Note
Note
Physics deals with various quantities used to describe the world. These quantities are divided
into two categories: Scalars and Vectors.
Vectors
A body is in equilibrium when the net force acting on it is zero. There are three types:
1. Stable Equilibrium
2. Unstable Equilibrium
If displaced, the body moves further away from its original position.
Example: A ball on top of a hill.
3. Neutral Equilibrium
Question:
Which of the following are scalars, and which are vectors?
(a) Distance
(b) Velocity
(c) Mass
(d) Displacement
(e) Temperature
Solution:
Question:
Two forces of 5 N and 12 N act at an angle of 90°. Find the resultant force.
Solution:
Using Pythagoras' theorem:
Question:
Two forces 20 N and 30 N act at 60° to each other. Find the resultant force.
Solution:
Using the formula:
Question:
A force of 50 N acts at an angle of 30° from the horizontal. Find its horizontal and vertical
components.
Solution:
Using trigonometry:
Answer:
Question:
A person pulls a 10 kg box with a force of 100 N at 30° above the horizontal. If the box is in
equilibrium, what is the opposing force?
Solution:
If the box is in equilibrium, the opposing force must equal the applied force’s horizontal
component:
Fopposing=Fcosθ=100cos30°=100×0.866=86.6 NF_{\text{opposing}} = F \
cos \theta = 100 \cos 30° = 100 \times 0.866 = 86.6 \text{ N}
Question:
State the type of equilibrium for the following:
(a) A pencil balanced on its tip.
(b) A ball placed in a valley.
(c) A book resting on a table.
Solution:
(a) Unstable Equilibrium – Small disturbance makes it fall.
(b) Stable Equilibrium – If displaced, it returns to its original position.
(c) Neutral Equilibrium – If moved, it stays in its new position.
Question:
A 10 kg block is suspended by a rope. Find the tension in the rope.
Solution:
Using Newton’s second law:
Question:
A person has a mass of 75 kg. Find their weight.
Solution:
Question:
A 20 N force is applied 3 m from a pivot. Find the moment of force.
Solution:
Question:
A ladder leans against a wall. What condition must be met for equilibrium?
Solution:
Mathematical Formula:
Moment=Force×Perpendicular Distance\text{Moment} = \text{Force} \times
\text{Perpendicular Distance} M=F×dM = F \times d
Mathematical Expression:
∑Mclockwise=∑Mcounterclockwise\sum M_{\text{clockwise}} = \sum M_{\
text{counterclockwise}}
If this condition holds, the object remains balanced and does not rotate.
Question:
A 10 N force is applied at a 5 m distance from a pivot. Find the moment of force.
Solution:
Question:
A 15 N force is applied at a 3 m distance at an angle of 60° to the horizontal. Find the moment
about the pivot.
Solution:
Only the perpendicular component of force contributes to the moment:
Answer: 38.97 Nm
Question:
A 20 N force is applied 6 m from a pivot in a clockwise direction. What is the moment?
Solution:
Answer: -120 Nm
Question:
A seesaw has a 40 N child sitting 2 m to the left of the pivot and a 50 N child sitting x m to the
right. Find xx for equilibrium.
Solution:
Answer: 1.6 m
Example 5: Two Forces Acting in Opposite Directions
Question:
A 12 N force is applied 4 m from a pivot clockwise, and another 8 N force is applied 6 m
counterclockwise. Is the system balanced?
Solution:
Question:
A 5 m long beam is supported at the center. A 30 N force acts at 1 m left, and a 40 N force acts 2
m right. Find the force at the left end for equilibrium.
Solution:
Answer: 44 N
Question:
A 25 N force is applied 0.8 m from the hinges of a door at 90°. Find the torque.
Solution:
Question:
A force acts along the axis of rotation of a beam. What is the moment?
Solution:
If the force passes through the pivot, d = 0, so:
M=F×0=0M = F \times 0 = 0
Answer: 0 Nm
Question:
A 50 N force is applied 0.2 m away from the nut. Find the moment.
Solution:
Answer: 10 Nm
Question:
A 15 kg object hangs 3 m from a pivot. Find its moment.
