Newton’s Laws of Motion

Learner's Module in General Physics 1

Quarter 1 ● Module 4

KATHY M. PAPCIO
Developer

Department of Education • Cordillera Administrative Region

NAME: _ GRADE AND SECTION _

TEACHER: SCORE _

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 Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Cordillera Administrative Region
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF BAGUIO CITY
No. 82 Military Cut-off, Baguio City

Published by:
DepEd Schools Division of Baguio City
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2020

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copyright is attributed. No work may be derived from this material for commercial
purposes and profit.

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 What I Need to Know

This module focuses on Newton’s Laws of Motion, and is divided into the following sub
lessons:

Lesson 4.1: Forces and Interactions

Lesson 4.2: Newton’s First Law of Motion
Lesson 4.3 Newton’s Second Law of Motion
Lesson 4.4: Mass and Weight
Lesson 4.5: Newton’s Third Law of Motion
Lesson 4.6: Free-Body Diagrams

HOW TO USE THIS MODULE

This module discusses lessons in Newton’s laws of motion. To make the most out of them,
you need to do the following:
1. Scan the list of Learning Objectives to get an idea of the knowledge and skills you are
expected to gain and develop as you study the module. These outcomes are based on the
content standards, performance standards, and learning competencies of General Physics
1.
2. Take the What I Know or the Pre- Assessment. Your score will determine your knowledge
of the lessons in the module.
3. Each sub lesson aims to develop one of the learning objectives set for the module. It starts
with an activity that will help you understand the lesson and meet the required
competencies.
4. Write down points for clarification in your lecture notebook. You may discuss these points
with your teacher.
5. Perform all activities and write the answers on your answer sheets.
6. At the end of the module, take the Post-Assessment to evaluate your overall understanding
about the lessons.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module, you are able to:

1. define force;
2. state the three laws of motion;
3. visualize a real-life situation using free-body diagrams; and
4. apply newton’s laws of motion in practical situation.

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 What I Know

PRE-ASSESSMENT: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write the answers on your
answer sheet.

1. When an object remains stationary, any forces acting on it must be balanced. This
statement is
A. always true C. sometimes true
B. always false D. sometimes false

2. Which of the following is NOT an acceleration?

A. slowing your bike ride so you can make it up hill
B. riding your bike straight down the street at a constant speed
C. riding your bike faster when you head down a hill
D. stopping your bike to park

3. An object’s inertia causes it to come to a rest position. This statement is

A. always true C. sometimes true
B. always false D. sometimes false

4. Which of the following actions would change your weight but not your mass?
A. cutting your hair C. rolling to the ground
B. eating a sandwich D. teleporting to the moon

5. According to Newton’s first law of motion, a moving object that is not acted on by an
unbalanced force will
A. accelerate. C. eventually come to stop.
B. changes its momentum. D. remain in motion.

6. Which of Newton's Laws explains why satellites need very little fuel to stay in orbit?
A. First law C. Third law
B. Second law D. None of the choices.

7. A 50-kg object is accelerating to the right at 10 m/s2. What is the magnitude of the rightward
net force acting on it (in newton)?
A. 100 C. 500
B. 300 D. 700

8. According to Newton’s second law, which example would have the greatest acceleration?
A. a 1 kg ball thrown with a 0.5 N force
B. a 10 kg ball thrown with a 50 N force
C. a 50 kg student launched by a 100 N catapult
D. a 500 kg car accelerated by 100 N from the engine

9. 267 N unbalanced force is applied to push a chair across the room, causing an
acceleration of 4.2 m/s2. What is the mass of the chair?
A. 26.75 kg C. 263.36 kg
B. 63.69 kg D. 1123.5 kg

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10. A person steps out of the boat and onto the dock. As the person moves forward onto the
dock, the boat moves backward. Which statement best describes the backward motion of
the boat as the person steps forward?
A. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
B. Every mass exerts a force on every other mass.
C. An object at rest tends to stay at rest.
D. Friction opposes the motion of an object.

11. How could you tell if a moving object is receiving an unbalanced force?
A. It might speed up.
B. It might slow down.
C. It might change direction.
D. It might do any of the three things mentioned.

12. Devices such as seat belts and air bags are used to protect passengers from which one
of Newton’s laws?
A. Law of Inertia
B. Law of Action-reaction
C. Law of Acceleration
D. None of these

13. Acceleration depends on what two things?

A. Force and mass
B. Force and friction
C. Mass and friction
D. Weight and force

14. How is inertia used when riding a bicycle?

A. Bicycles do not use inertia.
B. You move faster as you go downhill.
C. You must peddle harder when going uphill.
D. You can stop peddling and you will continue rolling forward.

