Institute of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

1. Gravitational Force (Fundamental Force)

2. Normal Force
3. Static and Kinetic Frictional Forces Non-fundamental Forces
4. Tension Force
 Gravity is always an attractive force.
Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation: any two objects exert
gravitational forces on each other that are proportional to the
masses 𝑚1 and 𝑚2 of two objects and inversely proportional to the
square of the distance 𝑟 between their centers.
- only applies to point particles and symmetric spheres
- approximately true for any two objects if the distance between
their centers is large compared to their sizes
Point particle is a common physics model used when the size of
an object is negligibly small and the internal structure is
irrelevant.
 Every particle in the universe exerts an attractive force on every
other particle. A particle is a piece of matter, small enough in
size to be regarded as a mathematical point. For two particle
that have masses 𝑚1 and 𝑚2 and are separated by a distance 𝑟,
the force that each exerts on the other is directed along the line
joining the particles and has magnitude given by

𝑚1 𝑚2
𝐹=𝐺
𝑟2
where 𝐺 is the universal gravitational constant equivalent to
6.673 x 10-11 N∙m2/kg2

Example. The force exerted on the Moon by the Earth is the

same magnitude as the force exerted on the Erath by the Moon.
The directions are opposite.
 Weight of an object on or above the earth is the gravitational
force that earth exerts on the object. It always acts downward,
toward the center of the earth.

𝑀𝐸 𝑚
𝑊=𝐺 2
𝑟

where 𝑀𝐸 is the mass of the earth

 An object has weight whether or not is resting on the earth’s

surface, because the gravitational force is acting even when the
distance is not equal to the radius of the earth. But gravitational
force becomes weaker as the distance increases.
 What is the magnitude of the gravitational force that acts on each
particle, assuming 𝑚1 = 12 kg (approximately the mass of a bicycle), 𝑚2 =
25 kg, and 𝑟 = 1.2 m?

Solution
𝑚1 𝑚2 −11 2 2
12 𝑘𝑔 𝑥 25 𝑘𝑔
𝐹=𝐺 2
= 6.67 𝑥 10 𝑁 ∙ 𝑚 /𝑘𝑔
𝑟 (1.2 𝑚)2
= 1.4 𝑥 10−8 𝑁
Mass
- is a quantitative measure of an object’s inertia
- is an intrinsic property of matter that does not change as an
object is moved from one location to another

Weight
- is the gravitational force the earth exerts on the object
- it can vary depending on how far the object is above the earth’s
surface or whether it is located near another body such as the
moon
 𝑀𝐸 𝑚
𝑊=𝐺
𝑟2

𝑊 = 𝑚𝑔

where 𝑔 = 9.80 m/s2 which applies only when 𝑟

equals the radius 𝑅𝐸 of the earth.
 𝑔 decreases as the distance 𝑟 increases and
the weight decreases.
 What is the weight of 350 g of fresh figs, in newtons and in
pounds?
Solution:
𝑁
𝑊 = 𝑚𝑔 = 0.35 𝑘𝑔 𝑥 9.80 = 3.43 𝑁
𝑘𝑔
𝑙𝑏
𝑊 = 3.43 𝑁 𝑥 0.2248 = 0.77 𝑙𝑏
𝑁
 The mass of the Hubble Space
Telescope is 11 600 kg. Determine the
weight of the telescope (a) when it was
resting on the earth and (b) as it is in
its orbit 598 km above the earth's
surface.

The weight of the Hubble Space Telescope decreases as the

telescope gets farther from the earth. The distance from the
center of the earth to the telescope is 𝑟.
 The weight of the Hubble Space Telescope is the gravitational
force exerted on it by the earth. The weight varies inversely as
the square of the radial distance r. Thus, we expect the
telescope's weight on the earth's surface (𝑟 smaller) to be greater
than its weight in orbit (𝑟 larger).
(a) On the earth's surface, the weight is given by equation below
with 𝑟 = 6.38 × 106 m (the earth's radius):
(b) When the telescope is 598 km above the surface, its distance
from the center of the earth is

The weight now can be calculated as in part (a), except that the
new value of 𝑟 must be used: 𝑊 = 0.950 𝑥 105 𝑁 . As expected, the
weight is less in orbit.