Solution:
Weight W=mgW = mg
Answer: 441 Nm
Summary of Week 2 Topics
✔ Moment = Force × Perpendicular Distance.
✔ Clockwise moment is negative, counterclockwise moment is positive.
✔ For equilibrium, sum of clockwise moments = sum of counterclockwise moments.
Key Points:
✔ For small objects, C.G. and C.M. are at the same point.
✔ For large objects in varying gravitational fields, they may differ slightly.
3.3 Resultant and Components of Forces
Resultant Force: A single force that has the same effect as multiple
forces acting together.
Components of Force: A force can be resolved into two
perpendicular forces using trigonometry.
Question:
Find the center of gravity of a uniform 2 m long metal rod.
Solution:
Since the rod is uniform, its center of gravity is at the midpoint.
Question:
Find the center of gravity of a uniform triangular sheet of base 6 m and height 4 m.
Solution:
For a triangle, the C.G. is one-third the height from the base:
Question:
How do you find the center of gravity of an irregularly shaped metal plate?
Solution:
Question:
Two forces of 30 N and 40 N act at 60°. Find the resultant.
Solution:
Using the formula:
Answer: 60.83 N
Question:
Resolve a 50 N force acting at 30° into horizontal and vertical components.
Solution:
Question:
A 20 N force acts 3 m left of a pivot. What force must act 4 m right to balance it?
Solution:
Using moment equilibrium:
Answer: 15 N
Example 7: Application in Construction
Question:
Why are tall buildings designed with a low center of gravity?
Answer:
A low C.G. makes the structure more stable, reducing the chance of tipping over.
Question:
Why do sports cars have a lower center of gravity than SUVs?
Answer:
A lower center of gravity improves stability and reduces rollover risk.
Question:
Why do high jumpers bend their bodies over the bar?
Answer:
By shifting their center of gravity, they can clear the bar more easily.
Question:
A beam has two weights, 20 N at 2 m and 40 N at 6 m. Find the C.G..
Solution:
Using the moment method:
Real-Life Examples:
4.3 Strain
Strain is the measure of deformation due to applied stress. It is a dimensionless quantity.
Question:
A 500 N force is applied to a metal rod with a cross-sectional area of 0.01 m². Calculate the
stress.
Solution:
Answer: 50,000 Pa
Question:
A wire of 2 m stretches by 0.002 m under tension. Find the strain.
Solution:
Question:
A bridge cable with a cross-sectional area of 0.02 m² supports a load of 2,000 N. Find the
tensile stress.
Solution:
Answer: 100,000 Pa
Question:
A pillar with a 0.5 m² base supports a 30,000 N load. Find the compressive stress.
Solution:
Answer: 60,000 Pa
Question:
A beam in a building experiences shear stress due to an applied force of 5,000 N over an area
of 0.1 m². Find the shear stress.
Solution:
Answer: 50,000 Pa
Example 6: Calculating Bending Stress in a Beam
Question:
A wooden beam bends under a force of 10,000 N. If its cross-sectional area is 0.05 m², calculate
the bending stress.
Solution:
Answer: 200,000 Pa
Question:
A metal rod has a tensile stress of 80,000 Pa and a compressive stress of 120,000 Pa. Which is
greater?
Answer:
Compressive stress (120,000 Pa) is greater than tensile stress (80,000 Pa).
Question:
A rubber band stretches under a force but returns to its original shape. What type of deformation
is this?
Answer:
This is elastic deformation because the material returns to its original form.
Question:
A metal wire is stretched beyond its limit and does not return to its original shape. What is this
called?
Answer:
This is plastic deformation, meaning the material has permanently changed shape.
Example 10: Failure of a Material Under Excess Stress
Question:
A steel bar with a maximum stress limit of 500,000 Pa is subjected to 600,000 Pa. What will
happen?
Answer:
The bar will break or fracture because the stress exceeds its tensile strength.
Question:
A structural steel beam is designed to handle a maximum stress of 250 MPa under a working
load of 200 MPa. Is it within the safe limit?
