Chapter 5: Newton’s Laws

Behnam Seyed-Mahmoud

October 30, 2023

Most of the images are from the textbook

We assume that the reference frame is fixed.
Lecture notes are intended for the instructor. Students are
responsible to follow the textbook.

1 Forces

Figure 1: Examples of forces

Newton’s laws of mechanics have to do with the applications of

forces. Simply put, a force may be defined as the pulling or pushing
action of one particle on another. A force is exerted on a particle in
order to change the state of the particle, for example, to
ˆ hold a particle in ‘equilibrium’;
ˆ start moving of a particle;

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 ˆ stop a particle from moving;
ˆ slow down a particle;
ˆ speed up a particle;
ˆ change the direction of motion of a particle.
All particles (objects) are subjected to forces. Forces are vector

Figure 2: Examples of forces

quantities and as such follow the same rules as vector operations.

X
F⃗R = F⃗l (1)
l

= F⃗1 + F⃗2 + F⃗3 + F⃗4 + ... (2)

= (F1x + F2x + F3x + F4x + ...)î + (F1y + F2y + F3y + F4y + ...)
(3)ĵ
X X
= Flx î + Fly ĵ (4)
l l

Now,
F⃗R = FRx î + FRy ĵ (5)
Therefore,
X
FRx = Flx (6)
l
X
FRy = Fly (7)
l

Again, a 2D vector equation is written into two scalar equations.

q
2 2
FR = FRx + FRy (8)

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 Figure 3: Resultant Force

The direction of the resultant force is

FRy
tan θ = (9)
FRx

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 19. Two ropes are attached to a tree, and forces of F⃗1 = 2.0î +
4.0ĵ N and F⃗2 = 3.0î + 6.0ĵ N are applied. (a) What is the resultant
(net force) of these two force vectors?
FRx = F1x + F2x = 5 N (10)
FRy = F1y + F2y = 10 N (11)
F⃗R = 5î + 10ĵ N (12)
√
FR = 52 + 102 N = 11.2 N (13)
 
−1 10
θ = tan = 63.4o (14)
5
CCW from +x.

Figure 4: Addition of forces

√
F1 = 22 + 42 = 4.5 N (15)
√
F2 = 32 + 62 = 6.7 N (16)
FR = F1 + F2 = 11.2 N (17)

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Special forces
ˆ Tension in Cables

Figure 5: Tension in a cable

ˆ solid material can support both tension and compression

Figure 6: Force on solid material

ˆ Friction force between two contacting surfaces

Figure 7: Friction force is parallel to the contacting surface

ˆ Spring Force; F = k∆l = k|l − l0 |

ˆ Cable and Pulley System: to change the direction of the force,
and/or to reduce the magnitude the force needed to move an
object by combining pulleys.

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 Figure 8: Spring force may be either tension or compression.

Figure 9: Cable and Pulley

Figure 10: Pulley system

Reference Frames
A frame (usually specified by a set of axes , drawn from an origin,
in preferred directions) in which we make our measurements. The
origin is where an observer is located. Always use a right handed
coordinate system.
Definition of INERTIA: tendency to remain unchanged Remem-
ber that ⃗vA means velocity of A in the ‘fixed’ reference frame O, that
is, ⃗vA = ⃗vA/O we just omit /O because it is the default reference
frame.

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 Figure 11: Inertia Reference Frame

⃗vO = 0 (18)
⃗rA = ⃗rO′ + ⃗rA/O′ (19)
d⃗rO′ d⃗rA/O′
⃗vA = + (20)
dt dt
⃗vA = ⃗vO′ + ⃗vA/O′ (21)
d⃗vO′ d⃗vA/O′
⃗aA = + (22)
dt dt
= ⃗aO′ + aA/O′ (23)
= ⃗aA/O′ (24)
Acceleration is the same in all INERTIA reference frames.

Newton’s first law: law of inertia

If the net force on a particle is zero, the state of the particle remains
unchanged.
Or,
a particle in a state of uniform motion remains in that state as long
as it is not subjected to a net external force.
Uniform motion means that the magnitude and the direction of the
velocity remain constant.
Another definition of Newton’s first law:
X
F⃗R = Fl = 0 (25)
l

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Figure 12: A reference frames with uniform motion is an inertia reference frame.
A rotating frame is not an inertia frame because it has centripetal acceleration.

or
X
(Fl )x = 0 (26)
l
X
(Fl )y = 0 (27)
l

We say that the particle is in equilibrium.

——————————————————————
23. While sliding a couch across a floor, Andrea and Jennifer exert
forces F⃗A and F⃗J on the couch. Andrea’s force is due north with a
magnitude of 130.0 N and Jennifer’s force is 32o east of north with
a magnitude of 180.0 N. (a) Find the net force in component form.
(b) Find the magnitude and direction of the net force. (c) If Andrea
and Jennifer’s house-mates, David and Stephanie, disagree with the
move and want to prevent its relocation, with what combined force

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F⃗DS should they push so that the couch does not move?
F⃗A = 130ĵ N (28)
F⃗J = 180(sin(32)î + cos(32)ĵ) N (29)
= (95.4î + 152.6ĵ) N (30)
FJ x = 180 sin 32 = 95.4 N (31)
FJ y = 180 sin 32 = 152.6 N (32)

F⃗AJ = F⃗A + F⃗J = (95.5î + 282.6ĵ) N (33)

√
FAJ = 95.42 + 282.62 N = 298.5 N (34)
 
−1 282.6
θ = tan = 71.3o (35)
95.4
CCW from +x.
To balance the couch, F⃗DS must have the same magnitude as F⃗AJ
but opposite in direction.
F⃗R = F⃗DS + F⃗AJ = 0 ⇒ F⃗DS = −F⃗AJ (36)

F⃗DS = −F⃗AJ = −95.4î − 282.6ĵ N (37)

FDS = 298.5 N (38)

θDS = 71.3o (39)
CCW from -x.