15. A 4500 kg car is pushed by 3 boys who exert a force totaling 1500 N. When the boys begin
to push the car, it is traveling 4.5 m/s. What is the velocity of the car after 3.0 seconds?
A. 0.3 m/s
B. 3.3 m/s
C. 5 m/s
D. 14.5 m/s
-End of Assessment-

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 What’s In

Review: To be successful in this chapter, you need to master the skills below and be
able to apply them in problem-solving situations. Solve them by showing your solutions
in your answer sheets.

https://wordmint.com/public_puzzles/159430

Across Down

4. quantities described by magnitude and 1. average of all speeds

direction 2. how far from original position
7. total displacement 3. branch of kinematics
9. how much ground it covered 5. how fast an object is moving
10. speed given at any time 6. rate which an object changes position
8. quantities described by magnitude

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 What’s New
Isaac Newton is considered one of the most important scientists in history. Even Albert
Einstein said that Isaac Newton was the smartest person that ever lived. During his lifetime
Newton developed the theory of gravity, the laws of motion (which became the basis for
physics), a new type of mathematics called calculus, and made breakthroughs in the area of
optics such as the reflecting telescope. Here are some facts about Newton’s life.

1. When Isaac Newton was an infant, he could fit inside

a quart size mug. According to his mother’s words, he FIGURE 1: Portrait of Newton at 46
by Godfrey Kneller, 1689
was so small because he was born prematurely on
December 25, 1642.
2. Isaac Newton’s father was also called Isaac Newton.
Young Isaac was called the same name for the honor
of his father, who passed away just three months
before his birth.
3. He invented calculus, but he wasn’t a smart investor.
He lost over ₤20,000 in South Sea Company. That
amount will be over $3 million in today’s estimate.
4. Isaac Newton never got married. As being the
respected member of the Cambridge University and
someone who is always in the pursuit of the science,
Isaac Newton might not find a time for his personal life,
or simply, he did not want any distractions.
5. Isaac Newton died at the age of 84 from severe
stomach pain. When he crossed the 80 years’ mark of
his life, he started experiencing some digestion
problems, which forced him to be in a strict diet. On
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton
March 31, 1727, Newton passed away in his sleep.

What is It

This lesson deals with the question of why objects move as they do: What makes an
object at rest begin to move? What causes an object accelerate or decelerate? For each case,
force is required. In this module, we shall be able to investigate the connection between forces
and motion, which we call dynamics.

LESSON 4.1: FORCE AND INTERACTIONS

In everyday language, a force is a push or a pull. A better definition is that a force is

an interaction between two bodies or between a body and its environment. That’s why we
always refer to the force that one body exerts on a second body. When you push a box full of
books, you exert a force on the box. When a motor lifts an elevator, or a hammer hits a nail,

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or the wind blows your hair, a force is being exerted. We say that an object falls because of
the force of gravity.

Furthermore, force is a vector quantity; you can push or pull a body in different directions. To
describe a force vector 𝑭⃗→, we need to describe the direction in which it acts as well as its
magnitude, the quantity that describes “how much” or “how hard” the force pushes or pulls.
The SI unit of the magnitude of force is the newton, abbreviated N. A common instrument for
measuring force magnitudes is the spring balance. It consists of a coil spring enclosed in a
case with a pointer attached to one end. When forces are applied to the ends of the spring, it
stretches by an amount that depends on the force.
FIGURE 2: KINDS OF FORCES
When a force involves direct contact between two
bodies, such as a push or pull that you exert on an
object with your hand, we call it a contact force.
Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c show three common types of
contact forces. The normal force (Fig. 2a) is exerted
on an object by any surface with which it is in contact.
The adjective normal means that the force always
acts perpendicular to the surface of contact, no matter
what the angle of that surface. By contrast, thefriction
force (Fig. 2b) exerted on an object by a surface acts
parallel to the surface, in the direction that opposes
sliding. The pulling force exerted by a stretched rope
or cord on an object to which it’s attached is called a
tension force (Fig. 2c). When you tug on your dog’s
leash, the force that pulls on her collar is a tension
force.

There are also what we call long-range forces. These

forces act even when the bodies are separated by
empty space. The force between two magnets is an
example of a long-range force, as is the force ofgravity
(Fig. 2d); the earth pulls a dropped object toward it
even though there is no direct contact between the
object and the earth. The gravitational force that the
earth exerts on your body is called your weight.

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 LESSON 4.2: NEWTON’S FIRST LAW OF MOTION

Sir Isaac Newton first presented his three laws of motion in the "Principia Mathematica
Philosophiae Naturalis" in 1686. His first law states that

Every object in its state of rest, or of uniform velocity in a straight line, as long as no
net force acts on it.

The key point here is that if there is no net force resulting from unbalanced forces acting on
an object (if all the external forces cancel each other out), then the object will maintain
a constant velocity. If that velocity is zero, then the object remains at rest. And if an additional
external force is applied, the velocity will change because of the force.

The tendency of an object to maintain its state or rest or of uniform motion in a straight line is
called inertia. As a result, Newton’s first law is often called law of inertia.

When a body is either at rest or moving with constant velocity (in a straight line with constant
speed), we say that the body is in equilibrium. For a body to be in equilibrium, it must be acted
on by no forces, or by several forces such that their vector sum—that is, the net force—is zero:
∑ ⃗𝑭→ = 0

We’re assuming that the body can be represented adequately as a point particle. When the
body has finite size, we also have to consider where on the body the forces are applied.