Solution:
The working stress should always be less than or equal to the material’s allowable stress.
Since 200 MPa < 250 MPa, the material is safe for use.
Answer: Yes, it is within the safe limit.
Question:
A steel plate of thickness 5 cm is subjected to a shear force, causing a displacement of 0.002 m
over a length of 1 m. If the shear stress applied is 100 MPa, find the shear modulus (G).
Solution:
Answer: 50 GPa
Question:
A liquid is compressed under a pressure increase of 10 MPa, causing its volume to decrease by
0.1%. Find the bulk modulus of the liquid.
Solution:
Answer: 10 GPa
Question:
A cylindrical rod is stretched, increasing its length by 0.005 m while its diameter decreases
by 0.0008 m. If the original length was 1 m and the original diameter was 0.1 m, find Poisson’s
ratio (ν).
Solution:
Answer: 0.4
Question:
A copper wire with a cross-sectional area of 5 × 10⁻⁶ m² breaks under a force of 100 N. Find
the tensile strength.
Solution:
Answer: 20 MPa
Shear
Steel,
Modulus G=τγG = \frac{\tau}{\gamma} Pascal (Pa)
rubber
(G)
Shear Bolts,
τ=FA\tau = \frac{F}{A} Pascal (Pa)
Stress (τ) beams
Tensile Steel,
σ=FA\sigma = \frac{F}{A} Pascal (Pa)
Strength copper
✔ Types of Motion:
1. First Equation:
v=u+atv = u + at
2. Second Equation:
s=ut+12at2s = ut + \frac{1}{2}at^2
o s = Displacement (m)
3. Third Equation:
4. Fourth Equation:
These equations help analyze motion without needing forces (pure kinematics).
✔ If dropped: u = 0
✔ If thrown upwards: a = -9.81 m/s² (deceleration)
Worked Examples (10 Problems with Solutions)
Example 1: Calculating Final Velocity
Question:
A car accelerates from 10 m/s to 30 m/s in 5 seconds. Find its acceleration.
Solution:
Using v=u+atv = u + at
Question:
A car starts at 5 m/s and accelerates at 2 m/s² for 6 seconds. Find the displacement.
Solution:
Using s=ut+12at2s = ut + \frac{1}{2}at^2
Answer: 66 m
Question:
A cyclist starts at rest (u = 0) and accelerates at 1.5 m/s² over a distance of 20 m. Find the final
velocity.
Solution:
Using v2=u2+2asv^2 = u^2 + 2as
Question:
A ball moving at 3 m/s accelerates at 5 m/s² until it reaches 18 m/s. Find the time taken.
Solution:
Using v=u+atv = u + at
Answer: 3 seconds
Question:
A stone is dropped from a height of 45 m. Find how long it takes to reach the ground.
Solution:
Using s=ut+12gt2s = ut + \frac{1}{2}gt^2
Question:
A ball is thrown upwards with 15 m/s velocity. Find the max height.
Solution:
Using v2=u2+2asv^2 = u^2 + 2as (v = 0 at max height)
Answer: 11.47 m
Example 7: Time to Reach Maximum Height
Question:
Find the time for the ball in Example 6 to reach max height.
Solution:
Using v=u+atv = u + at
Using the result from Example 7, the total time = 2 × 1.53 = 3.06 seconds
Question:
A car moving at 20 m/s is brought to rest in 50 m. Find acceleration.
Solution:
Using v2=u2+2asv^2 = u^2 + 2as
Answer: 5 seconds
Summary of Key Concepts
Concept Formula Example
Car
Velocity v=u+atv = u + at
acceleration
"An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion continues in motion with the same
speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force."
✔ Real-Life Examples:
"The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely
proportional to its mass."
✔ Mathematical Form:
F=maF = ma
F = Force (Newton, N)
m = Mass (kg)
a = Acceleration (m/s²)
✔ Implications:
✔ Real-Life Examples:
Question:
A 10 kg object is pushed with a force of 50 N. Find its acceleration.
