Topic 3 Notes Newtons Laws Sem 2 2019 Soln(1)

Solutions
Student Name: ………………………………………. ID #: ………………………………….. Physics Semester 2, 2019 – TOPIC NOTES
Physics
Topic 3
Newton’s Laws of Motion
Contents
3.1 Force ................................................................................................................................................ 3
3.2 Newton’s First Law of Motion ........................................................................................................... 6
3.3 Mass ................................................................................................................................................ 7
3.4 Newton’s Second Law of Motion ..................................................................................................... 8
3.5 Newton’s Third Law of Motion ....................................................................................................... 12
3.6 Mass and Weight ........................................................................................................................... 15
3.7 Free-Body Diagrams ...................................................................................................................... 17
3.8 Torque ........................................................................................................................................... 19
3.9 Equilibrium of a Particle ................................................................................................................. 23
3.10 Equilibrium of a Rigid Body ............................................................................................................ 27
3.11 Accelerating Systems .................................................................................................................... 36
3.12 Problems Involving Connected Masses ......................................................................................... 39
3.13 Mass on inclined Plane .................................................................................................................. 46
Glossary of Terms .................................................................................................................................... 49
Formulae – Newton’s Laws and their application ..................................................................................... 49
Topic 3: Newton’s Laws and their Application © UP International College New Zealand
Topic 3: Newton’s Laws of Motion
Starter Questions – Guess now!
1. A 150 𝑘𝑔 rugby player collides head-on
with another 75 𝑘𝑔 player. During the collision,
the heavier player exerts a force of magnitude
𝐹 on the smaller player. If the smaller player
exerts a force 𝐹 back on the heavier player,
which response is the most accurate?
A. 𝐹 𝐹
B. 𝐹 𝐹
C. 𝐹 𝐹
D. 𝐹 0
E. We need more information.
A
….....
2. A line by the poet T.S. Elliot (from Murder in the Cathedral) has the
women of Canterbury say “the earth presses up against our feet”. What
force is this?
A. Gravity
B. The normal force
C. A friction force
D. Centrifugal force
E. No force – they are being poetic
B
….....
3. The diving board shown here is held by two supports at 𝐴 and 𝐵.

Which statement is true about the forces exerted on the diving board
at 𝐴 and 𝐵?
A. 𝐹 is down, 𝐹 is up, and 𝐹 is larger than 𝐹 .

B. Both forces are up and 𝐹 is larger than 𝐹 .
C. 𝐹 is down, 𝐹 is up, and 𝐹 is larger than 𝐹 .
D. Both forces are down and approximately equal.
E. 𝐹 is down, 𝐹 is up, and they are equal.
A
….....
4. Consider the image on the cover page.

 What are the forces that act on the sky-diver?
gravitational force, air resistance
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
 Is he traveling at constant velocity?
He could be if the forces above are equal. Otherwise, the velocity will be increasing.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
 What is his acceleration?
It will be zero if the forces above are equal. Otherwise, it will be any value up to 9.80 ms-2.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Topic 3: Newton’s Laws and their Application © UP International College New Zealand Page 2
Physics Semester 2, 2019 TOPIC NOTES
3.1 Force
Read Chapter 4-1 Force, page 76
We experience force as any kind of a push or pull on an

object. When you push a grocery cart, you are exerting a
force on it. This force is called a contact force because the
force is exerted when one object comes in contact with
another object. On the other hand, we say that an object falls
because of the force of gravity - which is not a contact force.
A force exerted in a different direction has a different effect.

Force has direction as well as magnitude and is therefore a
vector. We can represent any force on a diagram by an
arrow, just as we did with velocity. The direction of the arrow
is the direction of the push or pull, and its length is drawn
proportional to the magnitude of the force.
Types of Force
When an object rests on a surface, there is always a
component of force perpendicular to the surface; we call this
component a normal force, denoted by 𝑛⃗ in the diagram
below, or as 𝐹 in these notes. There may also be a
component of force parallel to the surface; we call this a
friction force, denoted by 𝑓⃗ in the diagram, or as 𝐹 in these
notes. This force often acts to resist sliding of the object on
the surface.
When a rope or cord is attached to an object and pulled, the corresponding force applied to the object is
referred to as a tension, denoted by 𝑇⃗, or as 𝐹 in these notes.
A familiar force that we’ll work with often is the gravitational attraction that the earth exerts on an object.
This force is the objects weight, denoted by 𝑤⃗, or as 𝐹 in these notes.
Measuring Force
As already stated, force is a vector quantity; to describe a force, we need to describe the direction in
which it acts as well as its magnitude – the quantity that tells us “how much” or “how strongly” the force
pushes or pulls. A common instrument for measuring forces is the spring balance.
Suppose we push or pull a box, as shown below. As with other vector quantities, we can represent the
force we exert on the box by a vector arrow. The arrow points in the direction of the force, and its length
represents the magnitude of the force.
Resultant of Forces
Experiment shows that when two forces 𝐹⃗ and 𝐹⃗ act
at the same time on the same point of an object, the
effect is the same as the effect of a single force equal
to the vector sum of the original forces. This vector
sum is often called the resultant of the forces or the
net force, denoted by 𝑅⃗, or as 𝐹 in these notes. That
is, 𝑅⃗ 𝐹⃗ 𝐹⃗ .
Any force can be replaced by its components, acting at the same point.
The components of a force do not always need to be horizontal and vertical, as shown below.
Ex. #1 Adding force vectors (Example 4-9, page 87)

Calculate the resultant of the two forces exerted on the body
by workers A and B. Do this by resolving the forces into vector
components.
Σ FX 52.24N
Σ FY 10.2 N
Add forces in the x – direction
Σ Fx FAx FBx
40 cos 45° 30 cos 37°
28.28 23.96 52.24 N
Σ Fy FAy FBy
40 sin 45 – 30 sin 37
28.28 – 18.05 10.23 N
Resultant force by adding Σ Fx and Σ Fy as vectors.
FR √ 52.24 2 10.23 2
√2833.7
53.2N
where θ tan-1 Fy / Fx
tan-1 10.23 / 52.24
11.1°
⇒ Resultant force of 53.2 N @ 11.1° above the x axis
3.2 Newton’s First Law of Motion
The fundamental role of a force is to change the state of motion of the
object on which the force acts. The key word is to “change”.
Isaac Newton’s famous “three laws of motion” are found in his great work,
the Principia (published in 1687).
Newton’s First Law of Motion states that:
“Every object continues in its state of rest, or of uniform speed in

a straight line, provided that the net force acting on it is zero.”
Inertia
The tendency of an object to remain at rest, or to keep moving once it is set in motion, results from a
property called inertia. This Law is often called the “Law of Inertia”.
The quantitative measure of inertia is the physical quantity called mass, which we will discuss in detail
soon.
When no force acts on an object, or when the vector sum of forces on it is zero, the object either remains
at rest or moves with constant velocity in a straight line. An object in either of these two possible states is
said to be in equilibrium. Once an object has been set in motion, no net force is needed to keep it in
motion. In other words, an object acted on by no net force moves with constant velocity (which
may be zero) and thus with zero acceleration.
Everyday experience seems to contradict this statement. Suppose you give a push to a hockey puck on
a table, as shown below (a). After you stop pushing and take your hand away, the puck does not
continue to move indefinitely; it slows down and stops. To keep it moving, you have to keep pushing.
This is because, as the puck slides, the table top applies a frictional force to it in a direction opposite to
that of its motion.
But now imagine pushing the puck across the smooth ice of a skating rink, diagram (b). Here it will move
a lot farther after you stop pushing before it stops. Put it on an air-hockey table, where it floats on a thin
cushion of air, and it slides still farther, diagram (c). The more slippery the surface, the less friction there
is. The first law states that if we could eliminate friction completely, we would need no forward force at all
to keep the puck moving with constant velocity once it had been started moving.
Application of Physics – Objects at rest?

