ASE1201 Physics (Part 1)

Motion Dynamics

Dr Eicher Low
: 6592−2052
e-:
Eicher.Low@SingaporeTech.edu.sg
 Newton’s Laws of Motion

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.2

 Outlines
1. Forces
2. Newton’s 1st Law of Motion
3. Mass
4. Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion
5. Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion
6. Weight
7. Solving Problem with Newton’s Laws and Free Body Diagrams

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.3

 Force

• A force is a push or pull.

• An object at rest needs a force to get it moving.
• A moving object needs a force to change its velocity.
• Force is a vector, having both magnitude; can be measured
using a spring scale, and direction.

• Type of forces :
 Contact Forces : Friction, Normal force, Tension, Spring
force
 Non-contact forces : Gravity, Electromagnetic

Is a force required to keep an object moving ?

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.4
 Newton’s First Law of Motion

• Also called the law of inertia.

• Inertia is the resistance of any physical object to any change in
its state of motion, including changes to its speed and direction.
• Every object continues in its state of rest, or of uniform
velocity in a straight line, as long as no net force acts on it.

Question : A school bus comes to a sudden stop, and all of the

backpacks on the floor start to slide forwards. What force causes
them to do that ?

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.5

 Mass

• Mass is the measure of inertia of an object, sometimes

understood as the quantity of matter in the object.

• In the SI system, mass is measured in kilograms (kg).

• Mass is not weight.
• Mass is a property of an object. Weight is the force exerted on
that object by gravity.

If you go to the Moon, whose gravitational acceleration is about

1/6 g, you will weigh much less. Your mass, however, will still be
the same.

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.6

 Newton’s Second Law of Motion

• Newton’s 2nd Law is the relation between acceleration and

force.
  
∑= F F= net ma
• Acceleration is proportional to force and inversely proportional
to mass.
• Force is a vector, so Fnet = ma is true along each coordinate axis.
• The unit of force in the SI system is the newton (N).

Question : Only two forces Fa and Fb are acting on a block. Which

is the following can be the magnitude of the net force Fnet acting on
the block ?
(1) Fnet > Fa + Fb (2) Fnet = Fa + Fb (3) Fnet < Fa + Fb
ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.7
 Question
A constant force applied to object A causes it to accelerate at 4 m/s2.
The same force applied to object B produces an acceleration of 7
m/s2. Applied to object C, the force produces an acceleration of 6
m/s2. Rank the masses of the objects in ascending order.

F = m ⋅ a = ma ⋅ 4 = mb ⋅ 7 = mc ⋅ 6
F F F
∴ mb = < mc = < ma =
7 6 4

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.8

 Example : Force to Stop a Car
What average net force is required to bring a 1000 kg car to rest from
a speed of 100 km/h within a distance of 55 m ?

5
v0 = 100 km/h = 100 ⋅ = 27.8 m/s
18
v02 + 2a ( x − x0 )
v2 =

0 27.82 + 2a × 55
=

27.82
⇒ a= − =−7.0 m/s 2
110
Net force F = m × a = 1000 × (−7) = −7 kN
ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.9
 Inertial Reference Frame
Suppose you watch a cup slide on the smooth dashboard of an
accelerating car from the outside of the car, on the street. From
your inertial frame, Newton’s Laws are valid. What force pushes
the cup off the dashboard ?

On a smooth surface there is no horizontal force on the cup (only

the vertical force components viz., the weight is balanced by the
normal force). Hence it continues to remain in the state of rest. So
while the car accelerates out from under the cup, it slides back.

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.10

 Newton’s Third Law of Motion
Whenever one object exerts a force on a second object, the second
object exerts an equal force in the opposite direction on the first.

Force on A by B equals in magnitude and opposite in direction to the

 
F AB = −F BA
force on B by A. First subscript is the object that the force is being
exerted on; the second is the source.

Note : The forces are exerted on

different objects.

