LESSON 4: FORCE AND MOTION

Introduction

In the previous lesson, we described the motion of particles based on the definition of
displacement, velocity and acceleration. This lesson will describe the motion of bodies
using the concepts of force and mass.

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this lesson, you should be able to:

To learn Newton’s laws of motion

To study the relationship between a force and the acceleration it causes

To solve problems related to the Newton’s second law of motion

To define frictional force and solve problems related to it

Discussion

4.1 The Concept of Force

When you push or pull an object, you exert a force on it. If an object moves with
uniform motion (constant velocity), no force is required to maintain the motion. Only a
force can cause a change in velocity that causes a body to accelerate.

A force is an interaction that causes an acceleration of a body. The magnitudes of

forces are defined in terms of the acceleration they give the standard kilogram. A force
that accelerates that standard body by exactly 1 m s 2 is defined to have a magnitude of
one Newton (I N). The direction of the force is the direction of the acceleration. It is a
vector quantity. Thus, the net force on a body is the vector sum of all the forces acting on
it. Some particular forces are described below:

1. Weight — is a force that pulls the body directly toward a nearby

astronomical body; in everyday circumstances, that astronomical body is
the earth. The force is primarily due to an attraction, called gravitational
attraction, between the astronomical body and any object nearby.

2. Normal Force — is the perpendicular force (perpendicular to the surface)

experienced by a body that is pressed against a surface, or pressed against
another body.

37
 3. Friction — is a force, which opposes the relative motion of a body at rest or
in motion.

4. Tension — is the force exerted by a string, rope or cable on an object to

which it is attached. A tension force pulls in the direction of the rope and is
exerted uniformly along its entire length.

4.2 Mass
Mass is a scalar quantity and is commonly known qualitatively as the amount of
matter which an object is made. It is also defined as a measure of an object’s inertia. The
greater an object’s mass, the greater its inertia and the less its motion changes when
pushed or pulled by a force.

4.3 Newton’s Laws of Motion

Sir Isaac Newton and his colleagues formulated three laws based on experimental
observations which are called the laws of motion. The three laws of motion are as follows:

1. Newton’s First Law of Motion: The Law of Inertia

A body at rest will remain at rest and a body in motion will continue to move
in motion at constant velocity in a straight line unless, in either case, it is
acted upon by an external unbalanced force.

In an equation form, if
F=0
then
a =0

2. Newton’s Second Law of Motion: The Law of Acceleration

An unbalanced force acting on an object will cause the object to accelerate
in the direction of the force. The acceleration is directly proportional to the
vector sum of all the forces acting on the object and inversely proportional
to the object’s mass.

38
 In equation form,
Fxi = ma x
i
Fi = ma
i Fyi = ma y
i

3. Newton’s Third Law of Motion: The Law of Action and Reaction

Forces
Whenever one object exerts a force on another object, the second object
exerts a reaction force of equal magnitude but in opposite direction to the
first force.

Faction = - Freaction

It is equivalent to stating that forces always occur in pairs, or that a single

isolated force cannot exist.

4.4 Applications of Newton’s Second Law

Newton’s Second Law relates the forces acting on an object to its acceleration.
Kinematics is often used to relate an object’s acceleration to its changing velocity and
position

Problem-Solving Strategy

The following procedure is recommended when dealing with problems involving

the application of Newton’s Second Law:

1. Draw a simple, neat diagram of the system.

2. Isolate the object of interest and draw the force diagram or free body diagram
for the object; a diagram showing all external forces acting on the object. Do
not include forces exerted by the object on its surrounding. For systems
containing more than one object, draw separate diagrams for each object.

3. Establish convenient coordinate axes for each object and find the component
of the forces along these axes.

4. Solve for the unknowns. You must have as many independent equations as
the number of unknowns.

39
Sample Problems with Solutions:

1. A 7.0 kg body and 5.0 kg. body are suspended at the end of the cord that passes
over a massless frictionless pulley as shown below.

a. What is the acceleration of the system?

b. What is the tension in the cord?

T m2g

m1g

Given: m1 = 7.0 kg m2 = 5.0 kg

Solution:

for m1: for m2:

m1g – T = m1a T – m2g = m2a

Therefore,
(m 1 g − T ) + (T − m 2 g ) = m 1 a + m 2 a
(m 1 − m 2 )g = (m 1 + m 2 )a
(m 1 − m 2 )g
a =
m1 + m 2
(7.0 kg − 5.0 kg )(9.8 m s )
2

=
7.0 kg + 5.0 kg
= 1.6 m
s 2

m1g −T = m1a T = m1g − m1a T = 57.2 N

40
2. An unbalanced force of 50 N acts on an object weighing 100 N. What acceleration
is produced?

