Mechanics

Sir Isaac Newton

December 25, 1643 – March 20, 1727

 Contributions of
Sir Isaac Newton

• Laws of motion

• Universal law of Gravity

• Verification of Kepler’s law of motion

• Build first practical telescope

• Important contribution to optics: prism

• Important inputs to Mathematics

 First: Law of Inertia

An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by an unbalanced

force. An object in motion continues in motion with the same speed and in
the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

All objects resist changes in their state of motion

 Second: Force and Acceleration

The time-rate-of-change of momentum is propotional

to the force
d
F= ( mv )
dt
F=ma
 Third: Action and Reaction

For every action there is an equal and opposit reaction

Kinematic equations for uniformly accelerated
bodies

(1) v = u + at

(1) s = ut + 1/2(at2)

(1) v2 = u2 + 2as

Ch3: Concepts of Physics by H.C.Verma

Ch2: Physics for Engineers and Scientists by Ohanian
A jet plane starts from rest with an acceleration
of 3ms-2 and makes a run for 35s before taking
off. What is the minimum length of runway and
what is the velocity of the jet at take off?
Minimum length of the runway is given by
u = 0, a = 3ms-2, t = 35s

s = ut + 1/2(at2)
= 0 + 0.5*3*(35)2 = 1837.5 m

Velocity of the jet at take off is

v = u + at
= 0 + 3*35 = 105 ms-1
A car is moving along a straight highway with a
speed of 35 ms-1 is brought to stop within a distance
of 200m. What is the retardation of the car
(assumed uniform), and how long does it take for
the car to stop?
Minimum length of the runway is given by
u=35 ms-1, v=0, s=200m

v2-u2=2as
0-(35)2=2a*(200)
a= - 3.06 ms-2

Required time
v=u+at
0=35-3.06t = 11.43s
Motion under Gravity

(1) v = u + gt

(2) s = ut + 1/2(gt2)

(3) v2 = u2 + 2gs
A ball thrown up is caught by the thrower after 4s. How
high did it go and with what velocity it was thrown?
time of ascent = time of descent=4/2=2s

u=?, v=0, t=2s, g= -9.8 ms-2

v=u - gt

u=19.6 ms-1

v2 = u2 - 2gs

0 = (19.6)2 – 2(9.8)s
Universal Law of Gravity
 Universal Law of Gravity

“every particle of matter in the universe attracts

every other particle with a force which is directly
propotional to the product of their masses and
inversely propotional to the square of the distance
between them” - Newton (Principia, 1687)
M m

F = (GMm)/r2

G= 6.67 × 10-11 Nm2kg-2

Problem 1: Calculate the force between you and your
friend who is sitting 1 meter apart from you.

Problem 2: Calculate the force between the Sun and

the earth. (Ms=2*1030 kg, ME=6*1024 kg, RSE=1.49*108 km)

Problem 3: Compare above two results.

 Archimedes' Principle

Archimedes' principle states that the apparent loss

in weight of a body that is totally or partially
immersed in a liquid is equal to the weight of the
liquid displaced.
Archimedes supposedly formulated this principle
after stepping into a bath and watching it overflow.
According to legend, he became so excited that he
ran out into the street naked shouting "Eureka!
Eureka" ("I've found it! I've found it!")