Module in

GENERAL PHYSICS 1
Grade 12
FIRST QUARTER Subject Teacher: PAOLO S. DEATRAS

class? What are the difficult topics one finds?

DISCUSSION:

WEEK 1: AUGUST 24-28, 2020

TITLE: Units, Physical Quantities, Measurement, Errors PHYSICAL QUANTITIES
and Uncertainties, Graphical Presentation, and Linear Physics is an experimental science. Physicists perform
Fitting of Data experiments to test hypotheses. Conclusions in experiment
are derived from measurements. And physicists use
OBJECTIVES: numbers to describe measurements. Such a number is called
This module will enable students to: a physical quantity. However, a physical quantity would
▪ Solve measurement problems involving conversion of make sense to everyone when compared to a reference
units, expression of measurements in scientific standard. For example, when one says, that his or her height
notation is 1.5 m, this means that one’s height is 1.5 times a meter
▪ Differentiate accuracy from precision stick (or a tape measure that is 1-m long). The meter stick is
▪ Differentiate random errors from systematic errors here considered to be the reference standard. Thus, stating
▪ Use the least count concept to estimate errors that one’s height is 1.5 is not as informative.
associated with single measurements
▪ Estimate errors from multiple measurements of a Since 1960 the system of units used by scientists and
physical quantity using variance engineers is the “metric system”, which is officially known
▪ Estimate the uncertainty of a derived quantity from the as the “International System” or SI units (abbreviation for its
estimated values and uncertainties of directly French term, System International).
measured quantities To make sure that scientists from different parts of the world
▪ Estimate intercepts and slopes—and their understand the same thing when referring to a
uncertainties—in experimental data with linear measurement, standards have been defined for
dependence using the “eyeball method” and/or linear measurements of length, time, and mass.
regression formula Length – 1 m is defined as the distance travelled by light in a
vacuum in 1/299,792,458 second. Based on the
INTRODUCTION: definition that the speed of light is exactly
Notable contributions of Physics to humanity: 299,792,458 m/s.
• The laws of motion (providing fundamental definitions Time – 1 second is defined as 9,192,631,770 cycles of the
and concepts to describe motion and derive the origins of microwave radiation due to the transition between
interactions between the two lowest energy states of the Cesium atom.
objects in the universe) This is measured from an atomic clock using this
• Understanding of light, matter, and physical processes transition.
• Quantum mechanics (towards inventions leading to the Mass – 1 kg is defined to be the mass of a cylinder of
components in a cell phone) platinum-iridium alloy at the International Bureau
of Weights and Measures (Sèvres,France).
Physics is science. Physics is fun. It is an exciting
adventure in the quest to find out patterns in nature and Conversion of units
find means of understanding phenomena through careful Few countries continue to use the British system of units
deductions based on experimental verification. Explain (e.g., the United States). However, the conversion between
that in order to study Physics, one requires a sense of the British system of units and SI units have been defined
discipline. That is, one needs to plan how to study by: exactly as follows:
Length: 1 in = 2.54 cm
• Understanding how one learns. Explain that everyone is Force: 1 lb = 4.448221615260 newtons
capable of learning Physics especially if one takes • The second is exactly the same in both the British and the
advantage of one’s unique way of learning. (Those who SI system of units.
learn by listening are good in sitting down and taking • How many inches are there in 3 m?
notes during lectures; those who learn more by engaging • How much time would it take for light to travel 10,000 ft?
others and questioning can take advantage of discussion • How many inches would light travel in 10 fs? (Refer to
sessions in class or group study outside classes.) Table 1 for the unit prefix related to factors of 10).
• How many newtons of force do you need to lift a 34-lb
• Finding time to study. Explain that learning requires bag? (Intuitively, just assume that you need exactly the same
time. Easy concepts require less time to learn compared to amount of force as the weight of the bag).
more difficult ones. Therefore, one has to invest more time
in topics one finds more difficult. (Do you study Physics
every day? Does one need to prepare before attending a

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Rounding off numbers *Scientific notation is also called the “powers-of-ten

Ask the learners why one needs to round off numbers. notation”. This allows one to write only the significant
Possible answers may include reference to estimating a figures multiplied to 10 with the appropriate power. As a
measurement, simplifying a report of a measurement, etc. shorthand notation, we therefore use only one digit before
Discuss the rules of rounding off numbers: the decimal point with the rest of the significant figures
• Know which last digit to keep. written after the decimal point.
• This last digit remains the same if the next digit is less than
5. How many significant figures do the following numbers
• Increase this last digit if the next digit is 5 or more. have?
In nuclear physics, atomic nuclei with a magic number of
protons or neutrons are very stable.
The seven most widely recognized magic numbers as of
2007 are 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82, and 126 – round the magic
numbers to the nearest 10.
Round off to the nearest 10:
314234, 343, 5567, 245, 7891 MEASUREMENT UNCERTAINTIES
Round off to the nearest tenths:
3.1416, 745.1324, 8.345, 67.47 Scientific notation and significant figures

Reporting a measurement value, one often performs several

trials and calculates the average of the measurements to
report a representative value. The repeated measurements
have a range of values due to several possible sources. For
instance, with the use of a tape measure, a length
measurement may vary due to the fact that the tape measure
is not stretched straight in the same manner in all trials.
So what is the height of a table? A volunteer uses a tape
measure to estimate the height of the teacher’s table. Should
EVALUATION AND DISCUSSION this be reported in millimeters? Centimeters? Meters?
Conversion of units: Kilometers?
A snail moves 1.0 cm every 20 seconds. What is this in The choice of units can be settled by agreement. However,
inches per second? there are times when the unit chosen is considered most
applicable when the choice allows easy access to a mental
estimate. Thus, a pencil is measured in centimeters and
roads are measured in kilometers.
How high is Mount Apo? How many Filipinos are there in
the world? How many children are born every hour in the
world?

In the first line, 1.0 cm/20 s was multiplied by the ratio of 1 • When the length of a table is 1.51 ± 0.02 m, this means
in to 2.54 cm (which is equal to one). By strategically putting that the true value is unlikely to be less than 1.49 m
the unit of cm in the denominator, we are able to remove or more than 1.53 m. This is how we report the
this unit and retain inches. However, based on the accuracy of a measurement. The maximum and
calculator, the conversion involves several digits. minimum provides upper and lower bounds to the
In the second line, we divided 1.0 by 20 and retained two true value. The shorthand notation is reported as
digits and rewrote in terms of a factor 10-2. The final answer 1.51(2) m. The number enclosed in parentheses
is then rounded off to retain two figures. indicates the uncertainty in the final digits of the
In performing the conversion, we did two things. We number.
identified the number of significant figures and then • The measurement can also be presented or expressed in
rounded off the final answer to retain this number of figures. terms of the maximum likely fractional or percent
For convenience, the final answer is rewritten in scientific error. Thus, 52 s ± 10% means that the maximum
notation. time is not more than 52 s plus 10% of 52 s (which
is 57 s, when we round off 5.2 s to 5 s). Here, the
*The number of significant figures refers to all digits to the fractional error is (5 s)/52 s.
left of the decimal point (except zeroes after the last non-
zero digit) and all digits to the right of the decimal point
(including all zeroes).