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.11

 Newton’s Third Law of Motion
Concept : What exerts the force to move a car ?
A common answer is that the engine makes the car move forward.
But it is not so simple. The engine makes the wheels go around. But
if the tires are on slick ice or deep mud, they just spin. Friction is
needed. On firm ground, the tires push backward against the
ground because of friction. By Newton’s third law, the ground
pushes on the tires in the opposite direction, accelerating the car
forward.

Question: A massive truck collides head‐on with a small sports car.

(a) which vehicle experiences the greater force of impact ?
(b) which experiences the greater acceleration during the impact ?
ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.12
 Newton’s Third Law of Motion
Concept : 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 ?

Answer : To assess if the

assistant is able to move the
sled, consider only the forces
acting on him.

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.13

 Newton’s Third Law of Motion
Two horizontal forces act on the sled.
1. FSG : Exerted on sled by the ground
2. FSA : Exerted on sled by the assistant
As long as FSA > FSG, the sled will move forward.
To assess if the assistant is able to move, consider only the forces
acting on him.
1. FAG : Exerted on him by
the ground
2. FAS : Exerted on him by
the sled.
As long as FAG > FAS, he will move forward.
ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.14
 Weight and Normal Force

Weight is the force exerted on an object by gravity. Close to the

surface of the Earth, where the gravitational force is nearly constant,
the weight of an object of mass m is:
 
F G = mg
where g = 9.80 m/s2.
For an object resting on a surface :
• An object at rest (or moving at constant velocity) must have no
net force on it.
• The force of gravity still acts on an object at rest; It is countered
by another force exerted perpendicular to a surface, called the
normal force.
• Normal force is exactly as large as needed to balance the force
from the object.
ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.15
 Weight and Normal Force
Concept :
(a) Normal force and weight are not action‐reaction pairs. Why ?
(b) What are the action-reaction pairs then ?

(a) The action and reaction forces of Newton’s 3rd law act on
different objects, whereas FG and FN act on the same object.
(b) The force exerted on the table by
the statue F’N is the reaction force
to FN by Newton’s third law.

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.16

 Example : Weight, and Normal Force

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 the smooth (frictionless) horizontal surface
of a table.

(a) Determine the weight of the box and the normal

force exerted on it by the table.
The weight of the box is m⋅g = 10 × 9.8 = 98.0 N

Choose positive y to be upward direction,

∑ Fy = FN − mg =ma y =0 ⇒ FN = mg =98 N

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.17

 Example
(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.
Now there are three forces acting on the box, the net
force is
∑ Fy = FN − mg − 40 = 0 ⇒ FN = mg + 40 = 138 N

(c) If your friend pulls upward on the box with a

force of 40.0 N, what now is the normal force
exerted on the box by the table ?
∑ Fy = FN − mg + 40 = 0 ⇒ FN = mg − 40 = 58 N

Note : The weight of the box does not change, only the
normal force is affected.
ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.18
 Example
What happens when a person pulls upward on the box in the
previous example with a force greater than the box’s weight, say
100.0 N ?

The net force on the box cannot be a negative value,

setting the normal force FN = 0,

∑ Fy = FN − mg + FP = FN − 98 + 100 > 0
⇒ ∑ Fy = 2.0 N

Applying Newton’s 2nd law,

ay
=
∑ F=y 2.0
= 0.2 m/s 2
m 10
ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.19
 Example : Apparent Weight Loss
A 65 kg woman descends in an elevator that briefly accelerates at
0.20 g downward. She stands on a scale that reads in kg.
(a) During this acceleration, what is her weight and
what does the scale read ?
From Newton’s 2nd law, choose positive downward.
∑ F = ma
m ( 0.2 g )
mg − FN =

⇒ ∑ FN = mg − 0.2mg = 0.8mg = 52 kg
(b) What does the scale read when the elevator
descends at a constant speed of 2.0 m/s ?
Since no acceleration, a = 0, the scale reads her true weight, or a
mass of 65 kg.
ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.20
 Free-Body Diagrams

Free-body diagram captures all forces acting on an object and is

essential to determine the net force acting on a body and hence the
acceleration of the resulting motion.