When applying Newton's gravitation law to uniform spheres

of matter, remember that the distance r is between the centers of
the spheres, not between the surfaces.
Normal force 𝑁 is a component of the force that a surface exerts
on an object with which it is in contact- namely, the component
that is perpendicular to the surface.

An object (book) resting on the horizontal surface (table).

If no other vertical forces act except the object’s weight
and the normal force, the normal force on the book is
equal in magnitude to the book’s weight because the
book is in equilibrium, 𝑁 = 𝑊.
According to Newton’s Third Law, there is normal
force exerted on the table by he book which acts
downward and is of equal in magnitude. (In Newton’s
Third Law, the reaction force is the normal force.)
 If the surface is not  In a horizontal surface and
horizontal, the 𝑁 is not there are other forces acting
vertical and is not equal in on the object (book), the 𝑁
magnitude to the weight of is not equal in magnitude to
the book. the object’s weight.
 The magnitude of the normal force indicates how hard the two
objects press against each other.
 If the magnitude of these forces were not equal, there would be a
net force acting on the body and the body would accelerate
either upward or downward.
 The normal force does not necessarily have the same magnitude
as the weight of the object.

Apparent weight is the force that the object exerts on the sale
with which it is in contact. It may be smaller or bigger than the
“true” weight 𝑚𝑔 if the object and the scale have an acceleration
(+ or -).
 When an object is in contact with a surface, there is a force
acting on the object.
Frictional force is a component of contact force parallel to the
contact surface.

Static Friction
- friction when no slipping or sliding occurs
- acts to prevent objects from starting to slide
 Two objects in contact with one another that
move with the same velocity exert static
frictional forces on one another, because
there is no relative motion between the two.
Example. If a conveyor belt carries an air
freight package and the package is not sliding,
the two move with the same velocity and the
friction is static.

 The direction of static frictional force 𝑓𝑠 is

opposite to that of the applied force 𝐹 and the
magnitude of 𝑓𝑠 equals the magnitude of the
applied force.
 An object at rest will begin to move when the applied force is
slightly greater than the maximum static frictional force 𝑓𝑠𝑀𝐴𝑋 .

𝑓𝑠𝑀𝐴𝑋 = 𝜇𝑠 𝑁
where 𝜇𝑠 is the coefficient of static friction

The physics of rock climbing: A climber

presser outward against the walls of the rock
formation with her hands and feet to create
large normal forces, so that the static
frictional forces can support her weight.

In maneuvering her way up El Matador at Devil's Tower National Monument in Wyoming, this
rock climber uses the static frictional forces between her hands and feet and the vertical rock walls to
support her weight.
The physics of walking: The foot of a person walking exerts a force
on the earth, and the earth exerts a reaction force on the foot. This
reaction force is a static frictional force, and it opposes the
impending backward motion of the foot, propelling the person
forward in the process.
 A skier is standing motionless on
a horizontal patch of snow. She is
holding onto a horizontal tow rope,
which is about to pull her forward (see
figure). The skier's mass is 59 kg, and
the coefficient of static friction between
the skis and snow is 0.14. What is the
magnitude of the maximum force that
the tow rope can apply to the skier
without causing her to move?
 When the rope applies a relatively small force, the skier does not
accelerate. The reason is that the static frictional force opposes
the applied force and the two forces have the same magnitude.
We can apply Newton's second law in the horizontal direction to
this situation. In order for the rope to pull the skier forward, it
must exert a force large enough to overcome the maximum static
frictional force acting on the skis. The magnitude of the
maximum static frictional force depends on the coefficient of
static friction (which is known) and on the magnitude of the
normal force. We can determine the magnitude of the normal
force by using Newton's second law, along with the fact that the
skier does not accelerate in the vertical direction.
Two horizontal forces act on the skier just before she begins to
move: the force 𝐹 applied by the tow rope and the maximum
static frictional force 𝑓𝑠𝑀𝐴𝑋 . Since the skier is standing motionless,
she is not accelerating in the horizontal or x direction, so 𝑎𝑥 = 0.
𝐹𝑥 = 𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 0

Since the net force 𝐹𝑥 in the x direction is 𝐹𝑥 = +𝐹 − 𝑓𝑠𝑀𝐴𝑋 , 𝐹 −

𝑓𝑠𝑀𝐴𝑋 = 0, thus, 𝐹 = 𝑓𝑠𝑀𝐴𝑋 , therefore 𝑓𝑠𝑀𝐴𝑋 = 𝜇𝑠 𝑁.

