Applied Physics

Newton’s Laws of Motion

Dr. Hayat Muhammad Khan

 Newton’s Laws of Motion

Newton’s laws are the foundation of classical mechanics

(also called Newtonian mechanics)

Force: Its an interaction between two bodies

or between a body and its environment

To describe a force vector , we need to

describe the direction in which it acts
as well as its magnitude

When a force involves direct contact between two bodies, such as a

push or pull that you exert on an object with your hand, it is called
Contact Force
 Newton’s Laws of Motion

The Normal Force is exerted on an object by any surface with which it

is in contact

The Friction Force exerted on an object by a surface acts parallel to

the surface, in the direction that opposes sliding
 Newton’s Laws of Motion

Tension force T: A pulling force exerted on an object by a rope, cord,

etc.

Weight w: The pull of gravity on an object is a long-range force (a force

that acts over a distance).
Newton’s Laws of Motion
 Newton’s Laws of Motion

Superposition of Forces
Any number of forces applied at a point on a body have the same effect
as a single force equal to the vector sum of the forces.
 Newton’s Laws of Motion

Newton’s First Law:

The body either remains at rest or moves with constant velocity in a
straight line. It is sometimes called the law of inertia
 Newton’s Laws of Motion

Newton’s Second Law:

If a net external force acts on a body, the body accelerates. The
direction of acceleration is the same as the direction of the net force.
The mass of the body times the acceleration of the body equals the net
force vector.

One newton is the amount of net force

that gives an acceleration of 1 meter per
second squared to a body with a mass
of 1 kilogram.
Newton’s Laws of Motion
Newton’s Laws of Motion
Newton’s Laws of Motion
 Newton’s Laws of Motion

Mass is the amount of substance in a body

Weight is the gravitational force that the earth exerts on the body

Variation of g with Location

 Newton’s Laws of Motion

Newton’s Third Law:

If body A exerts a force on body B (an “action”), then body B exerts a
force on body A (a “reaction”). These two forces have the same
magnitude but are opposite in direction. These two forces act on
different bodies.
Newton’s Laws of Motion
 Newton’s Laws of Motion

Free-body diagrams are essential to help identify the relevant forces.

Newton’s Laws of Motion
Newton’s Laws of Motion