Steps :
• Identify all forces acting on the object.
• Draw vector arrows representing each of the forces acting on the
object and label them.
• Choose your coordinate system and resolve vectors into
components.
• Apply Newton’s 2nd law to each component.
• Solve.

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.21

 Example
A 10.0-kg box is pulled by a force of FP = 40.0 N, and it is exerted
at a 30.0° angle to the horizontal. Calculate
(a) the acceleration of the box, and
(b) the magnitude of the upward force FN exerted by the table on the
box.
(a) Net horizontal force :
= FPx 40 cos= 30° 34.6=N max
FPx 34.6
⇒ ax = = = 3.46 m/s 2
m 10.0
(b) Net vertical force :
FN − mg + FPy = ma y = 0
⇒ FN= 98 − 40sin 30°= 78.0 N
ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.22
 Tension in the String

• If the string connecting two objects is massless, then the tension

in the string is the same at both ends.
• For a massless rope, tension is the same at any position.
a
S F = (mA + mB + mS)a
A B

A B
FAS FSA FSB FBS F

FSB – FSA = mS a

If mS = 0, FSB = FSA = FT the tension in the string

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.23
 Example : Tension in the String
Two boxes, A and B, are connected by a lightweight cord and are
resting on a smooth table. The boxes have masses of 12.0 kg and
10.0 kg. A horizontal force of 40.0 N is applied to the 10.0 kg box.
Find (a) the acceleration of each box, and
Draw FBD for each box, and apply
N2L to both boxes. Note that box A
exerts a Force FT on the connecting
cord, and the cord exerts an opposite but equal
magnitude force FT back on box A (N3L).

∑ Fx = max (N2L)

∑ Fx = FP − FT = mA aA
ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.24
 Example : Tension in the String

For box B,
∑ F=x F=
T mB aB

Boxes are connected, if the cord remains taut

and doesn’t stretch, then the two boxes have the
same acceleration a, i.e. aA = aB = a.

Add the two equations to eliminate FT,

( mA + mB ) a =
FP − FT + FT = FP
FP 40.0
=a = = 1.82 m/s 2
mA + mB 22.0

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.25

 Example : Tension in the String
(b) the tension in the cord connecting the boxes.

From the equation for box B, the tension in the cord is

∑ F=x F=
T mB a=
B mB a

FT = 12.0 ×1.82 = 21.8 N

FT is less than FP as expected, since FT acts to accelerate only mB.

Note : The force the person exerts FP acts only on box A. It affects
box B via the tension in the cord FT, which acts on box B and
accelerates it.

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.26

 Example : Elevator and
Counterweight
A system of two objects suspended over a pulley by a flexible cable is
sometimes referred to as an Atwood’s machine. Here, let the mass of
the counterweight be 1000 kg. Assume the mass of the empty elevator
is 850 kg, and its mass when carrying four passengers is 1150 kg. For
the latter case calculate (a) the acceleration of the elevator, and

To find FT and acceleration a, apply N2L to each object.

Take upward as positive y for both objects
and assume aC = a and aE = −a,

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.27

 Example :
FT − mE ⋅ g =mE ⋅ aE =−mE ⋅ a (1)
FT − mC ⋅ g = mC ⋅ aC = mC ⋅ a (2)

(2) − (1) ⇒ ( mE − mC ) g = ( mE + mC ) a
 mE − mC  1150 − 1000 2
=a  =  g = g 0.07
= g 0.68 m/s
m
 E + mC 1150 + 1000
The elevator (mE) accelerates downward (and the counterweight mC,
upward) at a = 0.07 g = 0.68 m/s2.
(b) the tension in the cable FT,
FT = mE ⋅ g − mE ⋅ aE = mE ⋅ ( g − a )
=1150 ⋅ (9.80 − 0.68) =10500 N
ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.28
 Example : The advantage of a Pulley
A mover is trying to lift a piano (slowly) up to a second-story
apartment. He is using a rope looped over two pulleys as shown. What
force must he exert on the rope to slowly lift the piano’s 2000 N
weight ?