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FIRST QUARTER Subject Teacher: PAOLO S. DEATRAS

• Discuss that the uncertainty can then be expressed by the Note: The associated error in a measurement is not to be
number of meaningful digits included in the attributed to human error. Here, we use the term to refer to
reported measurement. For instance, in measuring the associated uncertainty in obtaining a representative
the area of a rectangle, one may proceed by value for the measurement due to undetermined factors. A
measuring the length of its two sides and the area bias in a measurement can be associated to systematic errors
is calculated by the product of these that could be due to several factors consistently contributing
measurements. a predictable direction for the overall error. We will deal
with random uncertainties that do not contribute towards a
Side 1 = 5.25 cm predictable bias in a measurement.
Side 2 = 3.15 cm
Propagation of error
Note that since the meterstick gives you a precision down to
a single millimeter, there is uncertainty in the measurement
within a millimeter. The side that is a little above 5.2 cm or a
little below 5.3 cm is then reported as 5.25 ± 0.05 cm.
However, for this example only we will use 5.25 cm.
Area = 5.25 cm × 3.15 cm = 16.5375 cm2 or 16.54 cm2 The central problem in error propagation or uncertainty
Since the precision of the meterstick is only down to a propagation is best conveyed in the question “How does one
millimeter, the uncertainty is assumed to be half a report the result when derived quantity is dependent on
millimeter. The area cannot be reported with a precision other quantities that can be measured or estimated only with
lower than half a millimeter and is then rounded off to the a finite level of precision (i.e. with non-zero
nearest 100th. uncertainty)?” It turns out that the rules for error
propagation are straightforward when the derived quantity
Convert 45.1 cm3 to in3. Note that since the original number can be expressed as a sum, difference, quotient or product of
has three significant figures, the conversion to in3 should other quantitates; or when a derived quantity has a power
retain this number of significant figures: law dependence on a measured or estimated quantity.

Addition or subtraction: Suppose we want to calculate the

uncertainty or error, Δz, associated with either the sum, z =
x+y, or difference, z = x– y - it is assumed that the quantities
x and y have uncertainties Δx and Δy, respectively.

To be more specific, suppose we want to calculate the total

Convert 234 km to mm: mass of two objects. Suppose the mass of Object 1 is x and is
estimated to be 79 ±1 g while the mass of Object 2 is y and
estimated to be 65 ± 2 g.

How should the total mass , z = x+y be reported?

Answer: The total mass of the objects is approximately 79g +
65g = 144 g. But the total mass can be as high as 80 g + 67 g =
Reporting a measurement value 147 g or as low as 78 g + 63 g = 141 g. The total mass should
A measurement is limited by the tools used to derive the therefore be reported as 144 ± 3 g.
number to be reported in the correct units as illustrated in
the example above (on determining the area of a rectangle). How should the difference in mass, z = x-y, be reported?
Now, consider a table with the following sides: (Note that the symbol z now denotes the difference instead
of the sum of two measurements)
Answer: The mass difference is approximately 79 g – 65 g =
14 g. But that mass difference can be as low as 78 g – 67 g =
11 g or as high as 80g – 63 g. The mass difference should
therefore be reported as 144 ± 3 g.
Hence, if z = x + y or z = x - y, then the uncertainty of z is just
the sum of the uncertainties of x and y: Δz = Δx and Δy.

What about the resulting measurement error in determining Multiplication or Division

the area? Suppose we want to calculate the uncertainty or error, ∆z,
associated with either the sum, z = xy, or quotient, z = x/ y -
it is, again, assumed that the quantities x and y have

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 Module in
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FIRST QUARTER Subject Teacher: PAOLO S. DEATRAS

uncertainties ∆x and ∆y, respectively. In this case the

resulting error is the sum of the fractional errors multiplied ACTIVITIES:
by the original measurement.
The estimate for the compounded error is conservatively Exercises
calculated. Hence, the resultant error is taken as the sum of Perform the following conversions using the correct number
the corresponding errors or fractional errors. of significant figures in scientific notation:
1. A jeepney tried to overtake a car. The jeepney moves at 40
km/hour: convert this to the British system (feet per second)?
2. It takes about 8.0 minutes for light to travel from the sun
to the earth. How far is the sun from the earth (in meters, in
feet)?
Example: The length and width of a rectangle are measured
to be 19 ± 0.5 cm and 15 ± 0.5 cm. How should the area, A, of
ASSESSMENT:

Application
Calculate the measurement error for exercises 1 and 2.

the rectangle be reported?

Statistical treatment

The arithmetic average of the repeated measurements of a

physical quantity is the best representative value of this
quantity provided the errors involved is random. Systematic
errors cannot be treated statistically.

For measurements with associated random uncertainties, the

reported value is: mean plus-or-minus standard deviation.
Provided many measurements will exhibit a normal
distribution, 50% of these measurements would fall within
plus-or-minus 0.6745(sd) of the mean.

Alternatively, 32% of the measurements would lie outside

the mean plus-or-minus twice the standard deviation.
The standard error can be taken as the standard deviation of
the means. Upon repeated measurement of the mean for
different sets of random samples taken from a population,
the standard error is estimated as:

Resources: General Physics 1 - First Edition by Gil Nonato C.