This trick photo was taken an instant after a
super-smooth table was very rapidly yanked
out from underneath the dinner setting. The
table was removed so rapidly that it exerted a
force on the place setting only for a very short
time. We can visualise the concept of inertia
as described by Newton’s first law. The objects
at rest tend to stay at rest – but the force of
gravity causes them to accelerate rapidly
downward!
Ask your teacher to do this with an expensive

wine glass ‼ (What happened??)
……………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………..
Ex. #2 Conceptual Example Newton’s First Law (Conceptual Example 4-1, page 77)
A school bus comes to a sudden stop, and all the backpacks on the floor start to slide forward. What
force causes them to do that?
There is no force. The backpacks are continuing their motion while it is the bus which is stopping.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3.3 Mass
Read Chapter 4-3 Mass, page 78
Mass is not the “quantity of matter”. More precisely, we can say that
mass is a measure of the inertia of an object. The more mass an
object has, the greater the force needed to give it a particular
acceleration. It is more difficult to start an object moving from rest, or
to stop it when it is moving, or to change its velocity sideways out of a
straight line path. A truck has much more inertia than a basketball
moving at the same speed, and a much greater force is needed to
change the truck’s velocity at the same rate as the basketball’s. The
truck therefore has much more mass.
In SI units, the unit of mass is the kilogram (kg).
Do Problems Booklet A: 1
3.4 Newton’s Second Law of Motion
Read Chapter 4-4 Newton’s Second Law of Motion, page 78
Qualitatively, we have learned that when an object is acted on by a non-zero net force, it accelerates.
Now we want to know the relation of the acceleration to the force; this is what Newton’s second law of
motion is all about.
Consider a small object moving on a flat, level, frictionless surface. We apply a constant force horizontal
force 𝐹⃗ to the object. We find that during the time the force is acting, the velocity of the object changes at
a constant rate; that is, the object moves with constant acceleration. If we change the magnitude of the
force, the acceleration changes in the same proportion. Doubling the force doubles the acceleration,
halving the force halves the acceleration. When we take away the force, the acceleration becomes zero
and the object moves with constant velocity. We conclude that, for any given object, the acceleration is
directly proportional to the force acting on it.
∴ 𝑎 ∝ 𝐹⃗ ∝ means “proportional to”
In another experiment, we give the object an initial velocity 𝑣⃗. With no force the velocity is constant. With
a constant force directed to the right, the acceleration is constant and to the right. But when we reverse
the direction of the force, we find that the object moves more and more slowly to the right. The direction
of the acceleration is to the left, in the same direction as the force 𝐹⃗ .
We conclude that the magnitude of the acceleration is proportional to that of the force, and the direction
of the acceleration is the same as that of the force, regardless of the direction of the velocity. If there is
no force, the object has zero acceleration; no force is required to maintain motion with constant velocity.
In a further experiment, we apply a constant force with magnitude 𝐹 to an object having a known mass
𝑚 and we find an acceleration with magnitude 𝑎 , as shown in diagram (a). We then apply the same
force to another object having a known mass 𝑚 , where 𝑚 2𝑚 , as shown in diagram (b). We find
that the acceleration of the object is inversely proportional to its mass. Doubling the mass halves the
acceleration, halving the mass doubles the acceleration.
∴ 𝑎∝ and previously… 𝑎 ∝ 𝐹⃗
These relationships are summarised in Newton’s Second Law of Motion:
“The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the

net force acting on it, and is inversely proportional to the
object’s mass. The direction of the acceleration is in the
direction of the net force acting on the object.”
Newton’s second law can be written as an equation:
𝑎 where Σ𝐹 is the net force on the object.
The familiar statement of Newton’s second law is:
𝐹 𝑚𝑎 [N]
In SI units, with the mass in kilograms, the unit of force is the newton (N). One newton is the force
required to provide an acceleration of 1 ms-2 to a mass of 1 kg. Thus 1 𝑁 1 𝑘𝑔 𝑚𝑠 .
Ex. #3 The mass of a box

A box rests on a frozen pond, which serves as a horizontal frictionless surface. If a fisherman (wearing
spiked shoes) applies a horizontal force with magnitude 48.0 𝑁 to the box and produces an acceleration
of magnitude 0.300 𝑚𝑠 , what is the mass of the box?
𝐹 𝑚𝑎
.
∴ 𝑚 .
160 𝑘𝑔
Ex. #4 Force to stop a car. (Example 4-3, page 80)

What average net force is required to bring a 1500 kg car to rest from a speed of 100 kmhr-1 within a
distance of 55 meters?
𝑣 0 𝑚𝑠 𝑑 55 𝑚 𝑎 ? then…. 𝐹 𝑚𝑎
𝑣 100 𝑘𝑚ℎ 27.778 𝑚𝑠
.
.
𝑣 𝑣 2𝑎𝑑 ∴ 𝑎 7.0146 𝑚𝑠
then…. 𝐹 𝑚𝑎 1500 7.0146 10,521 𝑁 ⇒ 10,500 𝑁 to the left
note: this force opposes the motion of the car, bring the car to a stop
Ex. #5
Suppose that you watch a cup slide on the smooth dashboard of an accelerating car. You watch this
happen from outside the car on the street. What force pushes the cup off the dashboard?
There is no force. The car moves away from the cup. The car accelerates from under the cup.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The car has inertia and continues in its state of rest.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Do Problems Booklet A: 2, 5, 6, 7
3.5 Newton’s Third Law of Motion
Read Chapter 4-5 Newton’s Third Law of Motion, page 81
Newton’s second law of motion describes how forces affect motion,

but where do forces come from? We observe that a force exerted on
any object is always exerted by another object. A horse pulls a wagon,
a person pushes a shopping trolley, a hammer pushes on a nail. In
each of these examples, a force is exerted on one object, and that
force is exerted is exerted by another object. For example, the force
exerted on the nail is exerted by the hammer. The hammer exerts a
force on the nail, and the nail exerts a force back on the hammer.
This is the essence of Newton’s Third Law of Motion:

The nail exerts a force on the
“Whenever one object exerts a force on a second hammer. This force decelerates the
object, the second object exerts an equal force in hammer and brings it to rest.
the opposite direction on the first.”
This law is sometimes paraphrased as “to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. This is
perfectly valid, but to avoid confusion, it is important to remember that the “action” force and the
“reaction” force are acting on different objects.
If your hand pushes against the edge of a

desk (the force vector is shown in red), the
desk pushes back against your hand (this When an ice skater pushes against the wall,
force vector is shown in violet) – this force the wall pushes back and this force causes
acts on a different object. her to accelerate away from the wall.
From the examples above, we can see how important it is to remember on what object a given force is
exerted and by what object that force is exerted. A force influences the motion of an object only when it
is applied on that object. A force exerted by an object does not influence that same object; it only
influences the other object on which it is exerted. This concept is clarified on the next page…
Consider how we walk and the diagram at right. We can

walk forward because, when one foot pushes backward
against the ground, the ground pushes forward on that
foot – Newton’s third law. The two forces shown act on
different objects and are equal in size and opposite in
direction.
Use ‘double subscripts’ to keep clear which force acts on

which object. For example, the force exerted on the
Person by the Ground as the person walks can be labelled
𝑭 . And the force exerted on the ground by the person is
𝑭 . By Newton’s third law,
𝑭 𝑭
𝑭 and 𝑭 have the same magnitude, and the minus

sign reminds us that these two forces are opposite in
direction. 𝑭 and 𝑭 are often called “action – reaction pairs”.
Ex. #6 (Conceptual Example 4-4, page 82)
What force makes a car go forward? Explain.

