LAW OF

ACCELERATION
Learning Targets
1.I can explain how force applied affect the
acceleration of an object;
2.I can explain the relationship between
mass and acceleration with constant force;
3.I can solve problems involving net force,
mass, and acceleration
W F D S B A W E C A I N B E

B A L A N C E F O R C E W E

M H E D W C Q A B L P T O K

Y H F U I E S E D Q W F X U

C F H M E L V T C E B O S V

U N B A L A N C E F O R C E

S F B S E R Q D E O A C C E

H U O S L A W F C R B E E R

T Y U F I T O T E C B E R Y

W E R F V I U I C E B F E R

R E V E L O C I T Y T Y U B

W E F B H N H U D I G O E G
 VOCABULARY
FORCE – a push or pull by that may or may not
cause a change in state of motion on the object
where it is applied to
NET FORCE – a vector sum of all the forces
acting on an object
ACCELERATION – the rate of change in the
velocity of an object
VELOCITY - the speed of something in a given
direction
NEWTON’S 2 LAW OF nd

MOTION
The Law of Acceleration states that “when a
net force acts on a body, the body will
accelerate in the direction of the force. The
acceleration is proportional to the force.
Furthermore, the acceleration is inversely
proportional to the mass of the body”.
Activity 2. “Push it Baby” (W2:D1)
Materials: empty matchbox and table
Procedure:
1. Place the matchbox at rest on the table. Push the box lightly
with a small amount of force. Observe what happens.
2. Push the box again, but this time, exert a greater force.
Observe

Questions:
1. What happened to the box when it was pushed lightly?
2. What happened when you pushed the box harder?
3. How did the force applied affect the acceleration of the box?
4. What is the relationship between acceleration and the force
applied?
Activity 3. “Push it Again Baby” (W2:D1)
Materials: Two matchboxes of the same size (one is
empty and the other is full of sticks) and a table
Procedure:
Place two matchboxes side by side on the table. Push the
boxes one at a time with the same force. Observe.
1. How will you compare the acceleration of the two
boxes?
2. How did the mass of the box affect its acceleration?
3. What is the relationship between acceleration and
mass?
Force and Acceleration
Activity A. Force and Acceleration
Materials: empty matchbox and table
Procedure:
1.Place the empty matchbox at rest on
the table. Push the box lightly with a
small smooth of force. Observe what
happens.
2.Push the box again, but this time, exert
a greater force. Observe.
Questions:
1.What happened to the box when it was
pushed lightly?

2.What happened when you pushed the box

harder?

3.How did the force applied affect the

acceleration of the box?
The greater the force
applied, the greater its
acceleration
Mass and Acceleration
Activity B. Relationship between Mass
and Acceleration with Constant Force
Materials: 1 empty matchbox
1 matchbox full of sticks

Procedure:
Place the two match boxes side by
side on the table. Push the boxes one at a
time with the same force. Observe.
Questions:
1.How will you compare the
acceleration of the two boxes?

2.How did the mass of the box

affect its acceleration?
The smaller the mass,
the greater the
acceleration.
Combining the effect of force (F) and mass (m) on
a
the acceleration ( ) of an object, Newton’s second
law of motion may be written in equation form as

a=
Solving for force,
F = ma
Sample problem:

1. What acceleration is imparted to a

football, with a mass of 0.40 kg, when
the player kicked it with a force of 25 N?
Given: m = 0.40 kg
F = 25 N
Find acceleration
Solution:

a= = 62.5
Given: m = 0.40 kg
F = 25 N
Unknown: acceleration
Solution:

a = = 62.5
2. A force acting on a 3 kg box
produces an acceleration of 6 .
Find the magnitude of the net
force acting on the object.
Given: m = 3 kg
a=6
Find net force
Solution:

F = 3 kg x 6
= 18 N
Practice Exercise:
What force must act on a 50 kg mass
to give it an acceleration of 0.30
1. A car is being towed. if its mass is 1,750 kg and it accelerated at 5 m/s2, how much the net force
involved?

2. what is the mass of an object if it accelerated at 7.5 m/s2 upon applying a net force of 12.5 N?
NET FORCE AND
FREE-BODY
DIAGRAM
■ Net force causes
acceleration.
■ Free-body
diagram is used
to visualize force
and its
magnitude and
direction.
Forces in FBD

■ Frictional force is
a force that acts
when surface slide
or tend to slide
over one another.
Forces in FBD

■ Static friction
happens when a
force is applied and
the objects gets
disturbed , friction
acts on it.
Forces in FBD

■ Kinetic friction is
the friction that
opposes motion.
 Forces in FBD
■ Normal Force the
support force of the
surface where
object is resting or
in contact with.
 FBD of
Balanced Forces

■ The object at a constant

velocity has no
acceleration.
 FBD of Unbalanced
Forces

■ This is the FBD for the

object that is accelerating
on the positive x-direction
 Uniform Acceleration System:
Atwood Machine
■ Object that has greater
weight is positive because
it is where acceleration is
directed, while tension
force is negative.
■ The lighter object has a
positive tension force and
negative weight.
 Uniform Circular Motion and
Second Law
■ In order for an object to
change the velocity or
acceleration, there must be
a net force present on it.
■ In order to keep the marble
moving in a circular path,
there must be a net force
present on it.