Santos, Ph.D

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 Module in
GENERAL PHYSICS 1
Grade 12
FIRST QUARTER Subject Teacher: PAOLO S. DEATRAS

WEEK 2: AUGUST 31 - SEPTEMBER 4, 2020

TITLE: Vectors and Kinematics: Motion Along a Straight
Line And in 2-Dimensions and 3-Dimensions

OBJECTIVES:
And it doesn't matter which order we add them, we get the
This module will enable students to:
1. Differentiate vector and scalar quantities same result:
2. Perform addition of vectors
3. Rewrite a vector in component form
4. Calculate directions and magnitudes of vectors
5. Convert a verbal description of a physical situation
involving uniform acceleration in one dimension into a
mathematical description.
6. Differentiate average velocity from instantaneous Example
velocity A plane is flying along, pointing North, but there is a wind
7. Introduce acceleration coming from the North-West.
8. Recognize whether or not a physical situation involves
constant velocity or constant acceleration.
9. Interpret displacement and velocity , respectively, as
areas under velocity vs. time and acceleration vs. time
curves.
INTRODUCTION:
Motivational Activity
String tension game
- do this with in a pair.
- hold a nylon cord at length across two hands The two vectors (the velocity caused by the propeller, and
- your partner then loops his nylon cord onto your cord the velocity of the wind) result in a slightly slower ground
- then pull slowly on the cord; if the loop is closer to your speed heading a little East of North.
partner’s hand. If you watched the plane from the ground it would seem to
How would you feel the pull on each hand? Why? be slipping sideways a little.

DISCUSSION:
This is a vector:

Have you ever seen that happen? Maybe you have seen
birds struggling against a strong wind that seem to fly
A vector has magnitude (size) and direction: sideways. Vectors help explain that.
Velocity, acceleration, force and many other things are
vectors.
Subtracting Vectors
We can also subtract one vector from another:
(a) first we reverse the direction of the vector we want to
subtract,
(b) then add them as usual:

The length of the line shows its magnitude and the

arrowhead points in the direction.

We can add two vectors by joining them head-to-tail:

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a−b
More Than 2 Dimensions
Notation Vectors also work perfectly well in 3 or more dimensions:
A vector is often written in bold, like a or b.
A vector can also be written as the letters
of its head and tail with an arrow above it, like this:

Adding Vectors
We can then add vectors by adding the x parts and adding
the y parts:
Example. Add the vectors a = (3, 7, 4) and b = (2, 9, 11)
Solution. c = a + b
c = (3, 7, 4) + (2, 9, 11) = (3+2, 7+9, 4+11) = (5, 16, 15)

Example. What is the magnitude of the vector w = (1, −2, 3) ?

|w| = √( 12 + (−2)2 + 32 ) = √( 1+4+9) = √14
The vector (8, 13) and the vector (26, 7) add up to the vector
(34, 20) Magnitude and Direction
Example: add the vectors a = (8, 13) and b = (26, 7) We may know a vector's magnitude and direction, but want
Solution. c = a + b its x and y lengths (or vice versa):
c = (8, 13) + (26, 7) = (8+26, 13+7) = (34, 20)

To subtract, first reverse the vector we want to subtract,

then add.
Example. subtract k = (4, 5) from v = (12, 2)
a = v + −k <=
a = (12, 2) + −(4, 5) = (12, 2) + (−4, −5) = (12−4, 2−5) = (8, −3) >

Magnitude of a Vector

The magnitude of a vector is shown by two vertical bars on

either side of the vector:
Vector a in Polar Vector a in Cartesian

|a| Coordinates Coordinates

OR it can be written with double vertical bars (so as not to

You can read how to convert them at Polar and Cartesian
confuse it with absolute value):
Coordinates, but here is a quick summary:

||a|| From Polar Coordinates

From Cartesian
(r,θ)
We use Pythagoras' theorem to calculate it: Coordinates (x,y)
to Cartesian Coordinates
to Polar Coordinates (r,θ)
(x,y)
|a| = √( x2 + y2 )

Example. What is the magnitude of the vector b = (6, 8)? • x = r × cos( θ ) • r = √ ( x2 + y2 )

Solution. |b| = √( 62 + 82) = √( 36+64) = √100 = 10 • y = r × sin( θ ) • θ = tan-1 ( y / x )

A vector with a magnitude of 1 is called a unit vector

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Speed and Velocity 20 m/1.6 s = 12.5 m/s = 45 km/h (converted)

Speed is how fast something moves. Velocity is speed with a It is really still an average, but is close to an instantaneous
direction. speed.

Saying Ariel the Dog runs at 9 km/h (kilometers per hour) is Acceleration
a speed. But saying he runs 9 km/h Westwards is a velocity.
Acceleration is how fast velocity changes:
Imagine something moving back and forth very fast: it has a ⚫ Speeding up
high speed, but a low (or zero) velocity. ⚫ Slowing down (also called deceleration)
⚫ Changing direction
Speed
Speed is measured as distance moved over time. It is usually shown as m/s2
Speed = Distance/Time
Example
Example. A car travels 50 km in one hour. A runner accelerates from 5 m/s (5 meters per second) to 6
Its average speed is 50 km per hour (50 km/h) m/s in just one second
So they accelerate by 1 meter per second per second
Speed = Distance/Time = 50 km/1hour See how "per second" is used twice?
It can be thought of as (m/s)/s but is usually written m/s2
We can also use these symbols: So their acceleration is 1 m/s2
Speed = Δs/Δt
Where Δ ("Delta") means "change in", and The formula is:
s means distance ("s" for "space")
t means time Acceleration = Change in Velocity (m/s)/ Time (s)

Example. You run 360 m in 60 seconds. Example

Speed = Δs/Δt You are cruising along in a bike race, going a steady 10
=360 m/60 seconds meters per second (10 m/s).
= 6 m/second
So your speed is 6 meters per second (6 m/s).

Average vs Instantaneous Speed

The examples so far calculate average speed: how far Acceleration: Now you start cycling faster! You increase to
something travels over a period of time. 14 m/s over the next 2 seconds (still heading in the same
But speed can change as time goes by. A car can go faster direction):
and slower, maybe even stop at lights.

acceleration from 10m per 1s to 14m per 1s

Your velocity increases by 4 m/s, over a time period of 2

seconds, so:

So there is also instantaneous speed: the speed at an instant Acceleration = Change in Velocity (m/s)/Time (s)
in time. We can try to measure it by using a very short span = (4 m/s)/2s = 2 m/s2
of time (the shorter the better).
Your speed changes by 2 meters per second per second.
Example. Sam uses a stopwatch and measures 1.6 seconds as
the car travels between two posts 20 m apart. What is the
instantaneous speed?

Well, we don't know exactly, as the car may have been

speeding up or slowing down during that time, but we can
estimate:

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 Module in
GENERAL PHYSICS 1
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ACTIVITIES:

Exercise. Sam and Alex are pulling a box. Sam pulls with
200 Newtons of force at 60°. Alex pulls with 120 Newtons of
force at 45° as shown.

What is the combined force, and its direction?

ASSESSMENT:

Applied Problem
A car is heading West at 16 m/s.

The driver flicks the wheel, and within 4 seconds has the car
headed East at 16 m/s.
What is the acceleration?

Resources: General Physics 1 - First Edition by Gil Nonato C.