There are many applications of Newton's first law of motion. Consider some of your
experiences in an automobile. Have you ever observed the behavior of coffee in a coffee cup
filled to the rim while starting a car from rest or while bringing a car to rest from a state of
motion? Coffee "keeps on doing what it is doing." When you accelerate a car from rest, the
road provides an unbalanced force on the spinning wheels to push the car forward; yet the
coffee (that was at 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.
Example 1: Zero net means constant velocity. In the classic 1950 science-fiction film
Rocketship X-M, a spaceship is moving in the vacuum of outer space, far from any star or
planet, when its engine dies. As a result, the spaceship slows down and stops. What does
Newton’s first law say about this scene?

Solution: No forces act on the spaceship after the engine dies, so according to Newton’s first
law it will not stop but will continue to move in a straight line with constant speed. Some
science-fiction movies are based on accurate science; this is not one of them.

INERTIAL FRAME OF REFERENCE

Newton’s first law does not hold in every reference frame. For example, if your reference frame
is fixed in an accelerating car, an object such as a cup resting on a dashboard may begin to

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move toward you (it stayed at rest as long as the car’s velocity remains constant.) The cup
accelerated towards you, but neither you nor anything else exerted a force on it in that
direction. In accelerating reference frames, Newton’s law does not hold. Reference frames in
which Newton’s first law does hold are called inertial reference frames (the law of inertia is
valid in them). For most purposes, we can usually assume that reference frames fixed on the
Earth are inertial frame. (This is not precisely true, due to the Earth’s rotation, but usually it is
close enough.) Any reference frame that moves with constant velocity relative to an inertial
frame is also an inertial reference frame. Reference frames where the law of inertia does not
hold are called non inertial reference frames.

TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING!

Practice 1: In which of the following situations is there zero net force on the body?
a) An airplane flying due north at a steady120 m/s and at a constant altitude;
b) a car driving straight up a hill with a 30 slope at a constant 90 km/h;
c) a hawk circling at a constant 20 km/h at a constant height of 15 m above an open field;
d) a box with slick, frictionless surfaces in the back of a truck as the truck accelerates
forward on a level road at 5 m/s2.

LESSON 4.3: NEWTON’S SECOND LAW OF MOTION

What happens when a net force is exerted on an object? Newton perceived that the object’s
velocity will increase. Or, if the net force is in a direction opposite to the motion, the force will
reduce the objects velocity. If the net force acts sideways on a moving object, the direction of
the object’s velocity changes (and the magnitude may as well). Since a change in velocity is
an acceleration, we say that a net force causes acceleration. If a combination of forces
⃗𝑭→1 , 𝑭
⃗→2 , ⃗𝑭→3 , and so on is applied to a body, the body will have the same acceleration vector 𝒂
⃗→
as when only a single force is applied, if that single force is equal to the vector sum
⃗→1 + 𝑭
𝑭 ⃗→2 + 𝑭 ⃗→3 + ⋯ .

What precisely is the relationship between acceleration and force? Consider the force required
to push a cart when friction is small enough to ignore. Now if your push with a gentle but
constant force for a certain period of time, you will make the cart accelerate from rest up to
some speed, say 3 km/h. If you push with twice the force, the cart will reach 3 km/h in half the
time. The acceleration will be twice as great. If you triple the force, the acceleration is tripled,
and so on. Thus, the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force applied.
But the acceleration depends of the mass of the object as well. The greater the mass, the less
the acceleration for the same net force. In mathematical terms, the acceleration of an object is
inversely proportional to its mass.

The direction of the net force is the same as the direction of the acceleration, whether the
body’s path is straight or curved. What’s more, the forces that affect a body’s motion are
external forces, those exerted on the body by other bodies in its environment. Newton wrapped
up all these results into a single concise statement that we now call Newton’s second law of
motion:

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The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it, and
is inversely proportional to its mass. The direction of the acceleration is the direction
of the net force acting on the object.

In equation form:

∑ ⃗𝑭→
⃗𝒂→ =
𝑚

where ⃗𝒂→ stands for acceleration, 𝑚 for mass, and ∑ ⃗𝑭→ for the net force on the object.

Rearranging, we get

∑ ⃗𝑭→ = 𝑚⃗𝒂→

In SI units, with the mass in kilograms, the unit of force is called the newton (N). One newton,
then, is the force required to impart an acceleration of 1 m/s2 to a mass of 1kg. Thus,
1 N = 1 kg·m/s2.

USING NEWTON’S SECOND LAW

There are at least four aspects of Newton’s second law that deserve special attention. First,
⃗→ = 𝑚⃗𝒂→ is a vector equation. Usually we will use it in component form, with a
the equation ∑ 𝑭
separate equation for each component of force and the corresponding component of
acceleration:
∑ ⃗𝑭→𝑥 = 𝑚𝒂
⃗→𝑥 ⃗→ 𝑦 = 𝑚⃗𝒂→𝑦
∑𝑭 ∑ ⃗𝑭→𝑧 = 𝑚⃗𝒂→𝑧

This set of component equations is equivalent to the single vector.