2 Newton’s second law: law of change in mo-

mentum

F⃗R = m⃗a (40)

X
Fx = m ax (41)
X
Fy = m ay (42)

The net force on a particle is proportional to the particle’s acceler-

ation.

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————————————————————–
40. In the following figure, the horizontal surface on which this
block slides is frictionless. If the two forces acting on it each have
magnitude F = 30.0 N and M = 10.0 kg , what is the magnitude of
the resulting acceleration of the block?

Figure 13: Need Newton’s third law.

Figure 14: Newton’s second law.

X
Fx = m ax ⇒ (43)
56
30 cos(30) + 30 N = (10 kg)ax ⇒ ax = m/s2 = 5.6 m/s2
10
(44)

2.1 Newton’s third law: law of action and reaction

If a particle exerts a force on a second particle, the second particle
exerts a force equal in magnitude but opposite in direction on the
first particle.

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 In the above example the reaction force is the force exerted by
the contacting surface on the particle Mm F⃗N . Since the particle is
not moving in y direction, ay = 0.
X
Fy + FN = 0 (45)
FN − 30 sin(30) − (10)(9.81) N ⇒ FN = 113.1 N (46)

2.2 Free Body Diagram, FBD

To analyze forces acting on a body, first draw a free body diagram
by sketching an outline of the object (particle). Draw all the forces
acting on the body including the weight, reaction from contacting
surfaces, friction and so on. For example, a body subjected to two
external forces sliding on a rough surface:

Figure 15: Free body diagram.

The normal force, F⃗N is perpendicular to the contacting surface.

Figure 16: Example of FBD on of an object on an inclined surface.

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Mass and weight (Newton’s law of gravitation)
Gravitational force between two particle (anywhere in the universe)

G m1 m2
Fg = (47)
r2
If the particle is near the Earth’s surface, R = 6371 km, mE =
5.972 × 1024 kg, G = 6.67408 × 10−11 m3 kg −1 s−2 ,
Fg = m g (48)

|g| ≈ 9.81 m/s2 (49)

52. A brave but inadequate rugby player is being pushed backward
by an opposing player who is exerting a force of 800.0 N on him.
The mass of the losing player plus equipment is 90.0 kg, and he
is accelerating backward at 1.20 m/s2 . (a) What is the force of
friction between the losing player’s feet and the grass? (b) What
force does the winning player exert on the ground to move forward
if his mass plus equipment is 110.0 kg?

Figure 17: FBD-90 kg

FRx = m ax (50)
FRx = 90(1.2) N = 108 N (51)
X
FRx = Flx ⇒ (52)
l
108 N = 800 − Ff ⇒ (53)
Ff = 692 N (54)

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 Figure 18: FBD-110 kg

X
FRx = Flx ⇒ (55)
l
F − 800 N = 110(1.2) N ⇒ (56)
F = (800 + 132) N = 932 N (57)
67. A 2.0-kg block is on a perfectly smooth ramp that makes an an-
gle of 30o with the horizontal. (a) What is the block,s acceleration
down the ramp and the force of the ramp on the block? (b) What
force applied upward along and parallel to the ramp would allow the
block to move with constant velocity?
(a)

Figure 19: 5-67

X
Fy = 0 ⇒ FN − w cos(30) = 0 (58)
⇒ FN = 2(9.81) cos(30) = 17 kg (59)
X
Fx = m ax ⇒ −w sin 30 N = 2 kg ax (60)
⇒ ax = −4.9 m/s2 (61)

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 Figure 20: 5-67-a

(b) Since F⃗ is in x direction, it does not affect the y components of

the forces. So, FN = 17 kg

Figure 21: 5-67-b

F⃗ = F î (62)
X
Fx = 0 ⇒ F − w sin 30 N = 0 (63)
⇒ F = 9.81 N (64)

X
Fx = max ⇒ F cos 30 − FN sin 30 = 0 (65)
X
Fy = may ⇒ F sin 30 + FN cos 30 − 19.6N = 0 (66)

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 88. Shown below is a 30.0-kg block resting on a frictionless ramp
inclined at 60o to the horizontal. The block is held by a spring that
is stretched 5.0 cm. What is the force constant of the spring?

Figure 22: 5-67-b

X
Fx = 0 ⇒ −(30)(9.81) cos 30 + fs = 0 ⇒ fs = 255 N (67)

255
Fs = k∆x ⇒ k = N/m = 5.1 × 103 N/m (68)
0.05
If we also want to solve for FN then
X
Fy = 0 ⇒ FN −w sin 30 = 0 ⇒ Fn = 30(9.81)(0.5) = 147 N (69)

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