Santos, Ph.D

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 Module in
GENERAL PHYSICS 1
Grade 12
FIRST QUARTER Subject Teacher: PAOLO S. DEATRAS

The behavior of all objects can be described by saying that

WEEK 3-4: SEPTEMBER 7 - SEPTEMBER 18, 2020
objects tend to "keep on doing what they're doing" (unless
TITLE: Newton’s Laws of Motion and Applications acted upon by an unbalanced force). If at rest, they will
continue in this same state of rest. If in motion with an
OBJECTIVES: eastward velocity of 5 m/s, they will continue in this same
This module will enable students to: state of motion (5 m/s, East). If in motion with a leftward
▪ Understand, identify, solve and apply Newton’s Laws velocity of 2 m/s, they will continue in this same state of
of Motion motion (2 m/s, left). The state of motion of an object is
maintained as long as the object is not acted upon by an
INTRODUCTION: unbalanced force. All objects resist changes in their state of
Try this! motion - they tend to "keep on doing what they're doing."
Acquire a metal coat hanger for which you have
permission to destroy. Pull the coat hanger apart. Using Example
duct tape, attach two tennis balls to opposite ends of the Suppose that you filled a baking dish to the rim with water
coat hanger as shown in the diagram at the below. Bend and walked around an oval track making an attempt to
the hanger so that there is a flat part that balances on the complete a lap in the least amount of time. The water would
head of a person. The ends of the hanger with the tennis have a tendency to spill from the container during specific
balls should hang low (below the balancing point). Place locations on the track. In general, the water spilled when:
the hanger on your head and balance it. Then quickly spin ⚫ the container was at rest and you attempted to move it
in a circle. What do the tennis balls do? ⚫ the container was in motion and you attempted to stop
it
⚫ the container was moving in one direction and you
attempted to change its direction.
The water spills whenever the state of motion of the
container is changed. The water resisted this change in its
own state of motion. The water tended to "keep on doing
what it was doing." The container was moved from rest to a
DISCUSSION: high speed at the starting line; the water remained at rest
and spilled onto the table. The container was stopped near
Newton’s First Law the finish line; the water kept moving and spilled over
Isaac Newton (a 17th century scientist) put forth a variety of container's leading edge. The container was forced to move
laws that explain why objects move (or don't move) as they in a different direction to make it around a curve; the water
do. These three laws have become known as Newton's three kept moving in the same direction and spilled over its edge.
laws of motion. The focus of Lesson 1 is Newton's first law The behavior of the water during the lap around the track
of motion - sometimes referred to as the law of inertia. can be explained by Newton's first law of motion.

Newton's first law of motion is often stated as Everyday Applications of Newton's First Law
There are many applications of Newton's first law of motion.
An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in Consider some of your experiences in an automobile. Have
motion with the same speed and in the same direction you ever observed the behavior of coffee in a coffee cup
unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. filled to the rim while starting a car from rest or while
bringing a car to rest from a state of motion? Coffee "keeps
There are two clauses or parts to this statement - one that on doing what it is doing." When you accelerate a car from
predicts the behavior of stationary objects and the other that rest, the road provides an unbalanced force on the spinning
predicts the behavior of moving objects. The two parts are wheels to push the car forward; yet the coffee (that was at
summarized in the following diagram. rest) wants to stay at rest. While the car accelerates forward,
the coffee remains in the same position; subsequently, the
car accelerates out from under the coffee and the coffee spills
in your lap. On the other hand, when braking from a state of
motion the coffee continues forward with the same speed
and in the same direction, ultimately hitting the windshield
or the dash. Coffee in motion stays in motion.

Inertia and Mass

Newton's conception of inertia stood in direct opposition to
more popular conceptions about motion. The dominant
thought prior to Newton's day was that it was the natural

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tendency of objects to come to a rest position. Moving table and watch it slide to a rest position. The book in
objects, so it was believed, would eventually stop moving; a motion on the table top does not come to a rest position
force was necessary to keep an object moving. But if left to because of the absence of a force; rather it is the presence of a
itself, a moving object would eventually come to rest and an force - that force being the force of friction - that brings the
object at rest would stay at rest; thus, the idea that book to a rest position. In the absence of a force of friction,
dominated people's thinking for nearly 2000 years prior to the book would continue in motion with the same speed and
Newton was that it was the natural tendency of all objects to direction - forever! (Or at least to the end of the table top.) A
assume a rest position. force is not required to keep a moving book in motion. In
actuality, it is a force that brings the book to rest.
Galileo and the Concept of Inertia
Galileo, a premier scientist in the seventeenth century, Mass as a Measure of the Amount of Inertia
developed the concept of inertia. Galileo reasoned that All objects resist changes in their state of motion. All objects
moving objects eventually stop because of a force called have this tendency - they have inertia. But do some objects
friction. In experiments using a pair of inclined planes facing have more of a tendency to resist changes than others?
each other, Galileo observed that a ball would roll down one Absolutely yes! The tendency of an object to resist changes
plane and up the opposite plane to approximately the same in its state of motion varies with mass. Mass is that quantity
height. If smoother planes were used, the ball would roll up that is solely dependent upon the inertia of an object. The
the opposite plane even closer to the original height. Galileo more inertia that an object has, the more mass that it has. A
reasoned that any difference between initial and final more massive object has a greater tendency to resist changes
heights was due to the presence of friction. Galileo in its state of motion.
postulated that if friction could be entirely eliminated, then
the ball would reach exactly the same height. Suppose that there are two seemingly identical bricks at rest
on the physics lecture table. Yet one brick consists of mortar
Galileo further observed that regardless of the angle at and the other brick consists of Styrofoam. Without lifting the
which the planes were oriented, the final height was almost bricks, how could you tell which brick was the Styrofoam
always equal to the initial height. If the slope of the opposite brick? You could give the bricks an identical push in an
incline were reduced, then the ball would roll a further effort to change their state of motion. The brick that offers
distance in order to reach that original height. the least resistance is the brick with the least inertia - and
therefore the brick with the least mass (i.e., the Styrofoam
brick).

Check your understanding

1. A 2-kg object is moving horizontally with a speed of 4
m/s. How much net force is required to keep the object
moving at this speed and in this direction?
Answer: 0 N
An object in motion will maintain its state of motion. The
presence of an unbalanced force changes the velocity of the
object.
Galileo's reasoning continued - if the opposite incline were 2. Supposing you were in space in a weightless
elevated at nearly a 0-degree angle, then the ball would roll environment, would it require a force to set an object in
almost forever in an effort to reach the original height. And motion?
if the opposing incline was not even inclined at all (that is, if Absolutely yes!
it were oriented along the horizontal), then ... an object in Even in space objects have mass. And if they have mass,
motion would continue in motion. they have inertia. That is, an object in space resists changes
in its state of motion. A force must be applied to set a
stationary object in motion. Newton's laws rule -
everywhere!

