train. Likewise there is no resultant force acting on
the pendulum.

(c) The pendulum bob is displaced forward.

Due the inertia (Newton’s 1st Law), the pendulum is reluctant to stop when the train
is slowing down. Hence it is displaced forward.

11 The diagram shows a block on a horizontal frictionless table. A thread attached to it runs
horizontally to a pulley at the edge of the table, passes over the pulley, and supports a load
of mass 1.0 kg. The size of the acceleration of both the block and the load is 2.0 m s-2.
a. Draw free-body force diagrams for
(i) the block
(ii) the load,
Labeling as T the pull of the thread on each of these
bodies.

(i)

N T

mg
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(ii)

10 N
b. Use the free-body force diagram for the load to find the size of T.
From the load:
10  T  1.02.0  T  8.0 N

c. Now use the free-body force diagram for the block to find the mass of the block.
From the block:
T  m2.0  8.0  m2.0  m  4.0kg

12 A balloon is used to carry scientific equipment. The diagram represents a balloon just before
take-off. The balloon’s basket is attached to the ground by two fixing ropes.

There is a force F vertically upwards of 2.15x103 N on the balloon. The total

mass of the balloon and its basket is 1.95x102 kg.

(a) State the magnitude of the resultant force on the balloon when it is attached to the
ground.

(b) If the tension in one of the fixing ropes is T. Write an expression for the vertical
component of the tension.

(c) Calculate the tension in either of the fixing ropes.

(d) The fixing ropes are quickly released and the balloon accelerates upwards.
Calculate the magnitude of the initial acceleration.
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(e) The balloon reaches a terminal speed 10 seconds after take-off. The upward force F
remains constant. Describe how the magnitude of air friction (air resistance) on the balloon
varies during the first 10 seconds of the flight.

(a) Zero resultant force when the balloon is attached to the ground

(b) Tsin(50)

(c) 2.15x103 – (1.95x102x9.81) = 2Tsin(50)

240 = 2Tsin50 T = 157 N

(d) Resultant force = 2.15x103 – (1.95x102x9.81)

= 240 N
F = ma
a = F/m = 240/(1.95x102) = 1.2 ms-2

(e) The air friction (air resistance) goes from 0 N to 240 N in 10 seconds.
It must reach 240 N, because that is when we have reached a constant speed and
balanced forces act on the balloon.
The air friction will increase as the speed of the balloon increases.

13 The coefficient of kinetic friction between a 35-kg crate and the floor is 0.30.

(a) What horizontal force is required to move the crate at a steady speed across
the floor?

To move the crate at a steady speed, applied force must be equal to force of friction.
Hence, applied force F = force of friction =  k R =  k mg = 0.30 x 35 x 9.81 = 103 N

(b) What horizontal force is required if  k is zero? [100 N, 0 N]

If  k = 0, then no force is required to move it at a constant speed (once the object has
started to move.)
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14 A force of 48.0 N is required to start a 5.0-kg box moving across a horizontal

concrete floor.

(a) What is the coefficient of static friction between the box and the floor?

F =  s mg = 48.0

48.0
s = = 0.98
5.0 x9.81

(b) If the 48.0-N force continues, the box accelerates at 0.70 m s-2. What is the coefficient of
kinetic friction? [0.98, 0.91]

Resultant force, F = Applied force – force of friction = ma

48.0 -  k (5.0 x 9.81) = 5.0 x 0.70

 k = 0.91

15 The coefficient of static friction between hard rubber and normal street pavement is about
0.8. On how steep a hill (maximum angle) can you leave a car parked? [400]

Downward component of the weight of the car = Force of friction

Mg sin  =  s R =  s (Mg cos  )
Hence  s = tan 

 = tan -1  s = tan-1 (0.8) = 39 ≈ 40o

16 A 15.0-kg box is released on a 32o incline and accelerates down the incline at 0.30 m s-2.

(a) Find the friction force impeding its motion.

F = mg sin  - Ff = ma
15.0 x 9.81sin32o – Ff = 15.0 x 0.30
Ff = 15.0 x 9.81sin320 – 15.0 x 0.30 = 73.5 = 74 N
Ff =  k R = 73.5

(b) What is the coefficient of kinetic friction? [73 N, 0.59]

 k (mg cos  ) = 73.5

73.5
k = = 0.59
15.0 x9.81cos 32 o
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17 A box is given a push so that it slides across the floor. How far will it go, given that the
coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.20 and the push imparts an initial speed of 4.0 m s-2? [4.1 m]

u = 4.0 m s-1, v = 0 m s-1,

a = - (F/m) = - ( (  k mg) / m ) = -  k g = - (0.20 x 9.81) = - 1.962 ms-2

Using ‘ v2 = u2 + 2as’
s = (02 – 4.02 ) ÷ [(2)(-1.962)] = 4.08 = 4.1 m

18 Police investigators, examining the scene of an accident involving two cars, measure 72-m-
long skid marks of one of the cars, which nearly came to a stop before colliding. The
coefficient of kinetic friction between rubber and the pavement is about 0.80. Estimate the
initial speed of that car assuming a level road. [33.6 = 34 m s-1]

F = ma =  k mg ; hence a =  k g = 0.80 x 9.81 = 7.848 m s-2

Using ‘ v2 = u2 + 2as’

u= v 2  2as = 0 2  (2)(7.848)(72) = 1130.112 = 33.6 m s-1 = 34 m s-1

19 A 65-kg ice skater coasts with no effort for 75 m until she stops. If the coefficient of kinetic
friction between her skates and the ice is  k  0.10, how fast was she moving at the start of
her coast? [12 m s-1]

F =  k mg = ma;

hence a =  k g = 0.10 x 9.81 = 0.981 m s-2

u = v 2  2as = 0 2  (2)(0.981)(75) = 12 m s-1