Second, the statement of Newton’s second law refers to external forces. It’s impossible for a
body to affect its own motion by exerting a force on itself; if it were possible, you could lift
yourself to the ceiling by pulling up on your belt! That’s why only external forces are included
in the sum ∑ ⃗𝑭→.

Third, the equations for force are valid only when the mass m is constant. It’s easy to think of
systems whose masses change, such as a leaking tank truck, a rocket ship, or a moving
railroad car being loaded with coal.

Finally, Newton’s second law is valid in inertial frames of reference only, just like the first law.
Thus it is not valid in an accelerating reference frames. We will usually assume that the earth
is an adequate approximation to an inertial frame, although because of its rotation and orbital
motion it is not precisely inertial.

Example 2: Force to stop a car. What average net force is required to bring a 1500-kg car to
rest from a speed of 100 km/h within a distance of 55 m?

Approach: We use Newton’s second law to determine the force. We are given the mass, but
we will have to calculate the acceleration. We assume that the acceleration is constant, so we
can use the kinematics equation to calculate it.

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Solution: Assume that the motion is along the +x axis. We know 𝑣1 = 100 𝑘𝑚/ℎ = 28 𝑚/𝑠,
the final velocity 𝑣2 = 0, and the distance travelled 𝑥2 − 𝑥1 = 55 m. Therefore,
𝑣2 = 𝑣2 + 2𝑎(𝑥2 − 𝑥1)
2 1

so
𝑣22 − 𝑣12 0 − (28 𝑚/𝑠)2
𝑎= = = −7.1 𝑚/𝑠2
2𝑎(𝑥2 − 𝑥1) 2(55 𝑚)

The net force required is

∑ 𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎 = (1500𝑘𝑔)(−7.1𝑚/𝑠2) = −1.1 × 104 N.

The force must be exerted in the direction opposite to the initial velocity, which is what the
negative sign means.

Example 3: Determining Acceleration from Force. A worker applies a constant horizontal

force with magnitude 20 N to a box with mass 40 kg resting on a level floor with negligible
friction. What is the acceleration of the box?

Approach: This problem involves force and acceleration, so we’ll use Newton’s second law.
We choose the +x-axis to be in the direction of the applied horizontal force. The tiles under the
box are freshly waxed, so we assume that friction is negligible. The diagram below illustrates
the problem.

The forces acting on the box are FIGURE 3: SKETCH FOR THE PROBLEM
the horizontal force ⃗𝑭→ exerted by
the worker, the weight ⃗𝒘→ of the
box, and the upward supporting
force 𝒏
⃗→ exerted by the floor.
The box doesn’t move vertically,
so y-acceleration is zero:
𝑎𝑦 = 0. Our target variable is the
x-acceleration, 𝑎𝑥.

Solution: Solve for the net force

along the +x-axis. That is,

∑ 𝐹𝑥 = 𝐹 = 20 N = 𝑚𝑎𝑥

The x-component of acceleration is

∑ 𝐹𝑥 20 𝑁 20 𝑘𝑔 · 𝑚/𝑠2 2

𝑎𝑥 = = 0.50 𝑚/𝑠
= =
𝑚 40 𝑘𝑔 40 𝑘𝑔
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 TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING!

Practice 2: Show neat and clear solutions in your answer sheet. (Follow significant figures.)
a) What force is needed to accelerate a child on a sled (total mass = 60 kg) at 1.25 m/s2?
b) A net force of 265 N accelerates a bike and rider at 2.30 m/s2. What is the mass of the
bike and rider together?
c) How much tension must a rope withstand if it used to accelerate a 960-kg car
horizontally along a frictionless surface at 1.20 m/s2?

LESSON 4.4: MASS AND WEIGHT

One of the most familiar forces is the weight of a body, which is the gravitational force that the
earth exerts on the body. (If you are on another planet, your weight is the gravitational force
that planet exerts on you.) Unfortunately, the terms mass and weight are often misused and
interchanged in everyday conversation. It is absolutely essential for you to understand clearly
the distinctions between these two physical quantities.

Mass characterizes the inertial properties of a body. Mass is what keeps the plates or cups on
the table when you yank the tablecloth out from under it. The greater the mass, the greaterthe
force needed to cause a given acceleration; this is reflected in Newton’s second law,
∑ ⃗𝑭→ = 𝑚⃗𝒂→.

Weight, on the other hand, is a force exerted on a body by the pull of the earth. Mass and
weight are related: Bodies that have large mass also have large weight. A large stone is hard
to throw because of its large mass, and hard to lift off the ground because of its large weight.

To understand the relationship between mass and weight, note that a freely falling body has
an acceleration of magnitude g. Newton’s second law tells us that a force must act to produce
this acceleration. If a 1-kg body falls with an acceleration of 9.8 m/s2, the required force has
magnitude
𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎 = (1 𝑘𝑔)(9.8 𝑚/𝑠2) = 9.8 𝑘𝑔 · 𝑚/𝑠2 = 9.8 N

The force that makes the body accelerate downward is its weight. Any body near the surface
of the earth that has a mass of 1 kg must have a weight of 9.8 N to give it the acceleration we
observe when it is in free fall. More generally,
𝑤 = 𝑚𝑔

where w is the magnitude of weight of the body, m is the mass of the body, and g is the
magnitude of acceleration due to gravity.

