4.

7Chapter Review – This is

Module 2 Dynamics
4.7.1 Summary
 Force is a vector quantity.
 Weight is a measure of the force on an object due to the pull of gravity.
 The weight of an object is directly proportional to its mass.
 The vector sum of the forces acting on an object is called the net force.
 The velocity of an object can only change if there is a non-zero net force acting on it.
This statement is an expression of Newton’s First Law of Motion.
 When a non-zero net force acts on an object, it accelerates in the direction of the net
force.
 Acceleration occurs when there is a change in speed and/or direction.
 Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist a change in its motion.
 The forces acting on a moving vehicle are:

–weight, downwards

–the normal reaction force, applied perpendicular to the surface of the road

–the driving force, applied in the direction of motion by the road

–road friction, applied to the non-driving wheels opposite to the direction of motion

–air resistance, applied opposite to the direction of motion.

 The motion of a vehicle depends on the net force acting on the vehicle.
 Newton’s Second Law of Motion describes the relationship between the acceleration
of an object, the net force acting on it, and the object’s mass. It can be expressed
as Fnet=maFnet=ma.
 Newton’s Second Law can be applied to a single object, or a system of multiple
bodies that are in contact or connected together.
 When an object applies a force (an action) to a second object, the second object
applies an equal and opposite force (a reaction) to the first object. This statement is an
expression of Newton’s Third Law of Motion.
 The frictional force, FfFf, acts between pairs of surfaces such that it opposes the
relative motion of one surface across the other. The frictional force always acts parallel to
the surface interface. Ff=μRFf=μR where μμ is the coefficient of friction and RR is the normal
force.

4.7.2 Questions
Assume that the magnitude of the gravitational field strength at the Earth’s surface
is 9.8 m s−29.8 m s−2.
1. Describe the difference between a vector quantity and a scalar quantity.
2. State which of the following are vector quantities:
a. mass
b. weight
c. gravitational field strength
d. time
e. acceleration.
3. 87A slightly overweight physics teacher steps off the bathroom scales and proudly
remarks, ‘My weight is down to 75 kg!75 kg!’ The physics teacher clearly should have known
better. Rewrite the remark in two different ways so that it is correct.
4. A family sedan has a mass of 1400 kg1400 kg with a full tank of petrol.
a. Calculate the magnitude of its weight at the surface of the Earth.
b. Calculate the weight of the car on the surface of Mars where the magnitude of
the gravitational field strength is 3.6 m s−23.6 m s−2.
c. Calculate the mass of the car on the surface of Mars.
5. Estimate your own mass in kilograms and calculate:
a. the magnitude of your weight at the surface of the Earth
b. your weight on the surface of Mars where the magnitude of the gravitational
field strength is 3.6 m s−23.6 m s−2
c. your mass on the planet Mars.
6. The set of kitchen scales in figure 4.30a is used to determine mass. As the spring
inside is compressed, the pointer in front of the scale moves. The beam balance in figure
4.30b is used in many school laboratories to determine mass. Which of the two instruments
would you prefer to use to measure the mass of a small rock (with a mass of less
than 300300 grams) on the Moon? Explain your answer.
FIGURE 4.30
 7. FIGURE 4.31

Determine the net force in each of the situations illustrated in figure 4.31.
8. In the illustrations in figure 4.32, the net force is shown along with all but one of the
contributing forces. Determine the magnitude and direction of the missing force.
FIGURE 4.32
 FIGURE 4.33 The forces acting on you in an elevator

