NPS 210- Physics for Engineers

MOTION & FORCE

Dynamics = a branch of Mechanics that analyzes the effect of force in causing accelerated motion

force (F) = any kind of push or pull

= interaction between two bodies or between a body and its environment
= a vector quantity that does not always give rise to motion

spring scale = a device used to measure force

Two classes of forces:

1. contact forces =forces that arise because of physical contact between objects
Examples: normal force, tension, friction, etc.

2. long-range forces = forces that act even when objects are separated by empty space
Examples: gravitational force (weight), electric force, magnetic force, etc.

normal force (η ) = the force exerted on objects by any surface with which it is in contact
= acts perpendicular to the surface

tension force (T ) = the pulling force exerted by a stretched rope or cord on an object to which it is attached
= acts along the rope or cord but directed away from the object

frictional force (f ) = the force that resists or opposes every effort to move one object across a surface on which it rests or
slides which acts parallel to the surface in contact but directed opposite to the motion of the object

Description in measuring friction:

1. f acts parallel to the surface that are in contact and in the direction opposite to the motion of the object or the
net force leading to produce such motion.
2. f depends on the nature of the materials in contact and the smoothness of their surfaces.

 = coefficient of friction
= a unitless quantity that describes the relative roughness of two surfaces

3. f is practically independent of the area in contact.

4. f is directly proportional to the force pressing the two surfaces together.

Types of friction:
1. static / starting friction (fs) = exists when an object does not slide along a surface on which it rests though a force is
exerted to make it slide

s = coefficient of static friction which is equal to the ratio of static friction to the normal force

fs
μ s= f s =μs η
In symbols: η Thus,

2. kinetic / sliding friction (fk) = exists when an object slides over a surface

k = coefficient of kinetic friction which is equal to the ratio of kinetic friction to the normal force

fk
μk = f k =μk η
In symbols: η Thus,
Note:
fk is less than or equal to fs and k < s .

weight (W ) = gravitational pull of the earth on objects which is the product of mass and acceleration due to gravity
= acts vertically downward

W = mg where g = 9.8 m/s2, 980 cm/s2, 32 ft/s2

“Any number of forces applied at a point on a body have the same effect as a single force equal to the vector sum of the
forces.” This principle is called superposition of forces.

⃗
R =⃗ F 2+ …=∑ ⃗
F 1 +⃗ F

Laws of Motion (Empirical laws formulated by Isaac Newton):

 1. Law of Inertia

Inertia = the tendency of a body to keep moving once it is set in motion

“A body acted on by no net force moves with constant velocity (which may be zero) and zero
acceleration.”
.
Meaning:
An object sitting at rest will remain at rest if the sum of all the forces acting on it is zero.
Similarly, if an object is moving and if the sum of the forces acting on it is zero, then the object will
continue to move in the same direction with the same speed.

∑ F= 0 ∑ F x=0 ∑ F y =0 (Body is in equilibrium.)

2. Law of Acceleration

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

∑F
Equation:
a=
m or ∑ F=m a
In component form: ∑ F x=m a x ∑ F y =m a y ∑ F z =maz
force (F ) = an action capable of accelerating an object

Units:
a. newton (N) = in SI units 1 N = 1 kg· m/s2
b. dyne (dyn) = in cgs system 1 dyn = 1 g· cm/s2
c. pound (lb) = in the British system 1 lb = 1 slug· ft/s2

Conversion: 1 dyn = 10-5 N 1 lb ≈ 4.45 N

3. Law of Interaction
“Whenever one object exerts a force on a second object, the second exerts an equal and opposite force on
the first.”

Equation: ⃗
F 1 on2=− ⃗
F 2 on 1 action – reaction pair

Sample Problems:

1. A friend has given you a special gift, a box of mass 4.0 kg with a mystery surprise inside. It’s a reward for your
fine showing on the physics final. The box is resting on the smooth (frictionless) horizontal surface of a table.
a. Determine the weight of the box and the normal force acting on it.
b. Now your friend pushes down on the box with a force of 40 N. Again, determine the normal force acting
on the box.
c. If your friend pulls upward on the box with a force of 40 N, what now is the normal force acting on the
box?
d. Your friend pulls the box by the attached ribbon along the smooth surface of the table. She exerts a force
of 40 N at an angle 30º with the surface. Calculate the normal force acting on the box and its acceleration.

2. A car with weight W hangs from a chain that is linked at ring O to two other chains, one fastened to the ceiling
and the other to the wall. Find expressions for the tension in each of the three chains in terms of W. Neglect the
weight of the ring and the chains. (Figure 1)

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

3. A car of weight W rests on a slanted ramp attached to a trailer. Only a cable running from the trailer to the car
prevents the car from rolling off the ramp. Find the tension in the cable and the force that the ramp exerts on the
car’s tires. (Figure 2)

4. Blocks of granite are to be hauled up a 15 slope out of a quarry, and dirt is to be dumped into the quarry to fill
up old holes. A system is designed in which a granite block on a cart with steel wheels is pulled uphill on steel
rails by a dirt-filled bucket that descends vertically into the quarry. How must the weights of the cart and the
bucket be related in order for the system to move with constant speed? Ignore friction in the pulley and wheels.
Ignore the weight of the cable. (Figure 3)

5. An iceboat is at rest on a frictionless horizontal surface. A wind is blowing along the direction of the runners so
that after 5.0 s after the iceboat is released, it is moving at 6.0 m/s. What constant horizontal force does the wind
exert on the iceboat? The combined mass of the iceboat and rider is 240 kg. (Figure 4)

6. An elevator and its load have a combined mass of 1000 kg. The elevator is initially moving downward at 10.0
m/s; it slows to a stop with constant acceleration in a distance of 25.0 m. What is the tension in the supporting
cable while the elevator is being brought to rest?

7. A toboggan loaded with students with total weight W slides down a hill covered with snow. The hill slopes at a
constant angle , and the toboggan is so well waxed that there is virtually no friction. a) What is its acceleration?
b) If wax has worn off, so that there is now friction k. and the slope has just the right angle to make the toboggan
slide with constant velocity. Find this angle in terms of W and k..

8. Liza wants to move a 500-N crate across a level floor. To start the crate moving, she has to pull with a 230-N
horizontal force. Once the crate “breaks loose” and starts to move, she can keep it moving at constant velocity
with only 200 N. a) What are the coefficients of static and kinetic friction? b) Suppose she moves the crate by
pulling upward on the rope at an angle of 30 above the horizontal. How hard must she pull to keep it moving
with constant velocity? Assume k.= 0.40.

m = 1120 kg
s = 0

Figure 5 Figure 6

9. A 1120-kg car is held in place by a light cable on a very smooth (frictionless) ramp, as shown in Figure 5. Find the
tension in the cable.

10. In Figure 6, the weight W is 50.0 N. a) Find the tension in the diagonal cord? b) Find the magnitudes of the
horizontal forces that must be applied to hold the system in the position shown.

11. In the figure below, find the acceleration of 12. The left figure shows an Atwood’s
the system and the tension of ropes A and machine. A15.0-kg load of bricks hangs from
B if the pull is of magnitude 125 N. one end of a rope that passes over a small,
frictionless pulley. A 28.0-kg counterweight
is suspended from the other end of the rope.
If the system is released from rest, what is the
acceleration of the bricks and the tension in
the rope?

13. A 5.00-kg crate is suspended from the end of a short vertical rope of negligible mass. An upward force F(t)
is applied to the end of the rope, and the height of the crate above its initial position is given by
y(t) = (2.80 m/s) t + (0.610 m/s3) t3. What is the magnitude of the force F when t = 4.0 s?