Draw the relevant “action – reaction pairs” on the car at right.
By Newton’s 3rd Law the ground pushes on the tyres,
…………………………………………………………………………
accelerating the car.
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
Ex. #7
A tennis ball collides head-on with a more massive baseball. (i) Which ball experiences the greater force
of impact? (ii) Which ball experiences the greater acceleration during the impact? (iii) Which of Newton’s
Laws are useful to obtain the correct answers?
same force small ball Newton’s 3rd then 2nd Laws
(i). ………………………………………... (ii). ………………………………………... (iii). ………………………………………...
Ex. #8
If you push on a heavy desk, does it always push back on you?
A. No
B. Yes
C. Not unless someone else also pushes on it
D. Yes, if it is out in space
E. A desk never pushes to start with
B
……..
Newton’s apple on a table
An apple sits in equilibrium on a table. What forces act on the apple? What is the reaction force to each
of the forces acting on the apple? What are the “action – reaction pairs”?
Note: in this diagram ONLY the subscripts are 𝐹 / . So, 𝐹 / is the force ON the apple, BY the table.
Remember, the two forces in an “action – reaction pair” always act on different objects.
Ex. #9 Conceptual Example Third law clarification (Conceptual Example 4-5, page 83)
Michelangelo’s assistant has been assigned the task of moving a block of marble using a sled. He says
to his boss, “When I exert a forward force on the sled, the sled exerts an equal and opposite force
backward. So how can I ever start it moving? No matter how hard I pull, the backward reaction force
always equals my forward force, so the net force must be zero. I’ll never be able to move this load.”
Is he correct?
“Action – reaction pairs” act on different objects.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Consider the assistant only – the sled pulls back, the ground pushes forward. If the assistant pushes harder
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
on the ground than the sled on assistant, then acceleration occurs as ground pushes back with some force .
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3.6 Mass and Weight

We have mentioned that the weight of an object is a
force – the force of gravitational attraction of the earth (or
whatever astronomical body the object is near, such as
the moon or Mars). The term mass and weight are often
misused and interchanged in everyday conversation. It’s
essential for you to understand clearly the distinctions
between these two physical quantities.
Mass describes the inertial properties of an object. Mass

is what keeps the china on the table when you yank the
tablecloth out from under it. The greater the mass, the
greater is the force needed to cause a given
acceleration; ie ∑ 𝐹⃗ 𝑚𝑎⃗.
Weight, on the other hand, is a force exerted on an

object by a gravitational pull of the earth, for example.
Everyday experience shows us that objects that have
large mass also have large weight.
A cart loaded with bricks is hard to get started rolling

because of its large mass, and it is also hard to lift off the
ground because of its large weight. On the moon, the
cart would be just as hard to get rolling, but it would be
easier to lift ‼ So, what exactly is the relationship
between mass and weight?
Let us apply Newton’s second law to an object of mass 𝑚 falling ‘freely’ (experiencing negligible air
resistance) due to gravitational forces. For the acceleration we use the downward acceleration due to
gravity, 𝑔. Thus, the gravitational force (or the weight force, 𝐹 ) on an object 𝑭 can be written as
𝑭 𝑚𝒈
The direction of this force is down toward the centre of earth. The magnitude of the force of gravity on an
object 𝑚𝑔 is commonly called the object’s weight.
In SI units, 𝑔 9.80 𝑚𝑠 9.80 𝑁𝑘𝑔 , so the weight of a 1.00 kg mass on earth is

1.00 𝑘𝑔 9.80 𝑚𝑠 9.80 𝑁.
Do Problems Booklet A: 3, 4
Mass and weight on the moon
Apollo 11 Moon landing, July 24 – 1969

Astronaut: Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon!
If we take a 1.0 𝑘𝑔 mass to the surface of the moon, where the acceleration of free fall is 1.62 𝑚𝑠 , the
weight of the 1.0 𝑘𝑔 mass is 1.62 𝑁. An 80 𝑘𝑔 man has a weight on earth of (80 𝑘𝑔)×(9.80 𝑚𝑠
784 𝑁, but on the moon his weight is only 80 𝑘𝑔 × 1.62 𝑚𝑠 130 𝑁 𝑜𝑟 ~30 𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠 .
The following brief excerpt from Astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s book Men from Earth offers some interesting
insights into the distinction between mass and weight.
“Our portable life-support system backpacks looked simple, but they were hard to put on and
tricky to operate. On earth the portable life-support system and space suit combination weighed
190 pounds (846 N, 86 kg), but on the moon it was only 30 pounds (134 N, 86 kg).
One of my tests was to jog away from the lunar module to see how manoeuvrable an astronaut
was on the surface. I remembered what Isaac Newton had taught us two centuries before: mass
and weight are not the same. I weighed only 60 pounds (267 N), but my mass (80 kg + 86 kg =
166 kg) was the same as it was on Earth. Inertia was a problem. I had to plan ahead several
steps to bring myself to a stop or to turn without falling.”
Note: the pound is a unit of force. 1 pound is defined to be ~4.45 𝑁. Buzz Aldrin found jumping up and
down much easier; however, when he tried to start moving, stop moving or turn around in the horizontal
plane, those manoeuvres proved to be difficult.
3.7 Free-Body Diagrams
When you apply Newton’s first or second law (𝐹⃗ 0 for an equilibrium situation or 𝐹⃗ 𝑚𝑎⃗ for a
non-equilibrium situation), you must apply them to some specific object. Once you have chosen the
object, then you have to identify all the forces acting on it. These are the forces that are included in 𝐹⃗ .
To help identify the relevant forces, draw a free-body diagram. What’s that? It is a diagram showing the
chosen object by itself, “free” of its surroundings, with vectors drawn to show the forces applied to it by
the various other objects that interact with it. Be careful to include all the forces acting on the object, but
be equally careful not to include any forces that the object exerts on any other object. In particular, the
two forces in an action-reaction pair must never appear in the same free-body diagram, because they
never act on the same object. The diagram below shows some examples of free-body diagrams.
When you have a complete free-body diagram, you should be able to answer, for each force shown, the
question “What other object is applying this force?”. If you cannot answer that question, you may be
dealing with a non-existent force. Sometimes you will have to take the problem apart and draw separate
free-body diagrams for each body.
Ex. #10 Conceptual Example The hockey puck (Conceptual Example 4-10, page 88)
A hockey puck is sliding at constant velocity across a flat horizontal ice surface that is assumed to be
frictionless. (i) Which is the correct free-body diagram for this puck? (ii) What would be your answer if
the puck slowed down?
Explain your answers.

i The net force is zero. No horizontal forces act on the puck; ⇒ b
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
ii The net force on the puck must oppose the motion; i.e. be to the left ⇒ c .
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
In a the puck is being accelerated to the right.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Note: Because the normal force and weight force act on the same objects they are not action-reaction
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
pairs. Action reaction pairs act on different objects.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Do Problems Booklet B: 3, 4, 5, 6
3.8 Torque
To make an object start rotating about an axis clearly requires a
force. But the direction of this force and where it is applied are
also important. Take for example an ordinary situation such as
the overhead view of the door at right. If you apply a force 𝐅
perpendicular to the door as shown, you will find that the greater
the magnitude of 𝐅 , the more quickly the door opens. But now if
you apply the same force at a point closer to the hinge – say 𝐅 –
the door will not open so quickly. The effect of the force is less:
where the force acts, as well as its magnitude and direction,
affects how quickly the door opens.
The product of the force and the perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation to the line along which
the force acts is called the moment of the force, or more commonly called the torque and is represented
by  (Greek lower case letter ‘tau’).
𝜏 𝐹𝑟
Note:
1. The line along which the force acts is often referred to as the “line of action of the force”.
2. The perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation to the line of action of the force is called the
lever arm or the moment arm.
Consider the three forces acting on the door at right. The

lever arm for 𝐅 is the full distance from the hinge to the
doorknob r . The lever arm for 𝐅 is zero – if you push on
the end of the door so that the force is directed at the
hinge, then the door will not rotate at all. The lever arm for
a force such as 𝐅 is found by drawing a line along the
direction of 𝐅 . Then we draw another line, perpendicular
to this line of action, that goes to the axis of rotation. The
length of this second line is the lever arm for 𝐅 and is
labelled r in the diagram at right.
The magnitude of the torque associated with 𝐅 is then