We can find the magnitude 𝑁 of the normal force by noting that

the skier does not accelerate in the vertical or y direction, so 𝑎𝑦 =
0.
The figure shows the two vertical forces that act on the skier: the
normal force 𝑁 and her weight 𝑚𝑔. Therefore, 𝐹𝑦 = 𝑚𝑎𝑦 = 0
The net force 𝐹𝑦 in the y direction is 𝐹𝑦 = +𝑁 − 𝑚𝑔, so 𝑁 − 𝑚𝑔 =
0, thus 𝑁 = 𝑚𝑔.
 The magnitude 𝐹 of the maximum force is therefore

𝐹 = 𝑓𝑠𝑀𝐴𝑋 = 𝜇𝑠 𝑁 = 𝜇𝑠 𝑚𝑔
𝐹 = 𝜇𝑠 𝑚𝑔 = 0.14 (59 𝑘𝑔 𝑥 9.80 𝑚/𝑠 2 ) = 81 𝑁 𝑁

If the force exerted by the tow rope exceeds this

value, the skier will begin to accelerate forward.
Kinetic Friction
- a type of friction between two surfaces slipping or sliding across one
another
- acts to try to make sliding objects stop sliding

𝑓𝑘 = 𝜇𝑘 𝑁
where 𝜇𝑘 is the coefficient of kinetic friction

Some rules of the thumb for determining the direction of a frictional

force:
1. Static frictional force acts in whatever direction necessary to prevent
the objects from beginning to slide or slip.
2. Kinetic friction acts in the direction that tends to make the sliding
stop.
3. Frictional forces come in interaction pairs (Third Law)
Tension force is a force often applied by means of ideal cord (or
cables, ropes, string, chain, or tendon) that are used to pull an
object.
Tension has the same value anywhere and is equal to the force
that the cord exerts on the objects attached to its end.

The chain is under tension. Each link is

pulled in opposite directions by its neighbors.
 The figure shows the
bowstring of a bow and arrow
just before it is released. The
archer is pulling back on the
midpoint of the bowstring with a
horizontal force of 162 N. What
is the tension in the bowstring?
 The piece of the bowstring that touches the archer’s finger is in
equilibrium so the net force acting on it is zero.
 It is also pulled on each end by the tension in the string which
can be assumed to be the same everywhere because the weight
of the string is small compared to the other forces acting on it.

𝐹𝑎 is the force applied by

the archer’s finger
 Find the 𝜃 to determine the x – and y-components of the forces
exerted at the end of the bowstring.
𝑜𝑝𝑝 35 𝑐𝑚
sin 𝜃 = = = 0.486, 𝜃 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1 0.486 = 29.1°
ℎ𝑦𝑝 72 𝑐𝑚

 x-component of force exerted on the upper end

𝐹𝑥 = −𝑇 sin 𝜃

 x-component of force exerted on the lower end is the same

𝐹𝑥 = −2𝑇 sin 𝜃 + 𝐹𝑎 = 0
𝐹𝑎 162 𝑁
𝑇= = = 170 𝑁
2 sin 𝜃 2 𝑥 sin 29.1°
Ideal Pulley
An ideal pulley has no mass and no
friction. An ideal pulley exerts no forces on
the cord that are tangent to the cord — it is
not pulling in either direction along the
cord. As a result, the tension of an ideal
cord that runs through an ideal pulley is
the same on both sides of the pulley. It
changes the direction of the force exerted
by a cord under tension without changing
its magnitude.
 An 1804-N engine is hauled upward
at constant speed. What are the tensions in
the three ropes labeled A, B, and C? Assume
the ropes and the pulleys labeled L and R
are ideal.
The engine and pulley L move up at constant speed, so the net
force on each of them is zero.
Pulley R is at rest, so the net force on it is also zero.
Because the pulleys are ideal, the tension in the rope is the same
on both sides of the pulley.
Call the tensions in the three ropes TA , TB , and TC .
2 forces acting on the engine: Rope B pulls upward
the gravitational force =1804 on it with a force of
N, downward and the upward magnitude 𝑇𝐵 . On each
pull of rope A which must be side of the pulley, rope
equal and opposite (the net
force is zero) 𝑇𝐴 = 1804 N. C pulls downward.

