Physics 30 Lesson15

Forces & Dynamics Problem Solving

I. Net orce an! ree bo!y !iagrams
From our discussion of Newtons 2
nd
law

F ma
NET
=
The net orce, or res"ltant orce, is the vector sum of all the forces acting on an
object. It is usually not one force that causes an acceleration, rather it is the net or
resulting effect of all the forces acting on an object that causes acceleration. Net orce
is not a orce that yo" can see. o not thin! of net force as the a""lied force or
frictional force or the force due to gravity or the normal force, rather thin# o net orce
as the res"lting eect o all these orces together.
#owever, it is not always a""arent which forces are acting on an object. To hel" us get
a clear idea of all the forces acting on an object at any given time we draw what are
called ree bo!y !iagrams. $ free body diagram indicates all of the forces acting on an
object regardless of their cause or direction. %ther things li!e velocity, dis"lacement,
acceleration, etc. are not included in a free body diagram. From a "ro"erly draw free
body diagram one can easily determine the net orce on an object. For e&am"le, when
a ball is at rest on a table there are two forces acting on the ball' the force due to
gravity and the normal force of the table on the ball.
The free body diagram for the ball is'
(ince F
N
) F
g
the net force on the ball is *ero +F
NET
) ,-.
Now, if we a""ly a hori*ontal force on the ball there is an
unbalanced force and the ball accelerates in the direction of
the unbalanced force. In this case F
NET
)
F
$ +F
$
stands for
a""lied force-.
i.
raw a free body diagram for a car accelerating from rest along a level street.
$ssuming that there is friction involved, write an e&"ression for the net force.
./ 0 . ,/1.,1.2

F
N

F
g

the object is
re"resented
by a dot

F
N

F
g
F
$

F
f
(ince F
N
and F
g
are balanced forces they
cancel. The net force is e&"ressed as'

or
F
net
) F
$
3 F
f


F
N

F
g

F
$

FN is the normal force, Fg is
the force due to gravity, Ff
is the force caused by
friction, and F$ is the
a""lied force.
ii.
$ car being driven on a road e&"eriences several forces' the force of friction due to the
road and the air, and the force of the engine "ushing the car forward. escribe what
ha""ens in the following situations'
$. The engine force is greater than the frictional force.
4. The engine force is less than the frictional force.
5. The engine force e6uals the frictional force.
$.
f $ NET
F F F

+ = ) "ositive net force
There is a net force which will cause the car to accelerate forward.
4.
f $ NET
F F F

+ = ) negative net force
There is a net force which will cause the car to accelerate bac!ward +slow down-.
5.
f $ NET
F F F

+ = ) ,
The net force is *ero, therefore the acceleration is *ero, therefore the car will maintain a constant
velocity.
iii.
For a 7, !g mass, if the frictional force is 2, N, what a""lied force is re6uired to
accelerate the object at 2., m1s
2
8
5alculate the net force'
a m F
NET

= ) 7, !g & 2., m1s

2
) 22, N
From the diagram'
F
NET
) F
$
3 F
f

F
$
) F
NET
9 F
f
) 22, N 9 2, N ) $%0 N
./ 0 2 ,/1.,1.2

F
N

F
g
F
$
) 8
F
f
) 2, N

F
N

F
g
F
$

F
f

iv.
$ 2., !g object e&"eriences a ./ N force "ulling south, a 2/ N force "ulling west and a
2, N force "ulling at :,; ( of E. <hat is the acceleration e&"erienced by the object8
=ecall from >esson ., that vectors are added ti" to tail.
?sing the com"onent method for adding vectors +see >esson ..- we solve for the net
force.
F = + 2/ @ 7A
2 2
.
F ) 27..7 N
) tan
0.
[email protected] 1 2/-
F
NET
) 27..7 N B .@..
o
< of (
) .@..
o
< of (
Thus the acceleration is
!g , . 2
(C of < D.@.. N 27..7
m
F
a
o
NET
= =