𝐅 𝑟 . This torque is less than the torque provided by the
same force 𝐅 because the lever arm r of this force is the
full width of the door. The torque produced by the force 𝐅
is 𝐅 𝑟
The torque produced by force 𝐅 is zero because the line of action of this force passes through the hinge
and therefore the lever arm is zero.
In general we can write the magnitude of the torque about a
given axis as:
𝜏 𝐹𝑟
∴ 𝜏 𝐹𝑟 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
An equivalent way of determining the torque associated with
a force is to resolve the force into components parallel and
perpendicular to the line that connects the axis to the point of
application of the force. The component 𝐅∥ exerts no torque
since it is directed at the axis (its lever arm is zero). Hence
the torque will be equal to 𝐅 times the distance 𝑟 from the
axis to the point of application of the force:
𝜏 𝐹 𝑟
∴ 𝜏 𝐹𝑟 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
Because torque is a distance times a force (a vector), it is measured in units of Nm in SI units.
Note that the units for torque are the same as those for energy. Because the two quantities are very
different, we write the units different. The special name joule ( 1 J = 1 Nm ) is used for energy and work,
but never for torque.
Clockwise and counterclockwise torque
The figure at right shows a body that can rotate about

an axis that passes through point O and is
perpendicular to the plane of the figure. The body is
acted on by three forces 𝐹⃗ , 𝐹⃗ and 𝐹⃗ .
Force 𝐹⃗ tends to cause counterclockwise rotation

about O, and 𝐹⃗ tends to cause clockwise rotation. To
distinguish between these two possibilities, we’ll use
the convention that counterclockwise torques are
positive and clockwise torques are negative.
Ex. #11 A weekend plumber

An amateur plumber, unable to loosen a pipe
fitting, slips a pipe over the handle of the
wrench. He then applies his full weight of 900 𝑁
to the end of the pipe by standing on it. The
distance from the centre of the fitting to the point
where the weight acts is 0.80 𝑚, and the wrench
handle and pipe make an angle of 19° with the
horizontal. Find the magnitude and direction of
the torque of his weight about the centre of the
pipe fitting.
Use the diagram below to help you solve this

problem. Solve the problem twice, once using
𝜏 𝐹𝑟 and then 𝜏 𝐹 𝑟.
𝑐𝑜𝑠 19
.
𝜏 𝐹𝑟 900 0.80 𝑐𝑜𝑠 19 680.77 𝑁𝑚 ⇒ 681 𝑁𝑚 counterclockwise
𝑐𝑜𝑠 19
𝜏 𝐹 𝑟 900 𝑐𝑜𝑠 19 0.80 680.77 𝑁𝑚 ⇒ 681 𝑁𝑚 counterclockwise
Ex. #12 Biceps torque (Example 8-8, page 207)
The biceps muscle exerts a vertical force on the lower arm,
bent as shown at right. For each case (a) and (b), calculate
the torque about the axis of rotation through the elbow
joint, assuming the muscle is attached 5.0 cm from the
elbow as shown.
Use diagrams (c) and (d) to help solve case (b).
a τ F d 700 0.050 35.0 Nm

counterclockwise
b using reduced perpendicular component of the lever

arm length – diagram c
𝜏 𝐹 𝑟 700 0.050 𝑐𝑜𝑠 30 30.3 𝑁𝑚
𝜏 𝐹 𝑟 700 0.050 𝑠𝑖𝑛 60 30.3 𝑁𝑚
using reduced perpendicular component of the force –

diagram d
𝜏 𝐹 𝑟 700 𝑐𝑜𝑠 30 0.050 30.3 𝑁𝑚
𝜏 𝐹 𝑟 700 𝑠𝑖𝑛 60 0.050 30.3 𝑁𝑚
3.9 Equilibrium of a Particle

We learned earlier that an object is in equilibrium when it is at rest or moving with constant velocity. In
this section we consider only the equilibrium of an object that can be modelled as a particle. Newton’s
first law tells us that: When an object is at rest or is moving at constant velocity, the vector sum of
all forces acting on it must be zero.
∴ 𝐹 0
If we consider the sum of the components of force in each axis direction, then:
∑𝐹 0 and ∑𝐹 0
Ex. #13 Three equal weights

In a museum exhibit, three equal weights are hung with identical wires, as
shown. Treat each weight as a particle. Each wire can support a tension of no
more than 75.0 𝑁 without breaking. (a) What is the maximum value that 𝑊
can be without breaking any wires? (b) Under these conditions, what is the
tension in each wire?
Drawing a free-body diagram will help you solve this problem.
𝑊 𝑊 𝑊
𝑊
𝑊 𝑇 𝑊
∑𝐹 𝑇 𝑊 0 ∑𝐹 𝑇 𝑇 𝑊 0 ∑𝐹 𝑇 𝑇 𝑊 0
∴ 𝑇 𝑊 ∴ 𝑇 𝑊 𝑇 2𝑇 ∴ 𝑇 𝑇 𝑊 3𝑇
and … 𝑇 3𝑇 75.0 𝑁 ∴ 𝑇 50.0 𝑁 and 𝑇 𝑊 25.0 𝑁
a 𝑊 25.0 𝑁
b see answers above
Examples of Static Equilibrium
In “Static Equilibrium” problems, objects are at rest.
Ex. #14 Chandelier cord tension (Example 9-2, page 232)

Calculate the tensions 𝑭 and 𝑭 in the two cords that are
connected to the vertical cord supporting the 200 kg chandelier.
Ignore the mass of the cords.
Solve using two methods:
 Method 1: “vector components”
 Method 2: “force vector diagram”
The free-body diagram shown in red, shows the forces acting on the
point where the three cords meet.
Method 1: Vector Components – the sum of the vertical and

horizontal forces is zero, because the chandelier is “in equilibrium”.
𝐹 𝐹 sin 60
FAx - FA cos 60°
FAy FA sin 60°
FB is in the positive x direction
60°
Σ FY 0 FA sin 60 – 1960 0 𝐹 cos 60° 𝐹
∴ FA 1960 / sin 60 2263 N
Σ Fx 0 - FA cos 60 FB 0
FB FA cos 60 2263 cos60 1132 N 1960 𝑁
Method 2: Force Vector Diagram – the chandelier is in equilibrium, so the sum of the three forces is zero. If
the forces are added vectorially, a closed triangle is formed.
1960 / FA sin 60
∴ FA 1960 / sin60 2263 N

𝐹
1960 𝑁
FB / FA cos 60°
∴ FB 2263 cos 60 1132 N 60°
Do Problems Booklet B: 12, 13, 14, 16, 19
Ex. #15 Weight, normal force, static situation and a box (Example 4-6, page 85)
A friend has given you a special gift, a box of mass 10.0 kg with a mystery surprise inside. The box is
resting on a smooth (frictionless) horizontal surface of a table.
a) Determine the weight of the box and the normal force exerted on it by the table.
Σ FY FN – mg As box is at rest a 0
⇒ FN – mg 0
FN mg
98 N upwards
b) Now your friend pushes down on the box with a force of 40.0 N. Again determine the normal force
exerted on the box by the table.
Σ FY 0 ⇒ FN mg – 40.0N 0
⇒ FN mg 40
98 40 138 N upwards
c) If your friend pulls upward on the box with a force of 40.0 N, now what is the normal force exerted on
the box by the table.
Σ FY 0: ⇒ FN - mg 40 0
⇒ FN 98 – 40
58N. upwards
The table does not push with a force equal to the full weight of the box, because of the upward force by
the friend.
Examples of Dynamic Equilibrium
In “Dynamic Equilibrium” problems, objects move at constant velocity.
Ex. #16 The water skier

A water skier moves with constant velocity across a flat “glassy” lake. The tension force in the rope
which is attached to the boat provides the necessary pulling force to give her forward motion. The
tension force acts at an angle 𝜃 16° above the horizontal.
(a) What other force must act on her if she is to stay in “dynamic equilibrium”? (b) Draw a free-body
diagram of the water skier. (c) What is the size and direction of this “other” force?
a The water must provide a leftwards friction force 𝐹 𝐹

which acts on the water skier.
b ∑𝐹 0 ∑𝐹 0 𝐹
𝐹
c ∑𝐹 𝐹 𝐹 𝐹 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃 𝐹 240 𝑐𝑜𝑠 19 𝐹 0