Solution:
Using F=maF = ma
Answer: 5 m/s²
Question:
A 2 kg object accelerates at 8 m/s². Find the force applied.
Solution:
Using F=maF = ma
Answer: 16 N
Question:
A force of 30 N causes an acceleration of 6 m/s². Find the mass.
Solution:
Using F=maF = ma
Answer: 5 kg
Question:
A car of mass 1000 kg decelerates at 4 m/s² due to braking force. Find the force applied.
Solution:
Using F=maF = ma
Question:
A person has a mass of 70 kg. Find their weight on Earth (g = 9.81 m/s²).
Solution:
Weight W=mgW = mg
Answer: 686.7 N
Question:
A 5 kg stone falls freely. What is its acceleration?
Solution:
Since the only force acting is gravity,
Question:
Two forces, 10 N east and 6 N west, act on a 3 kg object. Find acceleration.
Solution:
Net force: 10 - 6 = 4 N (East)
Question:
Find the force required to lift a 15 kg object vertically.
Solution:
Lifting force = weight = mgmg
Answer: 147.15 N
Question:
A 1000 kg rocket experiences thrust force of 20,000 N. Find its acceleration.
Solution:
Using F=maF = ma
a=200001000=20 m/s²a = \frac{20000}{1000} = 20 \text{ m/s²}
Answer: 20 m/s²
Question:
Two objects of 2 kg and 4 kg experience the same force. Compare their accelerations.
Solution:
For 2 kg object:
a=F2a = \frac{F}{2}
For 4 kg object:
a=F4a = \frac{F}{4}
✔ Real-Life Examples:
8.1 Work
Definition of Work
In physics, work is done when a force applied to an object causes displacement in the direction
of the force.
✔ Mathematical Formula:
W=FdcosθW = Fd \cos\theta
Where:
✔ Key Points:
Question:
A 50 N force pushes a box 4 m along a surface. Find the work done if the force is in the direction
of motion.
Solution:
W=FdcosθW = Fd \cos\theta
Answer: 200 J
Question:
A 10 N force pulls an object 5 m at an angle of 60° to the horizontal. Find the work done.
Solution:
Answer: 25 J
Question:
A 20 kg box is lifted 2 m vertically. Find the work done. (g = 9.81 m/s²)
Solution:
Weight of the box: F=mg=20×9.81=196.2NF = mg = 20 \times 9.81 = 196.2 N
Answer: 392.4 J
Question:
A 5 kg object moves 3 m with a friction force of 10 N acting opposite to the motion. Find the
work done by friction.
Solution:
Since friction opposes motion, θ = 180° (cos 180° = -1).
8.2 Energy
Definition of Energy
Energy is the capacity to do work. It exists in various forms, including kinetic energy (KE)
and potential energy (PE).
✔ Mathematical Formula:
Where:
m = Mass (kg)
v = Velocity (m/s)
1. A moving car.
2. A flying airplane.
3. A running athlete.
4. A swinging pendulum.
5. A rolling ball.
6. A bullet fired from a gun.
7. A river flowing.
8. A moving train.
9. A cyclist in motion.
10. Wind blowing.
Question:
Find the kinetic energy of a 2 kg object moving at 10 m/s.
Solution:
Answer: 100 J
✔ Mathematical Formula:
PE=mghPE = mgh
Where:
h = Height (m)
Question:
A 5 kg object is placed at a 10 m height. Find its potential energy.
Solution:
Answer: 490.5 J
8.3 Power
Definition of Power
✔ Mathematical Formula:
P=WtP = \frac{W}{t}
Where:
P = Power (Watts, W)
W = Work done (J)
t = Time taken (s)
Question:
A machine does 1000 J of work in 5 seconds. Find the power.
Solution:
Answer: 200 W
This concludes Week 8: Work, Energy, and Power. Let me know if you need clarifications
before moving to Week 9: Impulse and Momentum.
Week 9: Impulse and Momentum
This week, we will explore momentum and impulse, their mathematical formulations, real-life
applications, and problem-solving techniques. These concepts are fundamental in physics,
especially in mechanics and collision analysis.