𝑇𝐵 = 2𝑇𝐶 = 1804 𝑁

Rope A pulls down with a

force of magnitude as 𝑇𝐴 and
rope C pulls upward on each
side. It has the same tension
throughout that is why all
forces are labeled 𝑇𝐶 (have
same magnitude).

2𝑇𝐶 = 𝑇𝐴
𝑇𝐶 = 902.0 𝑁
The engine is raised by pulling down on a rope – the pulleys
change the direction of the applied force needed to lift the engine
and so as the magnitude of the required force by making the rope
pull up on the engine twice so the person pulling the rope only
needs to exert a force equal to half the engine’s weight.
- a feature exhibited by bodies ranging from dust particles to stars
and galaxies, with people, cars, birds, and planes in between.

Two main branches of mechanics:

a) Kinematics – deals with description or concepts of motion only,
without involving the factors which tend to cause changes in
the motion of bodies
b) Dynamics – includes a study of the factors, like forces and
physical properties of the bodies, which affect the motion of
these bodies
 Motion is relative, and the same is true with the concept of being
at rest. We are at rest with respect to the earth, but we are
moving at high speed with respect to other planets.
Ex. A passenger on a train which is moving on a smooth rails
looks outside the window and says that, relative to him, a person
is standing on the ground is in motion. To the person standing, it is
the train and its passengers which are certainly moving.

 The description of motion of an object requires a determination

of its location or a frame of reference which is usually fixed with
respect to the person making the observation. The frame of
reference includes the reference point (origin, the distance and
the direction = position vector).
Displacement (∆𝑟)
- is the change of the position vector – final position vector minus
the initial position vector

∆𝑟 = 𝑟𝑓 − 𝑟𝑖

- it is not the same as the distance traveled.

- it takes the direction of the motion into account where distance
does not
- its magnitude is not necessarily equal to the distance traveled (It
depends on the starting and ending positions, not on the path
taken.)
 A mule hauls the farmer’s wagon along a straight road for
4.3 km directly south to the neighboring farm where a few bushels
of corn are loaded onto the wagon. Then the farmer drives the mule
back along the same straight road, heading north for 7.2 km to the
market. Find the displacement of the mule from the starting point to
the market.
Suppose the mule starts at position 𝑟1 and reach neighbor’s farm
at position 𝑟2 .
Displacement is ∆𝑟 = 𝑟2 − 𝑟1 = 4.3 km south

Going back to the market at position 𝑟3 .

Displacement is ∆𝑟 = 𝑟3 − 𝑟2 = 7.2 km south

(𝑟3 − 𝑟2 ) + (𝑟2 − 𝑟1 ) = 7.2 + 4.3 km south

(𝑟3 − 𝑟2 ) = 7.2 − 4.3 north = 2.9 km south
Speed is the distance traveled in unit time.

𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 =
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒

Velocity is the rate of change of position.

Average Velocity
- is the displacement divided by the elapsed time.

∆𝑟 𝑟𝑓 − 𝑟𝑖 ∆𝑥 𝑥𝑓 − 𝑥𝑖
𝑣= = 𝑣= =
∆𝑡 𝑡𝑓 − 𝑡𝑖 ∆𝑡 𝑡𝑓 − 𝑡𝑖

- is the product of a vector, the displacement, and a positive scalar, the

inverse of time interval
 The direction of the average velocity is the same as the direction
of the displacement vector.

 Speed indicates how fast an object is moving but it does not

reveal anything about the direction of motion. The concept of
velocity describes both how fast how long an object moves from
one point to the other and the direction of its motion.

 Velocity depends on both the displacement and the time

interval.
 Instantaneous velocity indicates how fast you were moving and
your direction at each instant of time.

∆𝑥
𝑣 = lim
∆𝑡→0 ∆𝑡

It means that the ratio ∆𝑥/∆𝑡 is defined by a limiting process in

which smaller and smaller values of ∆𝑡 (almost zero) are used.
 instantaneous speed – magnitude of instantaneous velocity

 In a wide range of motions, the velocity changes from moment to

moment. The concept of acceleration describes the manner in
which it changes.
 Acceleration is the rate at which the velocity is changing.
𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 ∆𝑣 𝑣𝑓 −𝑣𝑖
Average acceleration = 𝑎 = = =
𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 ∆𝑡 𝑡𝑓 −𝑡𝑖

 Average acceleration is a vector that points in the same direction

as the change in velocity.
 Instantaneous acceleration is an object acceleration at a
particular instant of time.