Balanced and Unbalanced Forces

Balanced Forces
But what exactly is meant by the phrase unbalanced force?
Forces Don't Keep Objects Moving What is an unbalanced force? In pursuit of an answer, we
Isaac Newton built on Galileo's thoughts about motion. will first consider a physics book at rest on a tabletop. There
Newton's first law of motion declares that a force is not are two forces acting upon the book. One force - the Earth's
needed to keep an object in motion. Slide a book across a gravitational pull - exerts a downward force.

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The other force - the push of the table on the book

(sometimes referred to as a normal force) - pushes upward
on the book.

The force of gravity pulling downward and the force of the

table pushing upwards on the book are of equal magnitude
and opposite directions. These two forces balance each
other. Yet there is no force present to balance the force of
Since these two forces are of equal magnitude and in friction. As the book moves to the right, friction acts to the
opposite directions, they balance each other. The book is left to slow the book down. There is an unbalanced force;
said to be at equilibrium. There is no unbalanced force and as such, the book changes its state of motion. The book
acting upon the book and thus the book maintains its state of is not at equilibrium and subsequently accelerates.
motion. When all the forces acting upon an object balance Unbalanced forces cause accelerations. In this case, the
each other, the object will be at equilibrium; it will not unbalanced force is directed opposite the book's motion and
accelerate. will cause it to slow down.
To determine if the forces acting upon an object are balanced
Consider another example involving balanced forces - a or unbalanced, an analysis must first be conducted to
person standing on the floor. There are two forces acting determine what forces are acting upon the object and in
upon the person. The force of gravity exerts a downward what direction. If two individual forces are of equal
force. The floor exerts an upward force. magnitude and opposite direction, then the forces are said to
be balanced. An object is said to be acted upon by an
unbalanced force only when there is an individual force that
is not being balanced by a force of equal magnitude and in
the opposite direction.

Force and Its Representation

The Meaning of Force
A force is a push or pull upon an object resulting from the
object's interaction with another object. Whenever there is an
interaction between two objects, there is a force upon each of
the objects. When the interaction ceases, the two objects no
longer experience the force. Forces only exist as a result of an
interaction.

Since these two forces are of equal magnitude and in Contact versus Action-at-a-Distance Forces
opposite directions, they balance each other. The person is at For simplicity sake, all forces (interactions) between objects
equilibrium. There is no unbalanced force acting upon the can be placed into two broad categories:
person and thus the person maintains its state of motion. ⚫ contact forces, and
⚫ forces resulting from action-at-a-distance
Unbalanced Forces Contact forces are those types of forces that result when the
Now consider a book sliding from left to right across a two interacting objects are perceived to be physically
tabletop. Sometime in the prior history of the book, it may contacting each other. Examples of contact forces include
have been given a shove and set in motion from a rest frictional forces, tensional forces, normal forces, air
position. Or perhaps it acquired its motion by sliding down resistance forces, and applied forces.
an incline from an elevated position. Whatever the case, our Action-at-a-distance forces are those types of forces that
focus is not upon the history of the book but rather upon the result even when the two interacting objects are not in
current situation of a book sliding to the right across a physical contact with each other, yet are able to exert a push
tabletop. The book is in motion and at the moment there is or pull despite their physical separation. Examples of action-
no one pushing it to the right. (Remember: a force is not at-a-distance forces include gravitational forces. For
needed to keep a moving object moving to the right.) The example, the sun and planets exert a gravitational pull on
forces acting upon the book are shown below. each other despite their large spatial separation. Even when
your feet leave the earth and you are no longer in physical

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contact with the earth, there is a gravitational pull between

you and the Earth. Electric forces are action-at-a-distance
forces. For example, the protons in the nucleus of an atom
and the electrons outside the nucleus experience an electrical
pull towards each other despite their small spatial
separation. And magnetic forces are action-at-a-distance
forces. For example, two magnets can exert a magnetic pull
on each other even when separated by a distance of a few
centimeters.
Examples of contact and action-at-distance forces are listed
in the table below. Newton's second law of motion can be formally stated as
follows:
Contact Forces Action-at-a-Distance Forces
Frictional Force Gravitational Force The acceleration of an object as produced by a net force is
Tension Force Electrical Force directly proportional to the magnitude of the net force, in
Normal Force Magnetic Force the same direction as the net force, and inversely
Air Resistance Force proportional to the mass of the object.
This verbal statement can be expressed in equation form as
Applied Force
follows:
Spring Force a = Fnet / m
The above equation is often rearranged to a more familiar
form as shown below. The net force is equated to the
The Newton
product of the mass times the acceleration.
Force is a quantity that is measured using the standard Fnet = m • a
metric unit known as the Newton. A Newton is abbreviated
by an "N." To say "10.0 N" means 10.0 Newton of force. One Examples.
Newton is the amount of force required to give a 1-kg mass 1. Determine the accelerations that result when a 12-N net
an acceleration of 1 m/s/s. Thus, the following unit force is applied to a 3-kg object and then to a 6-kg object.
equivalency can be stated: 2. A net force of 15 N is exerted on an encyclopedia to cause
it to accelerate at a rate of 5 m/s2. Determine the mass of the
1 Newton = 1 kg • m/s2 encyclopedia.
3. Suppose that a sled is accelerating at a rate of 2 m/s2. If the
Force is a Vector Quantity net force is tripled and the mass is doubled, then what is the
A force is a vector quantity. As learned in an earlier unit, a new acceleration of the sled?
vector quantity is a quantity that has both magnitude and 4. Suppose that a sled is accelerating at a rate of 2 m/s2. If the
direction. To fully describe the force acting upon an object, net force is tripled and the mass is halved, then what is the
you must describe both the magnitude (size or numerical new acceleration of the sled?
value) and the direction. Thus, 10 Newton is not a full
description of the force acting upon an object. In contrast, 10 Solutions.
Newton, downward is a complete description of the force 1. A 3-kg object experiences an acceleration of 4 m/s/s. A 6-
acting upon an object; both the magnitude (10 Newton) and kg object experiences an acceleration of 2 m/s/s.
the direction (downward) are given. 2. Use Fnet= m * a with Fnet = 15 N and a = 5 m/s/s.
So (15 N) = (m)*(5 m/s/s)
Newton's Second Law of Motion And m = 3.0 kg
Newton's second law of motion pertains to the behavior of 3. 3 m/s/s
objects for which all existing forces are not balanced. The The original value of 2 m/s/s must be multiplied by 3 (since a
second law states that the acceleration of an object is and F are directly proportional) and divided by 2 (since a
dependent upon two variables - the net force acting upon and m are inversely proportional)
the object and the mass of the object. The acceleration of an 4. 12 m/s/s
object depends directly upon the net force acting upon the The original value of 2 m/s/s must be multiplied by 3 (since a
object, and inversely upon the mass of the object. As the and F are directly proportional) and divided by 1/2 (since a
force acting upon an object is increased, the acceleration of and m are inversely proportional)
the object is increased. As the mass of an object is increased,
the acceleration of the object is decreased. Free Fall and Air Resistance
All objects (regardless of their mass) free fall with the same
acceleration - 9.8 m/s/s. This particular acceleration value is
so important in physics that it has its own peculiar name -