✔ Mathematical Formula:
p=mvp = mv
Where:
p = Momentum (kg·m/s)
m = Mass (kg)
v = Velocity (m/s)
✔ Key Properties:
Question:
Find the momentum of a 5 kg object moving at 8 m/s.
Solution:
Answer: 40 kg·m/s
Question:
A 2000 kg car moves at 10 m/s, while a 1000 kg truck moves at 20 m/s. Which has more
momentum?
Solution:
Momentum of the car:
Question:
A 10 g bullet moves at 300 m/s. Find its momentum.
Solution:
Convert mass to kg:
10 g=0.01 kg10 \text{ g} = 0.01 \text{ kg} p=0.01×300=3 kg\cdotpm/sp =
0.01 \times 300 = 3 \text{ kg·m/s}
Answer: 3 kg·m/s
9.2 Impulse
Definition of Impulse
✔ Mathematical Formula:
Where:
J = Impulse (N·s)
F = Force (N)
Δt = Time duration (s)
Δp = Change in momentum
✔ Key Concepts:
Question:
A 20 N force acts on an object for 4 s. Find the impulse.
Solution:
Answer: 80 N·s
Question:
A 2 kg ball moving at 5 m/s is stopped in 0.5 s. Find the force applied.
Solution:
Initial momentum:
Final momentum:
Change in momentum:
Impulse equation:
In an isolated system, the total momentum before a collision is equal to the total
momentum after the collision.
✔ Mathematical Formula:
Where:
✔ Types of Collisions:
Question:
A 1000 kg car moves at 20 m/s and collides with a 2000 kg truck at rest. They stick together.
Find their final velocity.
Solution:
This concludes Week 9: Impulse and Momentum. Let me know if you need clarifications
before moving to Week 10: Circular Motion and Centripetal Forces.
Circular motion occurs when an object moves in a circular path with a fixed radius. It can be
uniform (constant speed) or non-uniform (changing speed).
✔ Key Concepts:
The velocity of the object changes direction but not magnitude (in
uniform circular motion).
The acceleration always points toward the center (centripetal
acceleration).
The force required to keep an object in circular motion is called
centripetal force.
✔ Mathematical Representation:
ac=v2ra_c = \frac{v^2}{r}
Where:
Question:
A car moves at 30 m/s around a curve with a radius of 50 m. Find its centripetal acceleration.
Solution:
ac=v2r=30250=90050=18 m/s²a_c = \frac{v^2}{r} = \frac{30^2}{50} = \
frac{900}{50} = 18 \text{ m/s²}
Answer: 18 m/s²
Question:
A Ferris wheel has a radius of 15 m and rotates at 10 m/s. Find its centripetal acceleration.
Solution:
Centripetal force is the force that keeps an object moving in a circular path. It always acts
toward the center of the circle.
✔ Mathematical Formula:
Where:
Question:
A 2 kg ball moves at 5 m/s in a circular path of radius 3 m. Find the centripetal force.
Solution:
Answer: 16.67 N
Question:
A 1000 kg car moves around a curve with a radius of 50 m at 20 m/s. Find the centripetal force.
Solution:
Answer: 8000 N
10.3 Banking of Roads and Circular Motion
Banked Roads and Centripetal Force
When a car turns on a curved road, friction and normal force provide centripetal force. On a
banked curve, the design reduces the dependence on friction.
Where:
θ = Banking angle
v = Velocity (m/s)
r = Radius of curvature (m)
g = Acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²)
Question:
A car moves at 25 m/s around a banked curve of radius 100 m. Find the required banking angle.
Solution:
tanθ=v2rg=252100×9.8\tan \theta = \frac{v^2}{r g} = \frac{25^2}{100 \
times 9.8} tanθ=625980=0.637\tan \theta = \frac{625}{980} = 0.637
θ=tan−1(0.637)=32.5∘\theta = \tan^{-1} (0.637) = 32.5^\circ
Answer: 32.5°
This concludes Week 10: Circular Motion and Centripetal Forces. Let me know if you have
any questions before we move to Week 11: Work, Energy, and Power.