∴ 𝐹 240 𝑐𝑜𝑠 19 226.92 ⇒ 227 𝑁 to the left
𝐹
(d) Which force is smaller – the water skier’s weight force 𝐹 , or the normal force 𝐹 acting on her?
Explain.
The tension force has a vertical component upwards. The normal upwards force acting on her will
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
be smaller than her weight force. The sum of all vertical forces must be zero.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3.10 Equilibrium of a Rigid Body

Here’s an experiment to try: Face a wall, with your toes just touching
a wall. Now try standing on tip-toe. What happens? You start falling
over backward. Why? There is a torque on you, and you are no
longer in equilibrium. The need to consider torque occurs with a
suspension bridge, a ladder leaning up against a wall, or a crane
hoisting a bucket full of concrete.
Can you draw a vector showing the torque which acts on your body?
For bodies such as these to be in a state of equilibrium, the vector sum of the forces that act on the body
must be zero, but an additional requirement must be satisfied to ensure that the body has no tendency to
rotate. For a rigid body in equilibrium, the sum of the torques about any axis must be zero.
The First Condition for Equilibrium

For an object, or system of objects, to be in translational equilibrium, the sum of the forces
acting on it must add up to zero.
Since force is a vector, the components of the net force must each be zero, hence, a condition for
equilibrium is that:
Σ𝐹 0 Σ𝐹 0
Consider the ruler at right. Although the net force on it is zero, the ruler
will move – it will rotate. A pair of equal forces acting in opposite
directions but at different points on an object (as shown here) is referred
to as a couple.
Although the two forces labelled 𝑭 add up to give zero net force on the
object, they do produce a net torque that will rotate the ruler. If an object
is to remain at rest, the net torque applied to it must be zero.
The Second Condition for Equilibrium

For an object, or system of objects, to be in rotational equilibrium, the sum of the torques
acting at any point on it must add up to zero.
Σ𝜏 0
Ex. #17
Which of the objects shown at right are in:
 only translational equilibrium
c, d
………………………………..
 only rotational equilibrium (about the
axis 𝑨)
a
………………………………..
 both translational and rotational
equilibrium (about the axis 𝑨)
e
………………………………..
 neither equilibrium?
b
………………………………..
An object is in translational equilibrium if the net force is zero.

∴ c , d and e
An object is in rotational equilibrium about an axis if the net torque about that axis is zero.
∴ a and e
Ex. #18
(i) In each of the objects at right, what magnitude of force 𝐹 (if any) is needed to put the object into
rotational equilibrium about the axis 𝐴 shown?
(ii) After you have found the force 𝐹 required to put the object into rotational equilibrium, find out which
(if any) of these objects is also in translational equilibrium.
(a)
∑𝜏 0.10𝐹 50 0.30 0
.
∴ 𝐹 .
150 𝑁
Not in translational equilibrium
(b)
∑𝜏 0.30𝐹 50 0.10 0
.
∴ 𝐹 .
16.7 𝑁
(c)
∑𝜏 0.10𝐹 50 0.30 40 0.20 0
. .
∴ 𝐹 .
230 𝑁
(d)
∑𝜏 0.30𝐹 50 0.10 40 0 0
.
∴ 𝐹 .
16.7 𝑁
(e)
∑𝜏 0.10𝐹 50 0.30 100 0.15 0
. .
∴ 𝐹 .
0𝑁
Use this method to solve Statics problems
1. Choose one object at a time for consideration. Draw a free-body diagram showing all the forces
which act on that object.
2. Choose a convenient coordinate system, and resolve the forces into their components.
Choose upwards and to the right to be positive, and downward and to the left to be negative.
Choose counterclockwise to be positive, and clockwise to be negative.
3. Write down the equilibrium equations for the forces.
Σ𝐹 0 Σ𝐹 0
4. Write down the equilibrium equations for the torques.
∑𝜏 0
You may choose any point in the free-body diagram to sum the torques about. It is more convenient to choose
a point that has a force acting through it; then this force will produce zero torque.
5. Solve these equations for the unknowns.
Centre of Gravity
In static problems we may need to calculate both forces and torques which are produced by uniform
bodies such as beams. To simplify our method, we will choose to place the weight force of that uniform
body at the body’s centre of gravity.
For nearly all practical purposes, we may define the position of the centre of gravity:
An object’s centre of gravity is that point at which the force of gravity can be considered to act.
A uniform body has a constant cross-sectional area and is made of homogenous material throughout.
Examples of a uniform body are:

 a 30 𝑐𝑚 ruler
 A straw
 an 𝑅𝐽𝑆 beam
The centre of gravity of a uniform body is at

that body’s mid-point.
For the uniform body supported by a finger,

draw two vectors:
 the weight force of the uniform body (𝐹⃗ )
 the normal force provided by the finger (𝐹⃗ ).
Where have you seen one of these? What do you call it?
On a building site.
………………………………………………………………
An RJS beam.
………………………………………………………………
Introductory Problems:
In these examples, the supported beam is uniform and has a mass of 50.0 𝑘𝑔. The mass of the man is
80.0 𝑘𝑔. Find the reaction (support) forces 𝑅 and 𝑅 that act on the beam to keep it in equilibrium.
The weight force of the beam is 50𝑔 490 𝑁

The weight force of the man is 80𝑔 784 𝑁 4m
(a)
To find 𝑅 , sum torques about point A
∑𝜏 4𝑅 2 490 0 𝑅 𝑅
∴ 𝑅 245 𝑁 490 N
To find 𝑅 , ∑ 𝐹 0
2 2
∑𝐹 𝑅 𝑅 490 0
∴ 𝑅 490 245 245 𝑁 𝑅 𝑅
(b) 3m 1m
∑𝜏 4𝑅 2 490 3 784 0
∴ 𝑅 833 𝑁 𝑅 𝑅
490 N 784 N
∑𝐹 𝑅 𝑅 490 784 0 2 1 1
∴ 𝑅 490 784 833 441 𝑁

𝑅 𝑅
(c)
∑𝜏 3𝑅 1.5 784 2 490 0
∴ 𝑅 718.67 𝑁 ⇒ 719 𝑁 1.5 m 1.5 m 1m
𝑅 𝑅
784 N 490 N
∑𝐹 𝑅 𝑅 784 490 0
∴ 𝑅 784 490 718.67 555.33 𝑁 ⇒ 555 𝑁 1.5 0.5 1
3 1
𝑅 𝑅
(d)
∑𝜏 3𝑅 2 490 4 784 0
∴ 𝑅 1372 𝑁
3m 1m
find 𝑅 , ∑ 𝐹 0 𝑅 𝑅
∑𝐹 𝑅 𝑅 490 784 0 490 N 784 N
∴ 𝑅 490 784 1372 98 𝑁 which is downward ! 2 2
3 1
𝑅 𝑅
Ex. #19 Balancing a seesaw
A board of mass 𝑀 4.0 𝑘𝑔 acts as a seesaw for two children. Child 𝐴 has a mass of 30 𝑘𝑔 and sits
2.5 𝑚 from the pivot point 𝑃. (i) At what distance 𝑥 from the pivot must child 𝐵, of mass 25 𝑘𝑔, place
herself to balance the seesaw? (ii) Assume that the board is uniform and centered over the pivot, 𝑃.
What is the support force (normal force) that the pivot must provide to support the board and two
children?
𝐹 𝑚 ⋅ 𝑔 30 9.80 294 𝑁
𝐹 𝑚 ⋅ 𝑔 25 9.80 245 𝑁
𝑀𝑔 4.0 9.80 39.2 𝑁
i to find 𝑥, sum torques about the pivot P

the torques produced by 𝐹 and 𝑀𝑔 are zero!
∑𝜏 294 2.5 245𝑥 0

∴ 𝑥 3.0 𝑚
ii to find 𝐹 , ∑ 𝐹 0
∑𝐹 𝐹 294 39.2 245 0

∴ 𝐹 578.2 𝑁
Do Problems Booklet B: 1, 2, 8, 17, 18
Ex. #20 Forces on a beam and supports

A uniform 1500 𝑘𝑔 beam, 20.0 𝑚 long, supports a 15,000 𝑘𝑔
printing press 5.0 𝑚 from the right support column. Calculate
the forces provided by the two support columns, 𝐹⃗ and 𝐹⃗ .
Weight force of beam is:

𝐹 𝑚 ⋅𝑔 1500 9.80 14,700 𝑁
Weight force of printing press is:

𝐹 𝑚 ⋅𝑔 15,000 9.80 147,000 𝑁
To find 𝑅 , sum torques about A.

