Chapter: Laws of Motion (Class 11 Physics)

1. Introduction to Motion

 Motion: The change in position of an object with respect to time.

 Rest: When an object does not change its position with time.

 Types of Motion:

o Linear Motion: Motion in a straight line.

o Rotational Motion: Motion around a fixed point.

o Oscillatory Motion: Back-and-forth motion (e.g., a pendulum).

2. Newton's Laws of Motion

Newton's three laws of motion form the foundation for understanding classical mechanics.

First Law of Motion (Law of Inertia)

 Statement: An object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will stay in motion with
the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force.

 Inertia: The property of an object to resist changes in its state of rest or uniform motion.

 Example: A car suddenly stops, and you feel pushed forward. This is because your body tends to
maintain its motion due to inertia.

Second Law of Motion (Law of Acceleration)

 Statement: The rate of change of momentum of an object is directly proportional to the applied
force and occurs in the direction of the applied force.

 Mathematical Formulation: F=maF = maF=ma Where:

o FFF = Force applied on the object (in Newtons),

o mmm = Mass of the object (in kg),

o aaa = Acceleration of the object (in m/s²).

 Explanation: This law quantifies how the force acting on an object changes its motion. If the
force is doubled, the acceleration also doubles (for a constant mass).
  Example: If you push a car and a truck with the same force, the car will accelerate more because
its mass is less than that of the truck.

Third Law of Motion (Action and Reaction)

 Statement: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

 Explanation: This means that if an object A exerts a force on object B, object B simultaneously
exerts an equal force in the opposite direction on object A.

 Example: When you jump off a boat, the boat moves backward because of the force you exert
on it.

3. Force and Its Types

 Force: A vector quantity that can change an object's state of motion. Measured in Newtons (N).

o Contact Forces: Forces that occur when objects are physically touching each other.

 Examples: Friction, tension, normal force, applied force.

o Non-contact Forces: Forces that act without physical contact.

 Examples: Gravitational force, electrostatic force, magnetic force.

4. Momentum

 Momentum (p): The product of an object's mass and velocity. p=mvp = mvp=mv Where:

o ppp = Momentum (kg·m/s),

o mmm = Mass (kg),

o vvv = Velocity (m/s).

 Law of Conservation of Momentum: In an isolated system, the total momentum before and
after an event (such as a collision) remains constant, provided no external forces act on the
system.

5. Impulse

 Impulse (J): The change in momentum of an object when a force is applied for a time interval.
J=FΔtJ = F \Delta tJ=FΔt Where:
 o JJJ = Impulse (Ns),

o FFF = Force (N),

o Δt\Delta tΔt = Time duration (s).

 Relation between Impulse and Momentum: J=Δp=m(v−u)J = \Delta p = m(v - u)J=Δp=m(v−u)

Where:

o Δp\Delta pΔp = Change in momentum,

o vvv = Final velocity,

o uuu = Initial velocity.

6. Free-Body Diagrams

 A free-body diagram is a graphical representation of all the forces acting on an object.

 Forces are represented by arrows, and the object is isolated to show the interactions.

7. Types of Forces

1. Gravitational Force:

o The force of attraction between any two masses.

o Formula: F=Gm1m2r2F = \frac{G m_1 m_2}{r^2}F=r2Gm1m2, where GGG is the

gravitational constant, m1m_1m1 and m2m_2m2 are the masses, and rrr is the distance
between them.

o Weight (W) of an object is the force due to gravity: W=mgW = mgW=mg (where ggg is
the acceleration due to gravity).

2. Frictional Force:

o A force that opposes the relative motion of two surfaces in contact.

o Static friction: The friction that prevents relative motion between two surfaces.

o Kinetic friction: The friction that opposes the motion when two surfaces are sliding past
each other.

o Formula for kinetic friction: fk=μkNf_k = \mu_k Nfk=μkN, where μk\mu_kμk is the
coefficient of kinetic friction, and NNN is the normal force.
 3. Tension Force:

o The force transmitted through a rope, string, or cable when it is pulled tight.

o Tension is equal at both ends of an ideal, massless rope.

4. Normal Force:

o The force exerted by a surface to support the weight of an object resting on it. It acts
perpendicular to the surface.

8. Applications of Newton's Laws

 In Elevators: When an elevator accelerates upwards or downwards, the apparent weight of a

person changes due to the acceleration of the elevator (use of F=maF = maF=ma).

 In Vehicles: Understanding motion and stopping distance using frictional forces, mass, and
acceleration.

9. Circular Motion and Centripetal Force

 Circular Motion: When an object moves along a circular path, it is constantly changing direction,
which requires a centripetal force.

 Centripetal Force (Fc): The force that keeps an object moving in a circular path, directed
towards the center of the circle. Fc=mv2rF_c = \frac{mv^2}{r}Fc=rmv2 Where:

o mmm = Mass of the object,

o vvv = Speed of the object,

o rrr = Radius of the circular path.

10. Applications of the Laws of Motion in Daily Life

 Seat Belts in Cars: When the car comes to a sudden stop, the body tends to remain in motion
due to inertia. Seat belts apply an external force to bring the body to rest.

 Action and Reaction Forces in Swimming: When a swimmer pushes the water backward with
their hands, the water pushes the swimmer forward.
Important Formulas

 Newton’s Second Law: F=maF = maF=ma

 Momentum: p=mvp = mvp=mv

 Impulse: J=FΔtJ = F \Delta tJ=FΔt

 Centripetal Force: Fc=mv2rF_c = \frac{mv^2}{r}Fc=rmv2

Key Points to Remember

1. Newton’s laws apply to all objects, whether at rest or in motion.

2. Inertia is the tendency of objects to resist changes in their motion.

3. Momentum is a conserved quantity in a system with no external forces.

4. Forces are vectors, meaning they have both magnitude and direction.