Hence the magnitude w of a body’s weight is directly proportional to its mass m. The weight of
a body is a force, a vector quantity, and we can write the equation above as a vector equation
⃗𝒘→ = 𝑚⃗𝒈→

Remember that g is the magnitude of ⃗𝒈→, the acceleration due to gravity, so g is always a
positive number, by definition. Thus w is the magnitude of the weight and is also always
positive.

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Example 3: Mass and Weight. A 2.49 𝑥 104 N Rolls-Royce Phantom traveling in the +x-
direction makes an emergency stop; the x-component of the net force acting on it is
−1.83 𝑥 104 N. What is its acceleration?

Approach: We need to find the acceleration along the +x-axis. To do this, use Newton’s
second law of motion. Since the weight of the car is given, we need to solve for its mass.
Solution: The mass of the car is
𝑤 2.49 × 104 N 2.49 × 104 𝑘𝑔 ∙ 𝑚/𝑠2
𝑚= = =
9.80 𝑚/𝑠2 = 2540 𝑘𝑔
𝑔 9.80 𝑚/𝑠2
Then ∑ 𝐹𝑥 = 𝑚𝑎𝑥 gives

∑ 𝐹𝑥 −1.83 × 104 N −1.83 × 104 𝑘𝑔 · 𝑚/𝑠2

𝑎𝑥 = = = = −7.20 𝑚/𝑠2
𝑚 2540 𝑘𝑔 2540 𝑘𝑔

TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING!

Practice 3: Show neat and clear solutions in your answer sheet. (Follow significant figures.)
What is the weight of a 76-kg astronaut
a) on Earth;
b) on the moon (g=1.7m/s2)
c) on mars (g=3.7m/s2)
d) in outer space traveling with constant velocity?

LESSON 4.5: NEWTON’S THIRD LAW OF MOTION

A force acting on a body is always the result of its interaction with another body, so forces
always come in pairs. You can’t pull on a doorknob without the doorknob pulling back on you.
When you kick a football, the forward force that your foot exerts on the ball launches it into its
trajectory, but you also feel the force the ball exerts back on your foot.

In each of these cases, the force that you exert on the other body is in the opposite direction
to the force that body exerts on you. Experiments show that whenever two bodies interact, the
two forces that they exert on each other are always equal in magnitude and opposite in
direction. This fact is called Newton’s third law of motion:

Whenever one object exerts a force on a second object, the second exerts an equal
force in the opposite direction on the first.

This law is sometimes paraphrased as “to every action there is an equal and opposite
“reaction.” To avoid confusion, it is very important to remember that the “action” force and the
“reaction” force are acting on different objects.

For example, in Fig. 4 ⃗𝑭→𝑨 𝒐𝒏 𝑩 is the force applied by body A (first subscript) on body B (second
subscript), and 𝑭⃗→𝑩 𝒐𝒏 𝑨 is the force applied by body B (first subscript) on body A (second
subscript). In equation form,
⃗𝑭→𝑨 𝒐𝒏 𝑩 = −⃗𝑭→𝑩 𝒐𝒏 𝑨
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In the statement of Newton’s third law, FIGURE 4: NEWTON’S THIRD LAW OF MOTION
“action” and “reaction” are the two opposite
forces (in Fig. 4, 𝐹→𝑨 𝒐𝒏 𝑩 and 𝐹→𝑩 𝒐𝒏 𝑨); we
sometimes refer to them as an action–
reaction pair. This is not meant to imply any
cause-and-effect relationship; we can
consider either force as the “action” and the
other as the “reaction.” We often say simply
that the forces are “equal and opposite,”
meaning that they have equal magnitudes
and opposite directions.

Newton’s third law of motion applies to both

contact and long-range forces. A table-tennis
ball exerts an upward gravitational force on
the earth that’s equal in magnitude to the
downward gravitational force the earth exerts
on the ball. When you drop the ball, both the
ball and the earth accelerate toward each other. The net force on each body has the same
magnitude, but the earth’s acceleration is microscopically small because its mass is so great.
Nevertheless, it does move!

Example 4: After your sports car breaks down, you start to push it to the nearest repair shop.
While the car is starting to move, how does the force you exert on the car compare to the force
the car exerts on you? How do these forces compare when you are pushing the car along at
a constant speed?

Solution: Newton’s third law says that in both cases, the force you exert on the car is equal in
magnitude and opposite in direction to the force the car exerts on you. It’s true that you haveto
push harder to get the car going than to keep it going. But no matter how hard you push on the
car, the car pushes just as hard back on you. Newton’s third law gives the same result whether
the two bodies are at rest, moving with constant velocity, or accelerating. You may wonder
how the car “knows” to push back on you with the same magnitude of force that you exert on
it. It may help to visualize the forces you and the car exert on each other as interactions
between the atoms at the surface of your hand and the atoms at the surface of the car. These
interactions are analogous to miniature springs between adjacent atoms, and a compressed
spring exerts equally strong forces on both of its ends. Fundamentally, though,the reason we
know that objects of different masses exert equally strong forces on each other is that
experiment tells us so.