∑𝜏 20𝐹 14,700 10 147,000 15 0
∴ 𝐹 117,600 𝑁
14.7 kN 147 kN
10 5 5
∑𝐹 𝐹 𝐹 14,700 147,000 0
∴ 𝐹 147,000 14,700 117,600 44,100 𝑁
𝐹 𝐹
Ex. #21 Hinged beam and cable
A uniform beam, 2.20 𝑚 long with mass 𝑚 25.0 𝑘𝑔, is
mounted by a small hinge on a wall as shown. The
beam is held in a horizontal position by a cable that
makes an angle 𝜃 30.0°. The beam supports a sign of
mass 𝑀 28.0 𝑘𝑔 suspended from its end. Determine
the components of the force 𝐹⃗ that the hinge exerts on
the beam, and the tension 𝐹⃗ in the supporting cable.
Weight force of beam is:

𝐹 𝑚 ⋅𝑔 25.0 9.80 245 𝑁
Weight force of sign is:

𝐹 𝑀⋅𝑔 28.0 9.80 274.4 𝑁
To find 𝐹 , sum torques about the hinge.

∑𝜏 𝐹 2.20 1.10 245 2.20 274.4 0
∴ 𝐹 396.9 𝑁 245 N 274.4 N
To find 𝐹 , ∑ 𝐹 0 1.10 1.10

𝐹 𝐹 245 274.4 0
∴ 𝐹 245 274.4 396.9 122.5 𝑁 𝐹 𝐹
To find 𝐹 , 𝑠𝑖𝑛 30
.
∴ 𝐹 793.8 𝑁
To find 𝐹 , ∑ 𝐹 0 and 𝐹 𝐹 𝑐𝑜𝑠 30 793.8 𝑐𝑜𝑠 30 687.5 𝑁

∑𝐹 𝐹 𝐹 0
∴ 𝐹 𝐹 687.5 𝑁
Ex. #22 The Ladder – a more difficult example

A 5.0 𝑚 long ladder leans against a wall at a point 4.0 𝑚
above a concrete floor. The ladder is uniform and has mass
𝑚 12.0 𝑘𝑔. Assuming the wall is frictionless, but the floor is
not, determine the forces exerted on the ladder by the floor
and by the wall.
The wall since it is frictionless, can exert a force only

perpendicular to the wall, and we label that force 𝐹 .
The cement floor exerts a force 𝐹 which has both horizontal
and vertical components: 𝐹 is frictional and 𝐹 is the normal
force. Finally, gravity exerts a force 𝑚𝑔 on the ladder at its
midpoint, since the ladder is uniform.
Find, 𝐹 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐹
Note that the ladder 5.0 𝑚 , the wall 4.0 𝑚 and the floor 𝑥
make a 3 4 5 triangle. ∴ 𝑥 3.0 𝑚.
Weight force of ladder is:

𝑚𝑔 12.0 9.80 117.6 𝑁
The weight force of the ladder acts at a horizontal distance of 1.5 𝑚 from point C.
∑𝐹 𝐹 𝑚𝑔 𝐹 117.6 0
∴ 𝐹 117.6 𝑁
To find 𝐹 , sum torques about point C.

∑𝜏 𝐹 4.0 1.5 𝑚𝑔 0
∴ 4𝐹 1.5 117.6 and 𝐹 44.1 𝑁
To find 𝐹 , ∑ 𝐹 0
∑𝐹 𝐹 𝐹 0
∴ 𝐹 𝐹 44.1 𝑁
Since the components of 𝐹 are 𝐹 44.1 𝑁 and 𝐹 117.6 𝑁, then:

𝐹 √44.1 117.6 125.60 ⇒ 126 𝑁
And it acts at an angle 𝜃 to the floor.

.
𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝜃
.
∴ 𝜃 69.4°
Note that the force 𝐹 does not have to act along the ladder’s direction because the ladder is rigid and not
flexible like a cord or cable.
Do Problems Booklet B: 7, 9, 10, 11, 19, 20
3.11 Accelerating Systems
Ex. #23 Accelerating the box (Example 4-7, page 86)
What happens when a person pulls upwards on the box in Ex. #15 with a
force greater than the box’s weight?
For example, let FP = 100.0 N
Σ FY FN FP - mg
0 100 – 98
2.0 N upwards
Note FN cannot be negative unless the box is glued to the table.

Instead, it will accelerate!
⇒ a Σ FY / m 2.0 / 10
0.20 ms-2
⇒ ΣF ma – General application of Newton’s 2nd Law

where the sum of the forces, Σ F, is the net force on the object.
Ex. #24 Pulling the mystery box (Example 4-11, page 89)
Suppose a friend asks to examine the 10.0 kg box you were given
(Ex. #22), hoping to guess what was inside; and you respond,
“Sure, pull the box over to you.” She then pulls the box by the
attached cord as shown along the smooth surface on the table. The
magnitude of the force exerted by the person is 𝐹 40.0 𝑁, and is
exerted at a 30.0 angle as shown.
Calculate
(a) the acceleration of the box, and
(b) the magnitude of the upward force 𝐹 exerted by the table on the
box. Assume that friction can be ignored.
Fpx 40 cos 30° 34.6N
Fpy 40 sin 30 20.0N
By Newton’s 2nd Law

a FPx max
ax Fpx / m 34.6/10 3.46ms-2
b ΣFy may
Box does not accelerate up Fpy mg
⇒ FN – mg 20 0
FN mg – 20
98 – 20
78 N
⇒ table does not push back with the full weight of box due to the
vertical component of Fp
𝑭𝑵 is less than 𝒎𝒈. Explain why.

Part of the pull by the person is up
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ex. #25 Apparent Weight Loss (Example 4-8, page 86)
A 65 kg woman descends in an elevator that briefly accelerates at
0.20g downward. She stands on a scale that reads in kg.
a) During this acceleration, what is her weight and what does the
scale read?
↓ ΣF ma
mg - FN ma
FN mg – ma a 0.20 g
mg – 0.20 mg
0.80 mg
0.8 65 9.8
509.6 N
52kg! - This is what the scales show!
But her mass has not changed. The scales show the reaction force FN,
not her weight.
b) What does the scale read when the elevator descends at a constant speed of 2.0 ms-1?
a 0
⇒ mg – FN 0
mg FN
⇒ true mass reading
c) What does the scale read when the elevator ascends at 0.20g?
a ↑
↑ fN
FN – mg ma
FN ma mg
0.2 mg mg
1.2 mg
1.2 65 9.8
764.4N
78kg!
Again, her mass has not actually changed, but the scales show a different mass in kg!
Do Problems Booklet A: 8, 9, 10
3.12 Problems Involving Connected Masses
In the following examples an unbalanced force, a resultant force, causes a system to accelerate. These
are not examples of systems in equilibrium.
One block pushes another