) 13.0% m&s
$
'1(.1) * o S+
./ 0 : ,/1.,1.2
30)
$
&
) 2, cos:,
$
&
) .@.:2 N +E-
$
y
) 2, sin:,
$
y
) .,., N +(-
2, N
+N0(- com"onent ) ./ N +(- 9 .,., N +(- ) 2/., N +(-
+E0<- com"onent ) 2/ N +<- 9 .@.:2 N +E- ) @.7A N +<-

F
NET
2/., N
@.7A N
30)
,
2/ N
./ N
2, N
30)
2/ N
./ N
2, N
F
NET
v.
Two ice s!aters, one of mass 7, !g and one of mass :, !g "ush on each other. If the
acceleration of the :, !g s!ater is 2., m1s
2
north, what is the acceleration of the 7, !g
s!ater8
$ccording to Newtons third law, the forces will be e6ual in magnitude and o""osite in
direction.
F
.
) 0 F
2
m
.
a
.
) 0 m
2
a
2
:, !g +2., m1s
2
- ) 0 7, !g a
2
7, !g m1s
2
) a
2
0 7, !g
a
2
) 1.0 m&s
$
so"th
vi.
If a .:, N east net force is a""lied for 2., seconds to a /, !g mass at rest, what is the
resulting dis"lacement of the object8
[ ]
!g /,
E N .:,
m
F
a = =

) 2.7 m1s
2
east
d ) v
.
t 9 E a t
2
) , 9 E+2.7 m1s
2
-+2., s-
2
east ) 5.$ m east
vii.
$ 7, N force is a""lied eastward for /., s to a ./ !g object which is already traveling at
/, m1s east. If the frictional force is 2, N, what is the resulting velocity8

F
NET
) 7, N 3 2, N ) 2, N DEC
[ ]
!g ./
E N 2,
m
F
a = =

) 2.7@ m1s
2
east

v 2
)

v .
9

a t ) /, m1s 9 2.7@ m1s

2
+/., s- east ) -3.3 m&s east
./ 0 2 ,/1.,1.2
,
2, N 7, N
viii.
$ force of F, N is a""lied to a wagon +mass 2, !g- at an angle of :,; to the hori*ontal.
If the frictional force is [email protected] N, what is the resulting acceleration of the wagon8

?nless the a""lied force is large enough to "ull the wagon off the ground, only the
hori*ontal com"onent of the force will cause the wagon to accelerate hori*ontally.

F F F
NET & f
= +

FNET
) 9@@.F2 N 9 [email protected] N-

FNET
) /,., N east

a )

F
NET
) /,., N +E- ) 1.$5 m&s
$
east
m 2, !g
II. Practice .roblems
.. $ 7., !g cart is being "ulled with a hori*ontal force of 2/ N. If the frictional force is
./ N, what is the acceleration of the cart8 +..@ m1s
2
-
./ 0 / ,/1.,1.2
F
&
) F, N +cos :,-
F
&
) @@.F2 N
:,)