∆𝑣
𝑎 = lim
∆𝑡→0 ∆𝑡

 When ∆𝑡 becomes extremely small, the average acceleration and

the instantaneous acceleration become equal.
 An inline skater is traveling on a level road with a speed of
8.94 m/s; 120.0 seconds later she is climbing a hill with a 150
angle of incline at a speed of 7.15m/s. (a) What is the change in
her velocity? (b) What is her average acceleration during the 120
second trip?

 To solve for (a), find for the components
𝑣𝑓𝑥 = 𝑣𝑓 cos 𝜃 = 7.15 𝑥 cos 15° = 6.91 𝑚/𝑠
𝑣𝑓𝑦 = 𝑣𝑓 sin 𝜃 = 7.15 𝑥 sin 15° = 1.85 𝑚/𝑠
Since there is no 𝑣𝑖𝑦 ,
𝑣𝑖𝑥 = 𝑣𝑖 = 8.94 𝑚/𝑠

To find the ∆𝑣, determine its components first

∆𝑣𝑥 = 𝑣𝑓𝑥 − 𝑣𝑖𝑥 = −2.03 𝑚/𝑠
∆𝑦 = 𝑣𝑓𝑦 − 𝑣𝑖𝑦 = 1.85 𝑚/𝑠
𝑚
∆𝑣 = (∆𝑣𝑥 )2 + (∆𝑣𝑦 )2 = 2.75
𝑠
∆𝑣𝑦
θ = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 = 42.3° above –x-axis
∆𝑣𝑥
To compute for the acceleration
∇𝑣 2.75 𝑚/𝑠
𝑎𝑎𝑣𝑒 = = = 0.0229 𝑚/𝑠 2
∆𝑡 120.0 𝑠
The direction of average acceleration is the same as the direction
of ∆𝑣 = 42.3° above the –x-axis.
 Whenever the acceleration and velocity vectors have opposite
directions, the object slows down and is said to be
“decelerating”. In contrast, if the acceleration and velocity
vectors point in the same direction, the object speeds up.
 A decelerating object does not necessarily have a negative
acceleration.
 In two dimensions, the motion along the x-direction and motion
along the y-direction are independent of each other.
 The x part of the motion occurs exactly as it would if the y part
did not occur at all. Similarly, they part of the motion occurs
exactly if the x part of the motion did not exist.
Sample Problem
Jack wants to row directly
across a river from the east shore to
a point on the west shore. The width
of the river is 250 m and the current
flows from north to south at 0.61
m/s. The trip takes Jack 4.2 min. In
what direction did he head his
rowboat to follow a course due west
across the river? At what speed with
respect to the still water is Jack able
to row?
Solution
Let R for rowboat, W for water, S for shore
Velocity of the current = velocity of water relative to the shore (𝑣𝑊𝑆 = 0.61 𝑚/𝑠,
south)
To find the direction of the rowboat with
respect to the shore:

250 𝑚
𝑣𝑅𝑆 = = 0.002 𝑚/𝑠
4.2 min 𝑥 60 𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑛

𝑣𝑊𝑆 0.61
tan 𝜃 = = 0.992 = 32° N of W
𝑣𝑅𝑆

To determine the speed with respect to still water:

𝑣𝑅𝑊 = (𝑣𝑊𝑆 )2 + (𝑣𝑅𝑆 )2 = 1.16 𝑚/𝑠
First Law (Law of Inertia)
 An object continues in a state of rest or in a state of motion at a constant
velocity (it continues moving with the same speed and in the same
direction), unless compelled to change that state by a net force.
 No force is required to keep an object in motion if there are no forces
opposing its motion.
Inertia
- is a natural tendency of an object to remain at rest or in motion at a
constant speed along a straight line
- it means resistance to changes in velocity
- it does not mean resistance to the continuation of motion (or the
tendency to come to rest)
Second Law
 When a net force acts on an object, the velocity changes. This law tells
how the net force and the object’s mass determine the change in
velocity.
 When a constant net external force 𝐹 acts on an object of mass 𝑚,
the acceleration 𝑎 that results is directly proportional to the net force
and has a magnitude that is inversely proportional to the mass.
𝐹
𝑎= , therefore, 𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎
𝑚

 In component form, the net force has components 𝐹𝑥 and 𝐹𝑦 , while

acceleration has components 𝑎𝑥 and 𝑎𝑦 .