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the acceleration of gravity - and its own peculiar symbol - g.

But why do all objects free fall at the same rate of
acceleration regardless of their mass? Is it because they all
weigh the same? ... because they all have the same gravity?
... because the air resistance is the same for each? Why?
To answer the above questions, Newton's second law of
motion (Fnet = m•a) will be applied to analyze the motion of
objects that are falling under the sole influence of gravity
(free fall) and under the dual influence of gravity and air
resistance.
Free Fall Motion This ratio (Fnet/m) is sometimes called the gravitational field
Free fall is a special type of motion in which the only force strength and is expressed as 9.8 N/kg (for a location upon
acting upon an object is gravity. Objects that are said to be Earth's surface). The gravitational field strength is a property
undergoing free fall, are not encountering a significant force of the location within Earth's gravitational field and not a
of air resistance; they are falling under the sole influence of property of the baby elephant nor the mouse. All objects
gravity. Under such conditions, all objects will fall with the placed upon Earth's surface will experience this amount of
same rate of acceleration, regardless of their mass. But why? force (9.8 N) upon every 1 kilogram of mass within the
Consider the free-falling motion of a 1000-kg baby elephant object. Being a property of the location within Earth's
and a 1-kg overgrown mouse. gravitational field and not a property of the free-falling
object itself, all objects on Earth's surface will experience this
amount of force per mass. As such, all objects free fall at the
same rate regardless of their mass. Because the 9.8 N/kg
gravitational field at Earth's surface causes a 9.8 m/s/s
acceleration of any object placed there, we often call this
ratio the acceleration of gravity.

Falling with Air Resistance

As an object falls through air, it usually encounters some
degree of air resistance. Air resistance is the result of
collisions of the object's leading surface with air molecules.
The actual amount of air resistance encountered by the
object is dependent upon a variety of factors. To keep the
topic simple, it can be said that the two most common
factors that have a direct effect upon the amount of air
If Newton's second law were applied to their falling motion, resistance are the speed of the object and the cross-sectional
and if a free-body diagram were constructed, then it would area of the object. Increased speeds result in an increased
be seen that the 1000-kg baby elephant would experiences a amount of air resistance. Increased cross-sectional areas
greater force of gravity. This greater force of gravity would result in an increased amount of air resistance.
have a direct effect upon the elephant's acceleration; thus,
based on force alone, it might be thought that the 1000-kg
baby elephant would accelerate faster. But acceleration Newton's Third Law
depends upon two factors: force and mass. The 1000-kg baby A force is a push or a pull that acts upon an object as a result
elephant obviously has more mass (or inertia). This of its interaction with another object. Forces result from
increased mass has an inverse effect upon the elephant's interactions! According to Newton, whenever objects A and
acceleration. And thus, the direct effect of greater force on B interact with each other, they exert forces upon each other.
the 1000-kg elephant is offset by the inverse effect of the When you sit in your chair, your body exerts a downward
greater mass of the 1000-kg elephant; and so each object force on the chair and the chair exerts an upward force on
accelerates at the same rate - approximately 10 m/s/s. The your body. There are two forces resulting from this
ratio of force to mass (Fnet/m) is the same for the elephant interaction - a force on the chair and a force on your body.
and the mouse under situations involving free fall. These two forces are called action and reaction forces and
are the subject of Newton's third law of motion. Formally
stated, Newton's third law is:

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

The statement means that in every interaction, there is a pair
of forces acting on the two interacting objects. The size of the
forces on the first object equals the size of the force on the

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second object. The direction of the force on the first object is ASSESSMENT:
opposite to the direction of the force on the second object.
Forces always come in pairs - equal and opposite action- Check your Understanding
reaction force pairs. 1. While driving down the road, a firefly strikes the
windshield of a bus and makes a quite obvious mess in front
Examples of Interaction Force Pairs of the face of the driver. This is a clear case of Newton's third
A variety of action-reaction force pairs are evident in nature. law of motion. The firefly hit the bus and the bus hits the
Consider the propulsion of a fish through the water. A fish firefly. Which of the two forces is greater: the force on the
uses its fins to push water backwards. But a push on the firefly or the force on the bus?
water will only serve to accelerate the water. Since forces
result from mutual interactions, the water must also be 2. For years, space travel was believed to be impossible
pushing the fish forwards, propelling the fish through the because there was nothing that rockets could push off of in
water. The size of the force on the water equals the size of space in order to provide the propulsion necessary to
the force on the fish; the direction of the force on the water accelerate. This inability of a rocket to provide propulsion is
(backwards) is opposite the direction of the force on the fish because ...
(forwards). For every action, there is an equal (in size) and a. ... space is void of air so the rockets have nothing to
opposite (in direction) reaction force. Action-reaction force push off of.
pairs make it possible for fish to swim. b. ... gravity is absent in space.
Consider the motion of a car on the way to school. A car is c. ... space is void of air and so there is no air resistance
equipped with wheels that spin. As the wheels spin, they in space.
grip the road and push the road backwards. Since forces d. ... nonsense! Rockets do accelerate in space and have
result from mutual interactions, the road must also be been able to do so for a long time.
pushing the wheels forward. The size of the force on the
road equals the size of the force on the wheels (or car); the 3. Many people are familiar with the fact that a rifle recoils
direction of the force on the road (backwards) is opposite the when fired. This recoil is the result of action-reaction force
direction of the force on the wheels (forwards). For every pairs. A gunpowder explosion creates hot gases that expand
action, there is an equal (in size) and opposite (in direction) outward allowing the rifle to push forward on the bullet.
reaction. Action-reaction force pairs make it possible for cars Consistent with Newton's third law of motion, the bullet
to move along a roadway surface. pushes backwards upon the rifle. The acceleration of the
recoiling rifle is ...
a. greater than the acceleration of the bullet.
ACTIVITIES: b. smaller than the acceleration of the bullet.
c. the same size as the acceleration of the bullet.
Newton’s First Law 4. In the top picture (below), Kent Budgett is pulling upon a
There are many more applications of Newton's first law of rope that is attached to a wall. In the bottom picture, Kent is
motion. Several applications are listed below. Think about pulling upon a rope that is attached to an elephant. In each
the law of inertia and provide explanations for each case, the force scale reads 500 Newton. Kent is pulling ...
application.
⚫ Blood rushes from your head to your feet while quickly
stopping when riding on a descending elevator.
⚫ The head of a hammer can be tightened onto the
wooden handle by banging the bottom of the handle
against a hard surface.
⚫ A brick is painlessly broken over the hand of a physics
teacher by slamming it with a hammer. (CAUTION: do
not attempt this at home!)
⚫ To dislodge ketchup from the bottom of a ketchup a. with more force when the rope is attached to the wall.
bottle, it is often turned upside down and thrusted b. with more force when the rope is attached to the elephant.
downward at high speeds and then abruptly halted. c. the same force in each case.
⚫ Headrests are placed in cars to prevent whiplash
injuries during rear-end collisions.
⚫ While riding a skateboard (or wagon or bicycle), you fly
forward off the board when hitting a curb or rock or
other object that abruptly halts the motion of the
skateboard
Resources: General Physics 1 - First Edition by Gil Nonato C.
Santos, Ph.D