Solution:
F W
F = ma F a= , F = 50 N, W = mg m=
m g
Fg (50 N )(9.8 m s 2 )
a= = = 4.9 m s 2
w 100N

3. A constant horizontal force of 40 N acts on a body on a smooth horizontal surface.

The body starts from rest and is observed to move 100 m in 5 s.
a. What is the mass of the body?
b. If the force ceases to act at the end of 5 s, how far will the body move in the
next 5 s?
S = 100 m

t=5s
F
m

Solution:
F
a) F = ma F =m a m=
a
S = v o t + 1 2 at 2 , vo = 0
2 S 2 • 100m
a= = = 8 m s2
t2 (5 s )2

F 40N
m= = = 5 kg
a 8 ms2

b) F=0 a=0 S = vt
v = v o + at S = vt
= 0+8 m •5s = 40 m •5 s
s2 s
= 40 m s = 200 m

4. An elevator with a mass of 2000 kg rises with an acceleration of 1 m

s2
. What is
the tension in the supporting cable?

41
 Solution:
Fy = ma
T − mg = ma
T = m(g + a )
= (2000 kg ) (9.8 m s 2 + 1 m s 2 )
= 21,600 N

mg

5. A 100 g mass lies on a frictionless table and a cord is attached to one end as
shown. The cord passes over a massless, frictionless pulley at the edge of the
table while a 10 g mass hangs at the other end. Find

a) the acceleration, and

b) the tension in the cord

T
M

mg

Solution:
mg – T = ma where T = Ma
mg – Ma = ma mg = (m + M)a
mg
a=
m+M
T = Ma
10 g • 980 cm s 2
= = 100 g • 89 cm s 2
10 g • 100 g
= 8900 dynes
= 49 cm s 2

42
6. Two inclined planes are arranged as shown below. The two bodies, 8 N and 10 N
are tied at the ends of a cord that passes over a massless, frictionless pulley. Find

a) the acceleration of the system, and

b) the tension in the cord

T T

8N 10 N
frictionless

300 370

Solution:
The forces acting are as shown:

For mass m along the x-axis → R – mg sin 30° = ma

For mass M along the x-axis → Mg sing 37° – T = m

n
y
T
x

mg

300

Adding the two equations given above, we can solve for the acceleration. We find
that:
Mg sin 370 − mg sin 300 = (m + M )a

a=
(Mg sin 37 0
− mg sin 300 g )
mg + Mg
(10 N )(sin 370 ) − (8 N )(sin 300 ) 9.8 m s 2
=
8 N + 10 N
= 1.1 m
s2

43
 Now,
T − mg sin 300 = ma
T = mgsin30 0 + ma

(
T = (8 N ) sin 300 + ) 8N
9.8 m s 2
(1.1m s 2 )
= 4.9 N
y
T n

mg
370

7. A traffic light, weighing 100 N, hangs from a cable tied to two other cables fastened
to a support as shown in the figure below. Find the tension in the three cables.

370 530

T2
T1

T3

Solution:
Free-body diagram:

F =0
T3 − w = 0
T3
=w
= 100 N

Vector Diagram:

44
 Fy = 0
T1 sin 370 + T2 sin 530 − T3 = 0 → eqn (1)

Fx = 0
T2 cos 530 − T1 cos 370 = 0
T2 cos 530 = T1 cos 370
cos 370
T2 = T1
cos 530
= 1.33 T1 → eqn (2)

Substitute equation 1 to equation 2

T1 sin 370 + (1.33T1 )sin 530 − 100 N = 0
T1 = 60 N
T2 = 1.33T1 = 79.8 N

8. A block slides down a smooth plane having an inclination of = 15°, as shown in

the figure. If the block starts from rest at the
top and the length of the incline is 2 m, find

a) the acceleration of the block, and

b) its speed when it reaches the bottom of
the inclined plane

Solution:

S=2m
Vo = 0
a

W cos

Vf = ?
W
W sin
45
 F = ma
ma = w sin
2 2
V f − Vo
m = mg sin 150
2s
2
Vf − 0
= (9.8 m s 2 )sin 150
2(2)
V f = 3.185 m s

4.5 Friction
Friction opposes the motion of an object across a surface on which it rests and is
directed parallel to the surface of the contact. There are two common types of friction:
static friction and kinetic friction.

1. Static Friction — static frictional

force exists when an object does not F
f
slide along a surface on which it rests
even through a force is exerted to
make it slide. If a large box is pushed
but it does not slide, the static frictional force resists the applied force. The
force of friction in this case is called static because the box remains
stationary.