A variety of action-reaction force pairs are evident in nature. Consider the propulsion of a fish
through the water. A fish uses its fins to push water backwards. But a push on the water will
only serve to accelerate the water. Since forces result from mutual interactions, the water must
also be pushing the fish forwards, propelling the fish through the water. The size of the force
on the water equals the size of the force on the fish; the direction of the force on the water
(backwards) is opposite the direction of the force on the fish (forwards). For every action, there
is an equal (in size) and opposite (in direction) reaction force. Action-reaction force pairs make
it possible for fish to swim.
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Example 5: Identify at least six pairs of action-reaction force pairs in the following diagram.

https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-4/Identifying-Action-and-Reaction-Force-Pairs

Solution: The elephant's feet push backward on the ground; the ground pushes forward on
its feet. The right end of the right rope pulls leftward on the elephant's body; its body pulls
rightward on the right end of the right rope. The left end of the right rope pulls rightward on the
man; the man pulls leftward on the left end of the right rope. The right end of the left rope pulls
leftward on the man; the man pulls rightward on the right end of the left rope. The tractor pulls
leftward on the left end of the left rope; the left end of the left rope pulls rightward on the tractor.

TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING!

Practice 4: Consider the interaction depicted below between foot A, ball B, and foot C. The
three objects interact simultaneously (at the same time). Identify the two pairs of action-
reaction forces. Use the notation "foot A", "foot C", and "ball B" in your statements. (Write
your answers on your answer sheet.)

https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-4/Identifying-Action-and-Reaction-Force-Pairs

LESSON 4.6: FREE BODY DIAGRAMS

Newton’s three laws of motion contain all the basic principles we need to solve a wide variety
of problems in mechanics. These laws are very simple in form, but the process of applying
them to specific situations can pose real challenges.

1. Newton’s first and second laws apply to a specific body. Whenever you use Newton’s first
law, ∑ ⃗𝑭→ = 0, for an equilibrium situation or Newton’s second law, ∑ ⃗𝑭→ = 𝑚𝒂⃗→, for a non-
equilibrium situation, you must decide at the beginning to which body you are referring.
2. Only forces acting on the body matter. The sum ∑ ⃗𝑭→ includes all the forces that act on the
body in question. Hence, once you’ve chosen the body to analyze, you have to identify all
the forces acting on it. Don’t confuse the forces acting on a body with the forces exerted
by that body on some other body.
3. Free-body diagrams are essential to help identify the relevant forces. A free-bodydiagram
shows the chosen body by itself, “free” of its surroundings, with vectors drawn to

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 show the magnitudes and directions of all the forces that act on the body. Be careful to
include all the forces acting on the body, but be equally careful not to include any forces
that the body exerts on any other body. 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
body. Furthermore, never include forces that a body exerts on itself, since these can’t affect
the body’s motion.

Note that when a problem involves more than one body, you have to take the problem apart
and draw a separate free-body diagram for each body.

Problem Solving Using Free-Body Diagrams

1. Draw a sketch of the situation.

2. Consider only one object (at a time), and draw a free-body diagram for that
object, showing all the forces acting on that object. Include any unknown forces
that you have to solve for. Draw the arrow for each vector force reasonably
accurately for direction and magnitude. Label each force, including forces you
must solve for, as to its source (gravity, person, friction, etc.). (You may refer to
Figure 3 as an example.)
3. Newton’s second law involves vectors, and it is usually important to resolve
vectors into components. Choose x and y axes in a way that simplifies the
calculation.
4. For each object, apply Newton’s second law to the x and y components
separately. That is, the x-component of the net force on the object is related to
t x-component of that ob ect’s acce erat on: ∑ 𝑭 = 𝑚𝒂 , s yf t
y direction.

Example 6: Adding Force Vectors. Calculate the sum of the two forces exerted on the boat
by workers A and B shown in the Fig. 5.
FIGURE 5:
Approach: We add force vectors like any other
vectors. Choose x-y coordinate system. And then
resolve the vectors into their components.

Solution: The two force vectors are shown are shown

resolved into components in the Fig. 5a. We add the
forces using method of components. The components
of
𝐹𝐴𝑥 = 𝐹𝐴 cos 45.00 = (40.0 𝑁)(0.707) = 28.3 𝑁,
𝐹𝐴𝑦 = 𝐹𝐴 sin 45.00 = (40.0 𝑁)(0.707) = 28.3 𝑁.