F
N
F
g
F
$
) F, N
F
f
) [email protected] N
:,)
F, N
2. $ /., !g object e&"eriences a ./ N force "ulling north, a 2/ N force "ulling east
and a 2, N force "ulling at :,
o
E of (. <hat is the acceleration e&"erienced by
the object8 +@.,2 m1s
2
B :.A
o
( of E-
:. $ .:, N eastward force is a""lied for 2., s to a /, !g object starting from rest on a
level surface. If there is a frictional force of /, N, what is the resulting
dis"lacement of the object8 +:.2 m-
2. $ .2,, !g car comes to a sto" from a s"eed of 2/ m1s in 7./ s. <hat bra!ing
force was re6uired8 +2.7 & .,
:
N-
./ 0 7 ,/1.,1.2
III. /an!0in 1ssignment
.. In each case, a roc! is acted on by one or
more forces. $ll drawings are in a vertical
"lane, and friction is negligible +i.e. *ero-
e&ce"t where noted. Dra2 acc"rate ree0
bo!y !iagrams sho2ing all orces acting
on the roc#. Glease use a ruler, and do it in
"encil so you can correct mista!es. The
one to the right is done as an e&am"le.
./ 0 @ ,/1.,1.2
52. (us"ended static roc! 4/. (us"ended static
roc!
7$. =oc! on
ground
:. =oc! is falling. No air
friction.
.2F. Falling at constant
+terminal- velocity.
:E. =oc! is falling. (omeNo
air friction.
. . (us"ended
static roc!
T.
F
r
T2
F
r
g
F
r
2. $ :,, !g object is accelerated at ,.2/ m1s
2
by what un!nown force8 +@/ N-
:. $ 2,, g mass at rest is acted on by a 2,, N net force for .2., s. <hat is its final
velocity8 +7.,, & .,
:
m1s-
2. <hat is the mass of an object that is acted on by a /,, N hori*ontal force and a
./, N frictional force if it changes velocity from 2, m1s to 2, m1s in 2./ s8 +22 !g-
/. <hat is the initial velocity of a 2.2 !g object that e&"eriences a net force of 2./, N
for A., s giving it a final velocity of @, m1s8 +97. m1s-
7. $ 2,,, !g vehicle travelling at 27 m1s west is slowed to 2., m1s west in 2, s by
what bra!ing force8 +2A,, N east-
@. $ car of mass ../ & .,
:
!g is being driven at 2, m1s. The driver sees a massive
hole .,, m ahead. <hat is the minimum frictional force re6uired to sto" the car in
time8 +:,,, N-
A. $ bullet of mass 2, g stri!es a fi&ed bloc! of wood at a s"eed of :2, m1s. The
bullet embeds itself in the bloc! of wood, "enetrating to a de"th of 7., cm.
5alculate the average force acting on the bullet to bring it to rest8 +..@ & .,
2
N-
F. $ 2, N "ush north combines with a :, N "ull east. <hat is the net force8 +/, N
B:7.F
o
E of N-
.,. Three strings are attached to an object. If one of the strings is "ulled north with a
force of ., N and one of the other strings is "ulled west with ./ N, what force must
be a""lied to the third string so that the object does not move8 +.A., N B::.@
o
(
of E-
... $ 2, !g mass, initially at rest, is subjected to the following forces' :, N at :,
o

north of east, 2, N south, and /, N at 2/
o
south of west. <hat is the net force8
+7... N BA.A
o
< of (-
.2. $n A., g bullet travelling at 2,, m1s "asses through a heavy bloc! of wood in 2., &
.,
02
s and emerges with a s"eed of .,, m1s. +a- <ith what average force did the
wood o""ose the motion of the bullet8 +b- #ow thic! is the bloc! of wood8 +07., &
.,
:
N, .., & .,
0.
m-
.:. $ childHs wagon e&"eriences a frictional force of @: N whenever it is in motion,
regardless of the load it is carrying. $n a""lied hori*ontal force of .2A N causes
the wagon to accelerate at /., m1s
2
. The same a""lied force, with a child on the
wagon, causes it to accelerate at .., m1s
2
. <hat is the mass of the child8 +22 !g-
./ 0 A ,/1.,1.2
.2I. =ising in a "arabolic
trajectory.
No air resistance.
./#. $t the to" of a "arabolic
trajectory.
No air resistance.
.2. $ man drags a "ac!age
across the floor with a force of
a 2, N, as shown. The mass
of the "ac!age is ., !g. If the
acceleration of the "ac!age is
:./ m1s
2
and friction can be
neglected, at what angle to the
hori*ontal does the man "ull8
+2F
o
-
./. $ s"ring is com"ressed between two marbles.
<hen the s"ring is released,
marble $ +mass ) 2,., g- is "rojected from rest to 3./., m1s in ,.,:/, s. <hat is
the mass of marble 4 if it e&"eriences a velocity change from rest to 922., m1s in
,.,:/, s8 +.:.7 g-
./ 0 F ,/1.,1.2
$ 4
$ 4