Consider two blocks of mass m1 and m2 placed on a
frictionless horizontal surface in contact with each other.
A constant horizontal force is applied to mass m1.
Determine the magnitude of the contact force between

the two blocks.
Draw a free body diagram of each mass and write a suitable second law equation for each mass.
‘f’ is the same magnitude for m1 and m2 –

an action reaction pair
F–f m1 a 1 f m2 a 2
Write an expression for the acceleration of the system.
eq 2 into eq 1
F – m2 a m 1 a
F m1 m2 a
a F / m1 m2
So Σf ma
Ex. #26
If m1 is 4.0 kg, m2 is 1.5 kg and F is 10.0 N, calculate the acceleration of the system and the contact
force between the blocks.
a 10 / 5.5 1.818
1.8 ms-2
and f m 2a
1.5 1.818
2.727 2.7 N – the contact force
What is the resultant force on each of the masses?
Force on m2 f2 m2 a
1.5 1.818
2.727 2.7 N
Force on m1 F – f m2 a
10 – 2.727
7.3 N
or F–f m2 a 4 1.818 7.272 7.3 N
Do Problems Booklet D: 1
Tension in a flexible cord
When a flexible cord pulls on an object, the cord is said to be under tension, and the force it exerts on
the object is the tension force 𝑇 𝑜𝑟 𝐹 . If the cord has negligible mass, the force exerted at one end is
transmitted along the entire length to the other end.
Note that flexible cords, ropes, cables and strings etc can only pull. They cannot push because they
bend.
Ex. #27 Two boxes connected by a cord (Example 4-12, page 90)
Two boxes, A and B, are connected by a lightweight cord and are resting on a smooth (frictionless) table.
The boxes have masses of 12.0 kg and 10.0 kg. A horizontal force 𝐹 of 40.0 N is applied to the 10.0 kg
box, as shown below. Find (a) the acceleration of each box, and (b) the tension in the cord connecting
the masses.
Start by drawing a free body diagram for each mass.

This time the contact force is a tension, or ‘pull,’ rather than a ‘push.’
T is the same magnitude for A and B-
an action / reaction pair
Σ F x mB a Σ F x mA a
⇒ T mB a – 1 ⇒ FP – T mA a – 2
Put eq 1 into eq 2
⇒ F P – mB a m A a
FP mA a m B a
m A mB a
⇒a FP / mA mB
⇒a 40 / 12 10 1.82ms-2
T mB a 12 x 1.82 21.8N
Ex. #28 Paint buckets (End of Chapter Question, Chapter 4 Q25 page 102)
One 3.2 kg paint bucket is hanging by a massless cord from another 3.2 kg bucket,
also hanging by a massless cord, as shown at right.
(a) If the buckets are at rest, what is the tension in each cord?
ΣFYA 0 ⇒ T1 – mA g – T2 0 1
ΣFYB 0 ⇒ T2 - m B g 0 2
⇒ T 2 mB g
3.2 9.80
31.4
31 N
From 1 ⇒ T1 - 3.2 9.8 – 31.4 0 ⇒ T1 62.72 63N
(b) If the two buckets are pulled upward with an acceleration of 1.25 ms-2 by the upper cord, calculate
the tension in each cord.
Same approach, except now ΣFY m a

Top Bucket:
Σ FYA mA a ⇒ T1 – mA g - T2 mA a – 3
Bottom bucket:
Σ FYB mB a ⇒ T2 – mB g mB a 4
Hence T2 mB a g
3.2 1.25 9.80
35.36N
From 3
T1 mA a mA g T2
3.2 1.25 9.80 35.36
70.72 N
Summary:
T1 35 N
T2 71 N
The acceleration increases the tension in both cords proportionately compared with the static situation
in a
31→35N
36→ 71N
Masses Connected via a pulley
Consider two masses connected via a light cord and pulley.

One mass sits on a frictionless surface.
Determine the acceleration of the system and the tension in

the cord.
Draw a free body diagram of each mass and write a suitable

second law equation for each mass.
The system accelerates right/down

⇒ m2g T
Hence body diagram must show this
Using Σ F m a
T m1 a 1 m2 g – T m2 a 2

Put 1 into 2 ⇒ m 2 g – m1 a m2 a This shows that if m1 0 then a g
m2 g m2 m1 a If m1 ≫ m2 ⇒ a 0
a m 2 / m 1 m2 g
Ex. #29
If m1 is 5.0 kg, and m2 is 250 g, calculate the acceleration of
the system and the tension in the cord.
a 0.250 / 5 0.25 9.80

0.467
0.47 ms-2
Using 1 , T m1 a
5.0 x 0.467
2.34
2.3 N
What force causes the system to accelerate?

The weight on m2. The weight on m2 accelerates both m1 and m2, hence the acceleration , a, is less than g.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
If m1 ≫ than m2, then T m2g. If m1 ≪ than m2, then T 0
..............................................................................................................................................................
Consider two masses connected via a light cord and pulley.

One mass sits on a surface that does have friction.
Determine the acceleration of the system and the tension in the

cord.
Draw a free body diagram of each mass and write a suitable

second law equation for each mass.
ΣF ma
T – FF m1 a m2 g – T m2 a – 2
T m1 a FF 1
Put 1 into 2
m2 g m1 a – FF m2 a
m2 g FF m1 a m2 a
a m2 g - FF / m1 m2 or net force/total mass a
Ex. #30
If m1 is 5.0 kg, m2 is 250 g and a 0.65 N friction force acts on m1,
calculate the acceleration of the system and the tension in the
cord.
a 0.25 9.80 – 0.65 / 5.0 0.25

0.3428
0.34m3-2 – significantly less that ex #17
Using 1
T m1 a FF
5 0.3428 0.65
2.35 N
2.4 N a slightly larger force than ex #18 with zero friction.
Do Problems Booklet D: 2, 3
Ex. #31
Two masses rest on a surface with friction and are connected via a cord as shown. The second mass is
connected to a third hanging mass via a pulley.
If m1 is 5.5 kg, m2 is 3.5 kg, m3 is 150 g, a 0.65 N friction force acts on m1, and a 0.45 N friction force
acts on m2, calculate the acceleration of the system and the tension in the cords.
T1 – FF1 - m1 a T2 - T1 – FF2 m2 a m3 g – T2 m3 a
asystem FR / mtotal m3 g – FF1 – FF2 / m1 m2 m3
0.150 x 9.80 – 0.65 – 0.45 / 5.5 3.5 0.150 0.040437 ⇒ 0.040ms-2
T1 m1 a FF1 5.5 0.040437 0.65

0.87240 ⇒ 0.87 N
T2 m3 g – a 0.150 9.81 – 0.040437

1.46543 ⇒ 1.5 N
T2 T1, as T2 must accelerate m1 and m2

T1 must accelerate m1 only.
Atwood’s Machine
When two objects of unequal mass are hung vertically over a frictio
nless pulley of negligible mass, the arrangement is called an Atwood’s
Machine. The device may be used to measure the acceleration due to
gravity.
Determine the magnitude of the acceleration of the two objects and
the tension in the lightweight cord.
Draw a free body diagram of each mass and write a suitable second
law equation for each mass.
T – m1g m 1a m2 g T m 2a
a FNet / mtotal m2 g - m1 g / m1 m2
Ex. #32
If m1 is 650 g, and m2 is 750 g, calculate the acceleration of the system and the tension in the cord.
a m2 g – m1 g / m1 m2 0.750 – 0.650 9.80 / 0.750 0.650 0.7000 0.70 ms-2
T m1 g a 0.650 9.80 0.700 6.8250 6.8 N
What is the tension in the rope that supports the pulley?
Trope 2T 2 6.825 13.65 N
Compare this to the weight of the 2 masses

FW 0.65 0.75 9.8 13.72 N
3.13 Mass on inclined Plane
Consider a mass m on a frictionless inclined plane of angle .
Determine the acceleration of the mass after it is released.
Draw a free body diagram of the mass and write a suitable

second law equation.
Do not show a force and its components on the same free body diagram.
What force is responsible for the acceleration of the system?