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The components of ⃗𝑭→𝐵 are

𝐹𝐵𝑥 = +𝐹𝐵 cos 37.00 = +(30.0 𝑁)(0.799) = +24.0 𝑁 FIGURE 6: FREE BODY DIAGRAMS FOR
𝐹𝐵𝑦 = −𝐹𝐵 sin 37.00 = −(30.0 𝑁)(0.602) = −18.1 𝑁 EXAMPLE 6

⃗𝑭→𝐵𝑦 is negative because it points along the negative

y axis. The components of the resultant force are (see
Fig. 6)

𝐹𝑅𝑥 = 𝐹𝐴𝑥+𝐹𝐵𝑥 = 28.3 𝑁 + 24.0 𝑁 = 52.3 𝑁

𝐹𝑅𝑦 = 𝐹𝐴𝑦+𝐹𝐵𝑦 = 28.3 𝑁 − 18.1 𝑁 = 10.2 𝑁

To find the magnitude of the resultant force, we use

the Pythagorean theorem:

𝐹𝑅 = √𝐹2 + 𝐹2 = √(52.3)2 + (10.2)2𝑁 = 53.3𝑁

𝑅𝑥 𝑅𝑦

To find the direction of the force, we solve for the

angle that the net force ⃗𝑭→𝑅 makes with the x-axis. We
use:
𝐹𝑅𝑦 10.2 𝑁
tan θ = = = 0.195
𝐹𝑅𝑥 52.3 𝑁

θ = tan−1 0.195 = 11. 00

Therefore, the net force on the boat has a magnitude of 53.2 N and acts at an 11.00 angle to
the x-axis.

TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING!

Practice 5: Show neat and clear solutions in your answer sheet.

Sketch the free-body diagram of a baseball

(a) at the moment it is hit by the bat, and again
(b) after it has left the bat and is flying toward the outfield.

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 What’s More

Activity 1: Identify which law of motion is related to the following questions/statements. Write
FIRST, SECOND, or THIRD on your answer sheet.

1. Which law helps define “inertia?”

2. Two model rockets are launched using identical engines which exert identical forces.
Which law describes why the heavier rocket has a smaller acceleration?
3. Which law of motion says that the harder you kick a ball, the farther it will go?
4. Which law of motion says that a kicked ball would fly forever if it wasn’t for forces like air
friction and gravity?
5. When a gun is fired, the gun moves backwards or recoils.

Activity 2: Problem Solving: Read and answer the following problems carefully. Write the
answers/ solutions in your answer sheet.

1. Forces ⃗𝑭→1 and ⃗𝑭→2 act at a point. The magnitude of ⃗𝑭→1 is 9.00 N, and its direction is 60.0 0
above the x-axis in the second quadrant. The magnitude of ⃗𝑭→2 is 6.00 N, and its direction
is 53.10 below the x-axis in the third quadrant. (a) What are the x- and y-components of the
resultant force? (b) What is the magnitude of the resultant force?
FIGURE 7: JAW INJURY
2. Jaw Injury. Due to a jaw injury, a patient must wear a
strap (Fig. 7) that produces a net upward force of 5.00 N
on his chin. The tension is the same throughout the strap.
To what tension must the strap be adjusted to provide the
necessary upward force?

3. A 68.5-kg skater moving initially at 2.40 m/s on rough

horizontal ice comes to rest uniformly in 3.52 s due to
friction from the ice. What force does friction exert on the
skater?

4. World-class sprinters can accelerate out of the starting blocks with an acceleration that is
nearly horizontal and has magnitude 15 m/s 2. How much horizontal force must a 55-kg
sprinter exert on the starting blocks to produce this acceleration? Which body exerts the
force that propels the sprinter: the blocks or the sprinter herself?

5. A chair of mass 12.0 kg is sitting on the horizontal floor; the floor is not frictionless. You
push on the chair with a force F = 40.0 N that is directed at an angle of 37.00 below the
horizontal, and the chair slides along the floor. (a) Draw a clearly labeled free-body diagram
for the chair. (b) Use your diagram and Newton’s laws to calculate the normal force that
the floor exerts on the chair.

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 What I Have Learned

ESSAY: Write your answers in six to 10 sentences. Use your answer sheet. (15 Points)

For each Newton’s laws of motion, describe an experience or situation where you can apply
each of them.

Rubric for checking

Exceptional Admirable Acceptable
Content The learner described The learner described two The learner described
(10 points) three experiences which experiences which one experience which
correctly corresponds to correctly corresponds to correctly corresponds to
each of the three laws of any two of the three laws any one of the three laws
motion. of motion. of motion.
(10) (7) (5)
Grammar The leaners used correct The leaners committed 1- The leaners committed 3
and Spelling grammar, spelling and 2 errors in grammar, or more errors in
(5 points) punctuations all spelling or punctuations in grammar, spelling or
throughout the essay. the essay. punctuations in the essay.
(5) (3) (1)

What I Can Do

Show neat and clear solutions on your answer sheet.

HELP! STARTREK NEEDS YOU

You are a Starfleet captain going boldly where no man has gone before. You land on a distant
planet and visit an engineering testing lab. In one experiment a short, light rope is attached to
the top of a block and a constant upward force F is applied to the free end of the rope. The
block has mass m and is initially at rest. As F is varied, the time for the block to move upward
8.00 m is measured. The values that you collected are given in the table:

F (N) Time (s)

250 3.3
300 2.2
350 1.7
400 1.5
450 1.3
500 1.2

(a) Plot F versus the acceleration 𝑎 of the block.

