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Revision Sheet: Newton's Laws of Motion (Class 11 Physics)

Chapter Overview: This chapter introduces the fundamental principles governing the
motion of objects and the forces that cause them. It lays the groundwork for understanding
dynamics.

I. Key Concepts & Definitions

 Force: An external agency capable of changing the state of rest or motion of a body, or
deforming it. It is a vector quantity (magnitude and direction).
 Inertia: The inherent property of a body by virtue of which it resists any change in its state of
rest or uniform motion along a straight line.
o Types of Inertia:
 Inertia of Rest
 Inertia of Motion
 Inertia of Direction
 Linear Momentum (p): The product of the mass (m) and velocity (v) of a body. It is a
vector quantity.
o Formula: p=mv
o SI Unit: kg m/s

 Impulse (J): The change in momentum of a body. It is equal to the product of the force (F)
acting on the body and the time (Δt) for which the force acts.
o Formula: J=Δp=FΔt
o SI Unit: N s or kg m/s

II. Newton's Laws of Motion

1. Newton's First Law (Law of Inertia):

* Statement: An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion with the
same speed and in the same direction1 unless acted upon by an unbalanced external force.

* Significance: Defines force qualitatively and gives the concept of inertia.

2. Newton's Second Law:

* Statement: The rate of change of linear momentum of a body is directly proportional to the
applied external force and takes place in the direction in which the force acts.

* Mathematical Formulations:
 * F∝dtdp

* F=kdtdp (where k is a constant, usually taken as 1 in SI units)

* For constant mass: F=ma (Most commonly used form)

* Significance: Defines force quantitatively and provides a means to measure it.

* Units of Force:

* SI Unit: Newton (N) - 1 N=1 kg m/s2

* CGS Unit: Dyne - 1 dyne=1 g cm/s2

* Relation: 1 N=105 dyne

3. Newton's Third Law:

* Statement: To every action, there is always an equal and opposite reaction.

* Key Points:

* Action and reaction forces always act on different bodies.

* They are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.

* They occur simultaneously.

* They are always of the same nature (e.g., gravitational action has gravitational reaction).

* Examples: Walking, rocket propulsion, recoil of a gun.

III. Applications & Important Concepts

 Conservation of Linear Momentum: In an isolated system (where no external force acts),

the total linear momentum remains constant.
o Mathematically: If $ \sum \vec{F}_{ext} = 0 $, then ∑pinitial=∑pfinal
o Applications: Collisions, explosions, rocket propulsion.
 Impulse-Momentum Theorem: The impulse acting on a body is equal to the change in its
momentum.
o J=Δp
o Applications: Design of safety devices (airbags, crumple zones), sports (following through
in a swing).
 Apparent Weight in a Lift:
o Lift at Rest or Moving with Uniform Velocity (a=0): Apparent Weight (R) = Real Weight
($ mg $)
o Lift Accelerating Upwards (a upwards): Apparent Weight (R) = m(g+a) (Weight
increases)
o Lift Accelerating Downwards (a downwards): Apparent Weight (R) = m(g−a) (Weight
decreases)
o Free Fall (a=g downwards): Apparent Weight (R) = 0 (Weightlessness)

IV. Forces in Mechanics

 Weight (W): The force with which the Earth attracts a body towards its center. W=mg.
 Normal Force (N or R): The force exerted by a surface perpendicular to the surface of
contact, preventing the body from penetrating the surface.
 Tension (T): The force transmitted through a string, rope, cable or wire when it is pulled taut
by forces acting from opposite ends. It acts along the length of the string.
 Friction (f): A force that opposes the relative motion or tendency of relative motion between
two surfaces in contact.
o Static Friction (fs): Acts when there is no relative motion. It is a self-adjusting force.
 fs≤μsN (where μs is coefficient of static friction)
o **Kinetic Friction (fk): Acts when there is relative motion.
 fk=μkN (where μk is coefficient of kinetic friction)
o Generally, μk<μs.
o Angle of Friction: The angle whose tangent is equal to the coefficient of static friction
(tanθ=μs).
o Angle of Repose: The minimum angle of inclination of a plane with the horizontal such that
a body placed on it just begins to slide down.2 (Numerically equal to angle of friction).

V. Problem Solving Strategies

1. Draw a Free Body Diagram (FBD): Isolate the body of interest and show all the forces
acting on it.
2. Choose a Coordinate System: Align one of the axes with the direction of acceleration, if
any.
3. Apply Newton's Second Law: Write down the equations of motion ($ \sum F_x = ma_x $,
∑Fy=may) for each body.
4. Identify Action-Reaction Pairs: Useful for problems involving multiple interacting bodies.
5. Use Constraints: If objects are connected (e.g., by a string), their accelerations might be
related.
6. Conservation Laws: Consider applying conservation of momentum if applicable (e.g., in
collisions).

VI. Important Derivations & Formulas to Remember

 F=ma
 p=mv
 J=Δp=FΔt
 Conservation of Momentum: m1u1+m2u2=m1v1+m2v2 (for two bodies)
 Friction formulas: $ f_s \le \mu_s N $, fk=μkN
 Apparent weight formulas in a lift.
 VII. Common Mistakes to Avoid

 Confusing action and reaction forces as acting on the same body.

 Incorrectly identifying forces in FBDs (e.g., including internal forces).
 Forgetting to consider the direction of forces and acceleration (vector nature).
 Not distinguishing between static and kinetic friction.
 Misinterpreting "weight" and "mass."

VIII. Practice Questions (Self-Assessment)

1. A constant force acts on an object of mass 5 kg and changes its speed from 5 m/s to 10 m/s in
2 seconds. Calculate the magnitude of the force.
2. A bullet of mass 20 g is fired from a gun of mass 10 kg with a velocity of 150 m/s. Calculate
the recoil velocity of the gun.
3. Draw a free body diagram for a block being pulled by a rope on a rough horizontal surface.
4. A person standing in a lift feels lighter when the lift is moving downwards. Explain why.
5. State the law of conservation of linear momentum and provide an example.