Let’s apply N2L to the pulley piano combination,

choosing the upward direction as positive.
2FT − m ⋅ g = m ⋅ a
To move the piano with constant speed, set a = 0 in
this equation. Thus requires a tension in the rope, a
pull on the rope of
m⋅ g
FT = 1000 N
=
2
ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.29
 Example : Accelerometer
A small mass m hangs from a thin string and can swing like a
pendulum. You attach it above the window of your car as shown.
What angle θ does the string make (a) when the car accelerates at a
constant a = 1.20 m/s2, and (b) when the car moves at constant
velocity, v = 90 km/h ?

The acceleration a = 1.2 m/s2 is horizontal,

FT sin θ= m ⋅ a
Vertical component gives
FT cos θ − m ⋅ g =0
Divides the two equations

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.30

 Example : Accelerometer

FT sin θ= m ⋅ a a 1.2
⇒ tan θ === 0.122
FT cos θ= m ⋅ g g 9.8
∴ θ = 7.0°

(b) The velocity is constant, so a = 0 and tan θ = 0. Hence the

pendulum hangs vertically, θ = 0°.

This device is an accelerometer, it is used to measure acceleration.

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.31

 Inclines

When an object slides down an incline, such as a hill or ramp. In

this case, gravity is the accelerating force, yet the acceleration is not
vertical.

Solving such problems, want to choose the xy

coordinates system so that the x axis points
in the direction of the acceleration, i.e. points
along the incline and the y axis perpendicular
to the incline.

Note that the normal force is not vertical, but

is perpendicular to the plane.

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.32

 Example : Inclines

A box of mass m is placed on a smooth incline that makes an angle θ

with the horizontal. (a) Determine the normal force on the box. (b)
Determine the box’s acceleration. (c) Evaluate for a mass m = 10 kg
and an incline of θ = 30°.

(a) There is no motion in the y direction, so

ay = 0
Fy = ma y
FN − mg cos θ =0 ⇒ FN =mg cos θ

Unless θ = 0°, FN has magnitude less than the

weight mg.

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.33

 Example : Inclines

(b) Determine the box’s acceleration.

In the x direction, the only force acting is the x component of mg
Fx = max
mg sin θ = ma ⇒ a = g sin θ
The acceleration along the incline is always less than g, except at
θ = 90°. Acceleration also does not depend on the mass m.
(c) Evaluate for a mass m = 10 kg and an incline of θ = 30°.
For θ = 30°, cos θ = 0.866 and sin θ = 0.5, so
FN= 0.866 ⋅ mg= 85 N,

a = 0.5 ⋅ g = 4.9 m/s 2 .

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.34
 Summary − A General Approach to
Problem Solving
1. Read the problem carefully; then read it again.
2. Draw a sketch, and then a free-body diagram.
3. Choose a convenient coordinate system.
4. List the known and unknown quantities; find relationships
between the knowns and the unknowns.
5. Estimate the answer.
6. Solve the problem without putting in any numbers
(algebraically); once you are satisfied, put the numbers in.
7. Keep track of dimensions.
8. Make sure your answer is reasonable.
ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.35
 Summary

• Newton’s first law : If the net force on an object is zero, it will

remain either at rest or moving in a straight line at constant speed.

• Newton’s second law : ∑ F = ma

• Newton’s third law : FAB = − FBA
• Weight is the gravitational force on an object.
• Free-body diagrams are essential for problem-solving. Do one
object at a time, make sure you have all the forces, pick a
coordinate system and find the force components, and apply
Newton’s second law along each axis.

ASE1201 Physics (Part 1) Newton's Laws of Motion Lecture 5.36