𝐹𝑥 = 𝑚𝑎𝑥 , 𝐹𝑦 = 𝑚𝑎𝑦
 For constant acceleration (means the velocity vector changes at
a constant rate), the accelerations are
∆𝑣𝑥 ∆𝑣𝑦
𝑎𝑥 = and 𝑎𝑦 =
∆𝑡 ∆𝑡

 When the change in velocity is in the same direction as the net

force, the object is speeding up. When the velocity and the net
force point in opposite directions, their x-components have
opposite signs, and the object is slowing down.
 If 𝑣𝑥 and 𝐹𝑥 are both positive, the object is moving in the +x-
direction and is speeding up. If they are both negative, the object
is moving in –x-direction and is speeding up.
 If 𝑣𝑥 is positive and 𝐹𝑥 is negative, the object is moving in the
+x-direction and is slowing down. When 𝑣𝑥 is negative and 𝐹𝑥 is
positive, the object is moving in the -x-direction and is slowing
down.
 In straight-line motion, the acceleration is always either in the
same direction as the velocity or in direction opposite to the
velocity.
 In changing direction, the acceleration is not along the same line
as the velocity.
 The same net force acting on two different objects produces
accelerations in inverse proportion to the masses.
 The direction of the acceleration is the same as the direction of
the net force.
 Two people are pushing a stalled car, as the figure indicates.
The mass of the car is 1850 kg. One person applies a force of 275
N to the car, while the other applies a force of 395 N. Both forces
act in the same direction. A third force of 560 N also acts on the
car, but in a direction opposite to that in which the people are
pushing. This force arises because of friction and the extent to
which the pavement opposes the motion of the tires. Find the
acceleration of the car.
According to Newton's second law, the acceleration is the net
force divided by the mass of the car.

𝐹 +110 𝑁
𝑎= = = +0.059 𝑚/𝑠 2
𝑚 1850 𝑘𝑔
 A man is stranded on a raft (mass of
man and raft = 1300 kg), as shown in the
figure. By paddling, he causes an average
force 𝑃 of 17 N to be applied to the raft in a
direction due east (the +x direction). The wind
also exerts a force 𝐴 on the raft. This force has
a magnitude of 15 N and points 67° north of
east. Ignoring any resistance from the water,
find the x and y components of the raft's
acceleration.
 Since the mass of the man and the raft is known, Newton's
second law can be used to determine the acceleration
components from the given forces. The acceleration component
in a given direction is the component of the net force in that
direction divided by the mass.
 Applications of Newton's second law always involve the net external
force, which is the vector sum of all the external forces that act on an object.
Each component of the net force leads to a corresponding component of the
acceleration.
 The wheels fall off Beatrice’s suitcase,
so she ties a rope to it and drags it along the
floor of the airport terminal. The rope makes a
40.0° angle with the horizontal. The suitcase
has a mass of 36.0 kg and Beatrice pulls on
the rope with a force of 65.0 N. (a) What is the
magnitude of the normal force acting on the
suitcase due to the floor? (b) If the coefficient
of kinetic friction between the suitcase and
the marble floor is 𝜇𝑘 = 0.13, find the frictional
force acting on the suitcase. (c) What is the
acceleration of the suitcase while Beatrice
pulls with a 65.0 N force at 40.00? (d) Starting
from rest, for how long a time must she pull
with this force until the suitcase reaches a
comfortable walking speed of 0.5 m/s?
 Because the suitcase is dragged horizontally, the y component is always zero.
 The vertical acceleration component is zero because the vertical velocity
component does not change, 𝑎𝑦 = 0.
a.) 𝐹𝑥 = 𝐹 cos 40.0° = 65 𝑁 cos 40.0° = 49.8 𝑁
𝐹𝑦 = 𝐹 sin 40.0° = 65 𝑁 sin 40.0° = 41.8 𝑁
𝐹𝑦 = 𝑚𝑎𝑦 = 0 since 𝑎𝑦 = 0
𝑁 + 𝐹 sin 40.0° − 𝑊 = 0
Since 𝑊 = 𝑚𝑔, 𝑁 = 𝑚𝑔 − 𝐹 sin 40.0°
𝑁
= 36.0 𝑘𝑔 𝑥 9.80 − (65.0 𝑁 𝑥 sin 40.0°)
𝑘𝑔
= 311 𝑁
b.) 𝑓𝑘 = 𝜇𝑘 𝑁 = 0.13 𝑥 311 𝑁 = 40.43 𝑁, in the -x-axis (opposite the
direction of the suitcase)
c.) 𝐹𝑥 = 𝐹 cos 40.0° + (−𝑓𝑥 ) = 49.79 𝑁 − 40.43 𝑁 = 9.36 𝑁
𝐹𝑥 9.36 𝑁
𝑎𝑥 = = = 0.260 𝑚/𝑠 2 in the +x-axis
𝑚 36.0 𝑘𝑔
d.) ∆𝑣𝑥 = 𝑎𝑥 ∆𝑡
since the suitcase starts from rest, 𝑣𝑥𝑖 = 0, ∆𝑣𝑥 = 𝑣𝑥𝑓 − 𝑣𝑥𝑖 = 𝑣𝑥𝑓
𝑣𝑥𝑓 0.5 𝑚/𝑠
∆𝑡 = = =2𝑠
𝑎𝑥 0.260 𝑚/𝑠 2
Third Law (Action-Reaction Law)
 Forces always exist in pairs.
 Every force is part of an interaction between two objects
(interaction pair) and each of those objects exerts a force on the
other.
 In an interaction pair, the second body exerts an oppositely
directed force of equal magnitude (but not always on equal
effect) on the first body. “For every action (force) there is an
equal, but opposite, reaction”.
 Interaction partners act on different objects, one on each of the
two objects that are interacting.
 Third Law does not involved every time two forces happen to be
equal and opposite. There are situations wherein two equal and
opposite forces act on a single object.