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described here there is a force exerted upon an object to

WEEK 5-7: SEPTEMBER 21 - OCTOBER 9, 2020
cause that object to be displaced.
TITLE: Work, Energy and Energy Conservation

OBJECTIVES: Work Equation

This module will enable students to: Mathematically, work can be expressed by the following
▪ Define Work and the understand the mathematics of equation.
work
▪ Calculate the amount of work done by forces W = F • d • cos Θ
▪ Understand Potential and Kinetic
▪ Define and understand Energy where F is the force, d is the displacement, and the angle
(theta) is defined as the angle between the force and the
displacement vector. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of the
INTRODUCTION: above equation is the angle "theta." The angle is not just any
Read the following five statements and determine whether 'ole angle, but rather a very specific angle. The angle measure
or not they represent examples of work. is defined as the angle between the force and the
1. A teacher applies a force to a wall and becomes displacement. To gather an idea of its meaning, consider the
exhausted.
following three scenarios.
2. A book falls off a table and free falls to the ground.
3. A waiter carries a tray full of meals above his head by Scenario A: A force acts rightward upon an object as it is
one arm straight across the room at constant speed. displaced rightward. In such an instance, the force vector
4. A rocket accelerates through space. and the displacement vector are in the same direction. Thus,
the angle between F and d is 0 degrees.

DISCUSSION: Scenario B: A force acts leftward upon an object that is

displaced rightward. In such an instance, the force vector
Definition and Mathematics of Work and the displacement vector are in the opposite direction.
We utilized Newton's laws to analyze the motion of objects. Thus, the angle between F and d is 180 degrees.
Force and mass information were used to determine the
acceleration of an object. Acceleration information was Scenario C: A force acts upward on an object as it is
subsequently used to determine information about the displaced rightward. In such an instance, the force vector
velocity or displacement of an object after a given period of and the displacement vector are at right angles to each other.
time. In this manner, Newton's laws serve as a useful model Thus, the angle between F and d is 90 degrees.
for analyzing motion and making predictions about the final
state of an object's motion. In this unit, an entirely different
model will be used to analyze the motion of objects. Motion
will be approached from the perspective of work and
energy. The effect that work has upon the energy of an
object (or system of objects) will be investigated; the
resulting velocity and/or height of the object can then be
predicted from energy information. In order to understand
this work-energy approach to the analysis of motion, it is
important to first have a solid understanding of a few basic
terms.
When a force acts upon an object to cause a displacement of
the object, it is said that work was done upon the object. To Do Work, Forces Must Cause Displacements
There are three key ingredients to work - force, Let's consider Scenario C above in more detail. Scenario C
displacement, and cause. In order for a force to qualify as involves a situation similar to the waiter who carried a tray
having done work on an object, there must be a full of meals above his head by one arm straight across the
displacement and the force must cause the displacement. room at constant speed. It was mentioned earlier that the
There are several good examples of work that can be waiter does not do work upon the tray as he carries it across
observed in everyday life - a horse pulling a plow through the room. The force supplied by the waiter on the tray is an
the field, a father pushing a grocery cart down the aisle of a upward force and the displacement of the tray is a
grocery store, a freshman lifting a backpack full of books horizontal displacement. As such, the angle between the
upon her shoulder, a weightlifter lifting a barbell above his force and the displacement is 90 degrees. If the work done
head, an Olympian launching the shot-put, etc. In each case by the waiter on the tray were to be calculated, then the
results would be 0. Regardless of the magnitude of the force

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and displacement, F*d*cosine 90 degrees is 0 (since the W = (100 N) * (5 m)* cos(0 degrees) = 500 J
cosine of 90 degrees is 0). A vertical force can never cause a
horizontal displacement; thus, a vertical force does not do The force and the displacement are given in the problem
work on a horizontally displaced object!! statement. It is said (or shown or implied) that the force and
the displacement are both rightward. Since F and d are in
the same direction, the angle is 0 degrees.
It can be accurately noted that the waiter's hand did push
forward on the tray for a brief period of time to accelerate it Diagram B Answer:
from rest to a final walking speed. But once up to speed, the
tray will stay in its straight-line motion at a constant speed W = (100 N) * (5 m) * cos(30 degrees) = 433 J
without a forward force. And if the only force exerted upon
the tray during the constant speed stage of its motion is The force and the displacement are given in the problem
upward, then no work is done upon the tray. Again, a statement. It is said that the displacement is rightward. It is
vertical force does not do work on a horizontally displaced shown that the force is 30 degrees above the horizontal.
object.
Thus, the angle between F and d is 30 degrees.