(b) Use your graph to determine the mass m of the block and the acceleration of gravity g at
the surface of the planet. Note that even on that planet, measured values contain some
experimental error.

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 Post-Assessment
Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write the answers on your answer sheet.
1. An object’s inertia causes it to come to a rest position.
A. always true C. sometimes true
B. always false D. sometimes false

2. A 50-kg object is accelerating to the right at 10 m/s2. What is the magnitude of the rightward
net force acting on it (in newton)?
A. 100 C. 500
B. 300 D. 700

3. When an object remains stationary, any forces acting on it must be balanced.

A. always true C. sometimes true
B. always false D. sometimes false

4. According to Newton’s first law of motion, a moving object that is not acted on by an
unbalanced force will
A. accelerate. C. eventually come to stop.
B. changes its momentum. D. remain in motion.

5. Which of Newton's Laws explains why you feel pain when you punch a wall?
A. First law C. Third law
B. Second law D. None of the choices.

6. Which of the following actions would change your weight but not your mass?
A. Cutting your hair C. Rolling to the ground
B. Eating a sandwich D. Teleporting to mars

7. According to Newton’s second law, which example would have the greatest acceleration?
A. a 1 kg ball thrown with a 0.5 N force
B. a 10 kg ball thrown with a 50 N force
C. a 50 kg student launched by a 100 N catapult
D. a 500 kg car accelerated by 100 N from the engine

8. 267 N unbalanced force is applied to push a chair across the room, causing an
acceleration of 4.2 m/s2. What is the mass of the chair?
A. 26.75 kg C. 263.36 kg
B. 63.69 kg D. 1123.5 kg

9. A 4500 kg car is pushed by 3 boys who exert a force totaling 1500 N. When the boys begin
to push the car, it is traveling 4.5 m/s. What is the velocity of the car after 3.0 seconds?
A. 0.3 m/s C. 5 m/s
B. 3.3 m/s1 D. 4.5 m/s

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10. Devices such as seat belts and air bags are used to protect passengers from which one
of Newton’s laws?
A. Law of Inertia C. Law of Acceleration
B. Law of Action-reaction D. None of these

11. Acceleration depends on what two things?

A. force and mass C. mass and friction
B. force and friction D. weight and force

12. A person steps out of the boat and onto the dock. As the person moves forward onto the
dock, the boat moves backward. Which statement best describes the backward motion of
the boat as the person steps forward?
A. An object at rest tends to stay at rest.
B. Friction opposes the motion of an object.
C. Every mass exerts a force on every other mass.
D. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

13. How is inertia used when riding a bicycle?

A. You must peddle harder when going uphill.
B. Bicycles do not use inertia.
C. You can stop peddling and you will continue rolling forward.
D. You move faster as you go downhill.

14. How could you tell if a moving object is receiving an unbalanced force?
A. It might speed up.
B. It might slow down.
C. It might change direction.
D. It might do any of the three things mentioned.

15. Which of the following is NOT an acceleration?

A. stopping your bike to park
B. riding your bike faster when you head down a hill
C. slowing your bike ride so you can make it up hill
D. riding your bike straight down the street at a constant speed

-End of Assessment-

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 Additional Activities

Use the answer sheet to show your answers and solutions.

Exercise 1: More Problem Solving FIGURE 8: TWO BUCKETS

1. What average force is needed to accelerate a

7.00-gram pellet from rest to 125 m/s over a
distance of 0.800 m along the barrel of a rifle?

2. A 75-kg petty thief wants to escape from a third-

story jail window. Unfortunately, a makeshift rope
made of sheets tied together can support a mass
of only 58 kg. How much might the thief use this
rope to escape? Give a quantitative answer.

3. A heavy crate on a flatbed truck. When the truck

accelerates. The crates remain where it is on the
truck, too, accelerates. What force causes the
crate to accelerate?

4. One 3.2-kg paint bucket is hanging by a massless

cord from another 3.2-kg paint bucket, also
hanging by a mass-less cord, as shown in fig. 8. FIGURE 9: SNOWCATS
a) If the buckets are at rest. What is the tension in
each cord? b) If the two buckets are puled upward
with an acceleration of 1.60 m/s2 by the upper
cord, calculate the tension in each cord.

5. Two snow cats tow a housing unit to a new

location at McMurdo Base, Antarctica, as shown
in fig. 9. The sum of the forces ⃗𝑭→𝐴 and ⃗𝑭→𝐵 exerted
on the unit by the horizontal cables is parallel to the
line L, and 𝐹𝐴 = 4500 𝑁. Determine 𝐹𝐵 and the

magnitude of ⃗𝑭→𝐴 + ⃗𝑭→𝐵 .

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Answer Key

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 References
Giancoli, Douglas C. 2005. Physics: principles with application (6th ed). USA: Pearson
Education, Inc.
Young, Hugh D, and Roger A. Freedman. 2016. University physics with modern physics

(14th ed.). USA: Pearson Education, Inc

https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/newton1g.html

https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-1/Newton-s-First-Law

https://www.ducksters.com/biography/scientists/isaac_newton.php

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton

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