The maximum force that static frictional force exerts depends on two factors:
a) The relative roughness of two surfaces in contact. Roughness is
measured by the coefficient of static friction s. The larger the value of
s, the rougher the surfaces and the harder it is to move the object.

b) The magnitude of the normal force between the object and the surface
on which it rests. The larger the normal force, the harder it is to make
the object move.

2. Kinetic Friction — As an object slides across a surface, kinetic frictional

force opposes its motion. The word kinetic signifies that the object is moving.
In the case of a moving car, for example, the road exerts kinetic frictional
force on the tires of the road.

After an object, initially at rest, that is pushed or pulled, starts to move, less
force is usually needed to keep the object sliding than the force required to
make the object move. That is, kinetic frictional force is less than the
maximum static friction.

46
 The effect of friction on the motion of an object is accounted for by defining a
coefficient of kinetic friction, k, a number less than the coefficient of static
friction.

Properties of Frictional Force

✓ If a body remains stationary, the static frictional force fs, and the component of
the applied force F that is parallel to the surface are equal in magnitude but
opposite in direction. If the component of F parallel to the surface increases,,
then fs also increases.

✓ The magnitude of fs has a maximum value that is equal to sN. That is, fs
sN where N is the magnitude of the normal force. If the component of F
parallel to the surface exceeds sN, then the body begins to slide on the
surface.

✓ Once a body begins to slide along a surface, the magnitude of the frictional
force rapidly decreases to a smaller constant value given by fk = kN, where
uk < us.
N

F
N

F f f

W
Friction on a horizontal surface Friction on an inclined plane

Sample Problems with Solutions:

1. A box weighing 100 N starts to move across a horizontal surface when a horizontal
force of 25 N is applied to it, but a force of only 20 N is needed to keep it moving
in uniform motion.
N

F f

47
W
a) What are the coefficients of static and kinetic friction?
b) If the force is not applied horizontally but in a direction 300 above the
horizontal, find the coefficients of static and kinetic friction.

Solution:

a) fs s N, f s = F1 = 25N
F1
F1 = s N s =
N
N–W=0 N=W
F1
s =
W
25 N
=
100 N
= 0.25
F2
fk = k N, f s = F2 = 20 N F2 = k N k =
N
F2
k =
W
20 N
=
100 N
= 0.20

b) x – axis: Fcos300 – f = 0
Fcos300 = f = N
N F
y-axis: Fsin300 + N – W = 0
N = W – Fsin300 300
Fcos300 = N = (W – Fsin300) f
F cos 300
=
W − F sin 300
W
0
F2 cos 300 F cos 30
= k =
s
W − F1 sin 300 W − F2 sin 300
25 N cos 30 20 N cos 300
= =
100 N − 25 N sin 300 100N − 20 N sin 300
= 0.247 = 0.19

48
2. A 50 N body on an inclined plane, 4 ft wide at the base and 3 ft high, is pulled
upward by a force 30 above the plane as shown, making the body move upward
uniformly. Determine the magnitude of the applied force if the coefficient of kinetic
friction between the surfaces in contact is 0.25.

F 300

3 ft

4 ft
Solution:
3
= arctan
= 370
4
The forces acting on the block are as shown:
Fx = 0 N

x-axis: Fcos300 – fWsin370 = 0 F 300

f k = kN
y
Fcos300 – kN – Wsin370 = 0
f
x
0 0
y-axis: Fsin30 + N – Wcos37 = 0
N = Wcos370 – Fsin300

F cos 300 − kW cos 370 − F sin 300 − W sin 370 = 0

F cos 300 + k F sin 300 = W sin 370 + k W cos 370

F=
(
W sin 370 + k cos 370 )
cos 300 + k sin 30
0

=
(
50 Ns sin 370 + (0.25) cos 370 )
cos 300 + 0.25 sin 300
= 40.4 N

49
3. A 50 kg block rests on the floor. The N
coefficients of static and kinetic friction are y
0.70 and 0.50, respectively.
x
F
a) What is the minimum force needed to
move the block? f
b) If the same force continues to push the
block after it starts sliding, what will be its
acceleration? W

Solution:

a) The forces acting are as shown in the preceding page.

x-axis: F – fs = 0 F = fs , fs sN

y-axis: N–W=0 N=W

To make the block move, the maximum static friction given by

fs = sN = sW must be overcome. Hence, the minimum force needed to
(
move the block is F = sW = s mg = 0.70(50kg ) 9.8 m s 2 = 34.3N )
b) As the block moves

F − f k = F − k N = F − k mg = ma
F − k mg
a=
m
mg − s mg
= s
m
= ( s − k )g

= (0.7 − 0.5) 9.8 m

s2
= 1.96 m or 2.0 m
s2 s2

4. A 50 kg block rests on a rough horizontal floor. The coefficient of kinetic friction

between the block and the floor is 0.25. If a horizontal force of 180 N acts on the
block for 3 s, find the velocity of the block at the end of that time.