Diagram C Answer:

W = (147 N) * (5 m) * cos(0 degrees) = 735 J

Units of Work
Whenever a new quantity is introduced in physics, the The displacement is given in the problem statement. The
standard metric units associated with that quantity are applied force must be 147 N since the 15-kg mass (Fgrav=147
discussed. In the case of work (and also energy), the N) is lifted at constant speed. Since F and d are in the same
standard metric unit is the Joule (abbreviated J). One Joule is
direction, the angle is 0 degrees.
equivalent to one Newton of force causing a displacement of
one meter. In other words,
The Joule is the unit of work.
Potential Energy
1 Joule = 1 Newton * 1 meter
An object can store energy as the result of its position. For
1J=1N*m example, the heavy ball of a demolition machine is storing
energy when it is held at an elevated position. This stored
In fact, any unit of force times any unit of displacement is
energy of position is referred to as potential energy.
equivalent to a unit of work. Some nonstandard units for
Similarly, a drawn bow is able to store energy as the result
work are shown below. Notice that when analyzed, each set
of its position. When assuming its usual position (i.e., when
of units is equivalent to a force unit times a displacement
not drawn), there is no energy stored in the bow. Yet when
unit.
its position is altered from its usual equilibrium position, the
bow is able to store energy by virtue of its position. This
Calculating the Amount of Work Done by Forces
stored energy of position is referred to as potential energy.
1. Apply the work equation to determine the amount of
Potential energy is the stored energy of position possessed
work done by the applied force in each of the three
by an object.
situations described below.

Gravitational Potential Energy

The two examples above illustrate the two forms of potential
Diagram A Answer: energy to be discussed in this course - gravitational potential
energy and elastic potential energy. Gravitational potential
energy is the energy stored in an object as the result of its

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vertical position or height. The energy is stored as the result where k = spring constant
of the gravitational attraction of the Earth for the object. The
gravitational potential energy of the massive ball of a x = amount of compression
demolition machine is dependent on two variables - the (relative to equilibrium position)
mass of the ball and the height to which it is raised. There is
a direct relation between gravitational potential energy and To summarize, potential energy is the energy that is stored
the mass of an object. More massive objects have greater in an object due to its position relative to some zero position.
gravitational potential energy. There is also a direct relation An object possesses gravitational potential energy if it is
between gravitational potential energy and the height of an positioned at a height above (or below) the zero height. An
object. The higher that an object is elevated, the greater the object possesses elastic potential energy if it is at a position
gravitational potential energy. These relationships are on an elastic medium other than the equilibrium position.
expressed by the following equation:
PEgrav = mass • g • height
Kinetic Energy
Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. An object that has
motion - whether it is vertical or horizontal motion - has
PEgrav = m *• g • h
kinetic energy. There are many forms of kinetic energy -
In the above equation, m represents the mass of the object, h vibrational (the energy due to vibrational motion), rotational
represents the height of the object and g represents the (the energy due to rotational motion), and translational (the
gravitational field strength (9.8 N/kg on Earth) - sometimes energy due to motion from one location to another). To keep
referred to as the acceleration of gravity. matters simple, we will focus upon translational kinetic
energy. The amount of translational kinetic energy (from
Elastic Potential Energy here on, the phrase kinetic energy will refer to translational
The second form of potential energy that we will discuss is kinetic energy) that an object has depends upon two
elastic potential energy. Elastic potential energy is the variables: the mass (m) of the object and the speed (v) of the
energy stored in elastic materials as the result of their object. The following equation is used to represent the
stretching or compressing. Elastic potential energy can be kinetic energy (KE) of an object.
stored in rubber bands, bungee cords, trampolines, springs, KE = 0.5 • m • v2
an arrow drawn into a bow, etc. The amount of elastic
potential energy stored in such a device is related to the where m = mass of object
amount of stretch of the device - the more stretch, the more
v = speed of object
stored energy.
This equation reveals that the kinetic energy of an object is
Springs are a special instance of a device that can store directly proportional to the square of its speed. That means
elastic potential energy due to either compression or that for a twofold increase in speed, the kinetic energy will
stretching. A force is required to compress a spring; the increase by a factor of four. For a threefold increase in speed,
more compression there is, the more force that is required to the kinetic energy will increase by a factor of nine. And for a
compress it further. For certain springs, the amount of force fourfold increase in speed, the kinetic energy will increase
is directly proportional to the amount of stretch or by a factor of sixteen. The kinetic energy is dependent upon
compression (x); the constant of proportionality is known as the square of the speed. As it is often said, an equation is not
the spring constant (k). merely a recipe for algebraic problem solving, but also a
Fspring = k • x guide to thinking about the relationship between quantities.
Such springs are said to follow Hooke's Law. If a spring is Kinetic energy is a scalar quantity; it does not have a
not stretched or compressed, then there is no elastic direction. Unlike velocity, acceleration, force, and
potential energy stored in it. The spring is said to be at its momentum, the kinetic energy of an object is completely
equilibrium position. The equilibrium position is the described by magnitude alone. Like work and potential
position that the spring naturally assumes when there is no energy, the standard metric unit of measurement for kinetic
force applied to it. In terms of potential energy, the energy is the Joule. As might be implied by the above
equilibrium position could be called the zero-potential equation, 1 Joule is equivalent to 1 kg*(m/s)^2.
energy position. There is a special equation for springs that 1 Joule = 1 kg • m2/s2
relates the amount of elastic potential energy to the amount
of stretch (or compression) and the spring constant. The
equation is

PEspring = 0.5 • k • x2

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ACTIVITIES:

Solve.
1. Ben Travlun carries a 200-N suitcase up three flights of
stairs (a height of 10.0 m) and then pushes it with a
horizontal force of 50.0 N at a constant speed of 0.5 m/s for a
horizontal distance of 35.0 meters. How much work does
Ben do on his suitcase during this entire motion?

2. A force of 50 N acts on the block at the angle shown in the

diagram. The block moves a horizontal distance of 3.0 m.
How much work is done by the applied force?

3. A student with a mass of 80.0 kg runs up three flights of

stairs in 12.0 sec. The student has gone a vertical distance of
8.0 m. Determine the amount of work done by the student to
elevate his body to this height. Assume that his speed is
constant.
4. A cart is loaded with a brick and pulled at constant speed
along an inclined plane to the height of a seat-top. If the
mass of the loaded cart is 3.0 kg and the height of the seat
top is 0.45 meters, then what is the potential energy of the
loaded cart at the height of the seat-top?

5. If a force of 14.7 N is used to drag the loaded cart (from

previous question) along the incline for a distance of 0.90
meters, then how much work is done on the loaded cart?

ASSESSMENT:

Investigate
We do work every day. The work we do consumes Calories
... err, should we say Joules. But how much Joules (or
Calories) would be consumed by various activities? Use the
Daily Work widget to investigate the amount of work that
would be done to run, walk or bike a for a given amount of
time at a specified pace.

Resources: General Physics 1 - First Edition by Gil Nonato C.

Santos, Ph.D

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