Example. Two children fighting over a toy may be pulling on

it with equal and opposite forces. But they cannot be interaction
partners because they act on the same object which is the toy.
 Suppose that the mass of the spacecraft in the figure is 𝑚𝑠 =
11 000 kg and that the mass of the astronaut is 𝑚𝐴 = 92 kg. In
addition, assume that the astronaut exerts a force of 𝑃 = 36 𝑁 on
the spacecraft. Find the accelerations of the spacecraft and the
astronaut.

The astronaut pushes on the spacecraft with a

force +𝑃. According to Newton’s third law, the
spacecraft simultaneously pushes back on the
astronaut with a force −𝑃.
 According to Newton’s third law, when the astronaut applies the
force +𝑃 = +36 𝑁 to the spacecraft, the spacecraft applies a
reaction force −𝑃 = −36 𝑁 to the astronaut. As a result, the
spacecraft and the astronaut accelerate in opposite directions.
Although the action and reaction forces have the same
magnitude, they do not create accelerations of the same
magnitude, because the spacecraft and the astronaut have
different masses. According to Newton’s second law, the
astronaut, having a much smaller mass, will experience a much
larger acceleration. In applying the second law, we note that the
net force acting on the spacecraft is 𝐹 = 𝑃, while the net force
acting on the astronaut is 𝐹 = −𝑃.
 The acceleration of the spacecraft is
𝑃 36 𝑁
𝑎𝑠 = = = +0.0033 𝑚/𝑠 2
𝑚𝑠 11000 𝑘𝑔

 The acceleration of the astronaut is

−𝑃 −36 𝑁
𝑎𝐴 = = = −0.39 𝑚/𝑠 2
𝑚𝐴 92 𝑘𝑔

Even though the magnitudes of the action and reaction forces are
always equal, these forces do not necessarily produce
accelerations that have equal magnitudes, since each force acts on
a different object that may have a different mass.
The physics of automatic trailer brakes: A clever application of
Newton’s third law in some rental trailers. As the figure illustrates,
the tow bar connecting the trailer to the rear bumper of a car
contains a mechanism that can automatically actuate brakes on
the trailer wheels. This mechanism works without the need for
electrical connections between the car and the trailer. When the
driver applies the car brakes, the car slows down. Because of
inertia, however, the trailer continues to roll forward and begins
pushing against the bumper. In
reaction, the bumper pushes
back on the tow bar. The
reaction force is used by the
mechanism in the tow bar to
“push the brake pedal” for the
trailer.
To be continued . . .