The component of the weight force parallel to the inclined plane. m g sin θ
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
a g sin θ
Ex. #33
If the mass is 5.0 kg and the angle of the inclined plane is 12.5, what will be the resulting acceleration?
a g sin Θ
9.80 sin 12.5
2.12 ms-2
What size of force is necessary to hold the mass stationary?
F ma along plane
5.0 2.12
10.6 N
Do Problems Booklet C: 1, 2, 3
Inclined Plane with connecting cord
Consider a ball of mass m1 and a block of mass m2

attached to a lightweight cord that passes over a
frictionless pulley of negligible mass.
The block lies on an incline with friction at an angle °.
Find the acceleration of the system and the tension in

the cord.
Draw a free body diagram of each mass and write a suitable second law equation for each mass.
Σ Falong plane m2 a
m2 g sinθ – T m2 a 2
⇒ m2 g sin θ – m1 a – m1 g - FF m2 a
⇒ m2 g sin θ – m1 g – FF m1 m2 a
⇒a m2 g sinθ – m1 g - FF / m1 m2
What if FF m1 g is m2 sinθ ?
Then a is in opposite direction!
For experts:
Also consider what happens if
m2 sinθ - m1 g FF ?
⇒ object does not move!
a m2 g sinθ – m1 g – FF / m1 m2 or a net force/total mass
Ex. #34
If m2 is 5.0 kg, m1 is 250 g and a 0.65 N friction force acts on m2, calculate the acceleration of the system
down the incline and the tension in the cord. The incline is at an angle of 12.5°.
a 5 x 9.80 sin 12.5 – 0.25 9.80 - 0.65 / 5 0.25

1.4296
1.4 ms-2
T m1 a g
0.25 1.4296 9.80
2.808
2.8 N
Ex. #35
In this example, the acceleration direction is unknown.
The hanging mass is 255 g
The mass on the incline is 660 g
The incline is 11
The friction on the incline is 15% of the weight force of the
mass sitting on it.
Find the direction of the acceleration and the tension in the
cord.
Because we don’t know the direction, we don’t know if T m1 g or if T m1 g?

we don’t know the friction direction either?
1. Check if m1 g m2 g sinθ or if m1 g m2 g sinθ and if object 2 will slide?

m1 g 0.255 9.80 2.50 N
m2 g sinθ 0.66 9.80 sin11° 1.23N
2. Check FF 15% of m2 g 0.15 0.66 9.80 0.970 N
m1 g is m2 g sin Θ ⇒ m2 moves down

m1 g - m2 g sinθ 2.50 – 1.23
1.27 N This is FF of 0.97N, so object WILL slide.
Hence a net force/mass 2.50 – 1.23 – 0.97 / 0.255 0.660

0.300/0.915
0.328ms-2
Hence T m1 g – a m1 g – T m 1 a
0.255 9.80 – 0.328 ⇒ m1 g – m1 a T
2.415 N ⇒ m1 g – a T
2.4 N
Do Problems Booklet C: 4, 5, 6; D: 6, 7, 9, 10
Glossary of Terms
Mass A measure of a bodies inertia – its resistance to accelerate.
Inertia The unwillingness of a body to change its state of motion (i.e. to be accelerated).
Body An object having mass in a mechanical system.
System An arrangement of interacting bodies that have a mechanical effect on each other.
Force A push or a pull in a particular direction.
Newton’s 1st law Every object continues in its state of rest, or of uniform speed in a straight line, provided
that the net force acting on it is zero. (Also referred to as the “law of inertia”)
Newton’s 2nd law A force of magnitude 𝐹 , causes a body of mass 𝑚, to accelerate (in the direction of the
force) with an acceleration of magnitude 𝑎, according to the relationship: 𝐹 𝑚𝑎.
or
The rate of change of momentum of a body is proportional to the resultant force acting on
it and occurs in the direction of the force.
Newton’s 3rd law To every action there is an equal but opposite reaction.
or
If body A exerts a force on body B, then body B exerts an equal but opposite force on body
A.
Weight A force by which a body is attracted to the earth.
Free‐body diagram It is a diagram showing the chosen object by itself, “free” of its surroundings, with vectors
drawn to show the forces applied to it by the various other objects that interact with it.
Statics The branch of mechanics concerned with bodies that are acted on by balanced forces and
couples so that they remain at rest or in unaccelerated motion.
Dynamics The branch of mechanics concerned with the motion of bodies under the action of forces.
Bodies in motion have an attribute called momentum.
Torque The turning effect of a force.
or
The product of a force and its perpendicular distance from a point about which it causes
rotation.
Couple Two equal and opposite parallel forces applied to the same body that do not act in the
same line.
Equilibrium A state in which the resultants of all forces and couples acting on a body is zero. The body
may be at rest or moving at constant velocity (it may NOT be accelerating).
Tension The force in connecting strings and springs that tries to stretch them.
Thrust A force, usually from an engine.
Inclined plane A surface which is not horizontal.
Formulae – Newton’s Laws and their application

𝐹 𝑚𝑔
𝐹 𝑚𝑎
𝜏 𝐹 𝑟
𝜏 𝐹𝑟

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Student Name: ………………………………………. ID #: ………………………………….. Physics Semester 2, 2019 – TOPIC NOTES

3. The diving board shown here is held by two supports at 𝐴 and 𝐵.

A. 𝐹 is down, 𝐹 is up, and 𝐹 is larger than 𝐹 .

4. Consider the image on the cover page.

We experience force as any kind of a push or pull on an

A force exerted in a different direction has a different effect.

Ex. #1 Adding force vectors (Example 4-9, page 87)

Add forces in the x – direction

Resultant force by adding Σ Fx and Σ Fy as vectors.

⇒ Resultant force of 53.2 N @ 11.1° above the x axis

Newton’s First Law of Motion states that:

“Every object continues in its state of rest, or of uniform speed in

Application of Physics – Objects at rest?

Ask your teacher to do this with an expensive

∴ 𝑎 ∝ 𝐹⃗ ∝ means “proportional to”

These relationships are summarised in Newton’s Second Law of Motion:

“The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the

Newton’s second law can be written as an equation:

𝑎 where Σ𝐹 is the net force on the object.

The familiar statement of Newton’s second law is:

Ex. #3 The mass of a box

Ex. #4 Force to stop a car. (Example 4-3, page 80)

Newton’s second law of motion describes how forces affect motion,

This is the essence of Newton’s Third Law of Motion:

If your hand pushes against the edge of a

Consider how we walk and the diagram at right. We can

Use ‘double subscripts’ to keep clear which force acts on

𝑭 and 𝑭 have the same magnitude, and the minus

Ex. #6 (Conceptual Example 4-4, page 82)

What force makes a car go forward? Explain.

“Action – reaction pairs” act on different objects.

3.6 Mass and Weight

Mass describes the inertial properties of an object. Mass

Weight, on the other hand, is a force exerted on an

A cart loaded with bricks is hard to get started rolling

In SI units, 𝑔 9.80 𝑚𝑠 9.80 𝑁𝑘𝑔 , so the weight of a 1.00 kg mass on earth is

Apollo 11 Moon landing, July 24 – 1969

3.7 Free-Body Diagrams

Explain your answers.

Consider the three forces acting on the door at right. The

The magnitude of the torque associated with 𝐅 is then

Clockwise and counterclockwise torque

The figure at right shows a body that can rotate about

Force 𝐹⃗ tends to cause counterclockwise rotation

Ex. #11 A weekend plumber

Use the diagram below to help you solve this

𝜏 𝐹𝑟 900 0.80 𝑐𝑜𝑠 19 680.77 𝑁𝑚 ⇒ 681 𝑁𝑚 counterclockwise

𝜏 𝐹 𝑟 900 𝑐𝑜𝑠 19 0.80 680.77 𝑁𝑚 ⇒ 681 𝑁𝑚 counterclockwise

a τ F d 700 0.050 35.0 Nm

b using reduced perpendicular component of the lever

using reduced perpendicular component of the force –

3.9 Equilibrium of a Particle

Ex. #13 Three equal weights

and … 𝑇 3𝑇 75.0 𝑁 ∴ 𝑇 50.0 𝑁 and 𝑇 𝑊 25.0 𝑁

b see answers above

In “Static Equilibrium” problems, objects are at rest.

Ex. #14 Chandelier cord tension (Example 9-2, page 232)

Method 1: Vector Components – the sum of the vertical and

∴ FA 1960 / sin60 2263 N

∴ FB 2263 cos 60 1132 N 60°

Do Problems Booklet B: 12, 13, 14, 16, 19

In “Dynamic Equilibrium” problems, objects move at constant velocity.

Ex. #16 The water skier