Solution:
As in the preceding problem,

50
 F − f k = F − k N = F − k mg = ma
F − k mg
a=
m
F
= − kg
m v = vo + at
= 0 + (1.2 m s 2 )(3s )
180N
= − (0.25) 9.8 m 2
50kg s
= 3.6 m s
= 1.2 m 2
s

5. Three blocks are connected

as shown. The acceleration T1 5 kg T2
of the system is 2 m s 2 to the
left and the surfaces are 3 kg
rough. Find v 10
kg
250
a) the tensions in the
strings, and
b) the coefficient of kinetic friction

Solution:
Fy = ma
T1 ma = W1 − T1
T1 = W1 − ma
a
10 = 10(9.8) − 10(2)
= 78 N

W1
Fx = ma
m 2 a = T1 − T2 − F f → (1)
a
Fy = 0
N − W2 = 0
N N = W2 → (2)
T1 T2

Ff
Ff since =
W2 N

F f = N = W2 → (3)
substituting (3) into (1),

51
 a 5kg
2m
= 78 N − T2 − (5kg )(9.8 m s )
2 → (4)
5
T2
- 68 = -T2 − 49
N
3 kg
Fx = ma (rotated x-axis)
Ff
W3sin250 m 3 a = T2 − F f − W3 sin 250
250 = T2 − N − W3 sin 250 → (5)

W
Fy = 0 (rotated y-axis)
W3sin250 N − W3 cos 250 = 0
N = W3 cos 250 → (6)

substituting (6) into (5)

(3kg )(2 m s ) = T2 − (3)(9.8)cos 250 − (3)(9.8)sin 250
2

18.425 = T2 − 26.645

adding equations (4) and (7)

- 68 = -T2 − 49
18.425 = T2 − 26.645
- 49.575 = -75.645
= 0.655

solving for T2 by using equation (4)

- 68 = -T2 − 49(0.655)
T2 = 35.9 N

6. In the figure shown on the right, the

T1
coefficient of kinetic friction between 2 kg
the 2 kg and 3 kg block is 0.3. The T2
horizontal surface and the pulleys are 3 kg
frictionless. The masses are released
from rest. Determine the acceleration
of each block and the tension in the 10 kg
strings.

52
Solution:

a
common F = ma
acceleration m1a = T1 − W1 → (1)
N

T1 2 kg
Ff = W1

a
W1 F = ma
T1 3 kg m2 a = T2 − T1 → (2)
T2

frictionless

F = ma
a
10 m3a = W3 − T2 → (3)

Adding equations (1), (2) and (3)

m1a + m2 a + m3a = T1 − W1 + T2 − T1 + W3 − T2
a (m1 + m2 + m3 ) = W3 − W1
W3 − W1
a=
m1 + m2 + m3
10kg (9.8 m s 2 ) − 0.3(2kg )(9.8 m s 2 )
=
2kg + 3kg + 10kg
= 6.14 m
s

Solving for T1 and T2:

T1 = 18.16 N
T2 = 36.6 N

53
Lesson 4: Force and Motion
Assessment

Instruction; Show your complete and neat solution. Identify your final abswer in the solution.
See answer sheet format.

1. A force of 20 N acts upon a body whose weight is 8 N. What is the mass of the body?
What is its acceleration?

2. Two masses of 8 kg and 12 kg are tied to each end of a string passing over a massless
and frictionless pulley. Find the resulting acceleration of each mass.

3. A 1000−kg mass elevator has an acceleration of 1 m s 2 . What is the tension in the

supporting cable if the elevator is a) ascending and b) descending?

4. A 5 kg block resting on a frictionless inclined plane with an inclination angle of 20 is

attached to another 5 kg block that hangs freely by a string passing over a massless,
frictionless pulley. What is the resulting acceleration of the two blocks?

5. A block weighing 60 N rests on a horizontal floor. a) What is the minimum force that
will make the block move if the coefficient of static friction is 0.20? b) What is the
minimum force that will keep the block moving at uniform speed once it starts moving
if the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.10?

6. Blocks A and B have weigh of 44 N and 22 N, respectively (see figure below).

a) Find the minimum weight of block C that A

must be placed on top of block A to keep
it from sliding. Take the coefficient of
static friction between A and the table top
to be 0.20.

B
b) Block C is suddenly lifted off A. Find the
resulting acceleration of the system if the
coefficient of kinetic friction between A and the table is 0.15.

7. A force of 150 N pushes a box. Starting from rest, the box achieves a velocity of 1.50
m in 2.5 s. Find the coefficient of sliding friction between the box and the floor.
s

54