9. 88When you stand in an elevator there are only two significant forces acting on you
— your weight and the normal reaction force. It is important to note that the tension in the
cable is not pulling on you — it is pulling on the elevator. The only object that can push you
upwards is the floor of the elevator.
a. State whether the normal reaction force is less than, equal to or greater than
your weight when the elevator is:
i. stationary
ii. moving upwards with a constant speed
iii. speeding up on its way to the top floor
iv. slowing down as it approaches the top floor.
b. Explain how the movement of elevators in tall buildings sometimes makes
you feel ‘heavy’ or ‘light’.
10. A car is moving north on a horizontal road at a constant speed
of 60 km h−160 km h−1.
a. Draw a diagram showing all of the significant forces acting on the car. Show
all of the forces as if they were acting through the centre of mass.
b. Calculate the net force on the car.
11. When you are standing on a bus or train that stops suddenly, you lurch forwards.
Apply Newton’s First Law of Motion to explain why this happens.
12. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle would have explained a car rolling to a stop
on a horizontal road by saying that it slowed down because there was no constant force to
keep it going. Propose a better explanation.
13. If the bicycle that you are riding runs into an obstacle like a large rock, you may be
flung forwards over the handlebars. Explain in terms of inertia why this happens.
14. When you try to push a broken-down car with its handbrake still on, it does not
move. Explain other forces that are acting on the car to produce a net force of zero.
15. Explain why a car takes longer to stop if the brakes are applied too hard.
16. Determine the magnitude of the horizontal components of each of the following
forces (figure 4.34).
FIGURE 4.34

17. A car rolls freely down a hill with an increasing speed.

a. Draw a diagram to show all the forces acting on the car.
b. What is the direction of the net force on the car?
c. What is the largest single force acting on the car?
d. When the car reaches a horizontal surface it slows, eventually coming to a
stop. Why does this happen?
FIGURE 4.35
18. A cyclist of mass 60 kg60 kg is riding at a constant speed up a hill that is inclined
at 30°30° to the horizontal. The mass of the bicycle is 20 kg20 kg. Figure 4.35 shows the
forces acting on the bicycle–cyclist system.
a. Calculate the net force on the bicycle–cyclist system.
b. The sum of the magnitudes of the road friction and air resistance on the
system is 10 N10 N. What is the magnitude of the component of the weight of the system
that is parallel to the road surface?
c. 89Calculate the magnitude of the driving force DD.
d. Calculate the magnitude of the normal reaction force on the bicycle–cyclist
system.
19. An experienced downhill skier with a mass of 60 kg60 kg (including skis) is moving
with increasing speed down a slope inclined at 30°30°. She is moving in a straight line down
the slope.
a. Calculate the direction of the net force on the skier.
b. Draw a diagram showing the forces acting on the skier. Show all the forces as
if they were acting through her centre of mass.
c. Calculate the magnitude of the component of the skier’s weight that is parallel
to the slope.
d. If the sum of the forces resisting the movement of the skier down the slope
is 8.0 N8.0 N, calculate the magnitude of the net force on her.
20. A ball of mass 0.50 kg0.50 kg is thrown vertically upwards.
a. Calculate the velocity of the ball at the top of its flight.
b. Calculate the magnitude of its acceleration at the top of its flight.
c. Calculate the net force on the ball at the top of its flight.
21. Calculate the magnitude of the net force on each of the following objects:
a. a 1600 kg1600 kg car while it is accelerating
from 00 to 72 km h−1 (20 m s−1)72 km h−1 (20 m s−1) in 5.0 s5.0 s
b. a 500500 tonne Manly ferry while it is cruising at a constant speed
of 20 km h−120 km h−1
c. a space shuttle at lift-off, when its acceleration is 3.0 m s−23.0 m s−2 and its lift-
off mass is 2.2×106 kg2.2×106 kg.
22. A car of mass 1200 kg1200 kg starts from rest on a horizontal road and a forward
thrust of 10 000 N10 000 N is applied. The resistance to motion due to road friction and air
resistance totals 2500 N2500 N.
a. Calculate the magnitude of the net force on the car.
b. Calculate the magnitude of the acceleration of the car.
c. Calculate the speed of the car after 5.0 s5.0 s.
d. Calculate the distance the car has travelled after 5.0 s5.0 s.
23. A train of mass 8.0×106  kg8.0×106  kg, travelling at a speed of 30 m s−130 m s−1,
brakes and comes to rest in 25 s25 s with a constant deceleration.
a. Calculate the frictional force acting on the train while it is decelerating.
b. Calculate the stopping distance of the train.
24. A physics teacher decides, just for fun, to use bathroom scales (calibrated in
newtons) in an elevator. The scales provide a measure of the force with which they push up
on the teacher. When the lift is stationary the reading on the bathroom scales is 823 N823 N.
Calculate the reading on the scales when the elevator is:
a. moving upwards at a constant speed of 2.0 m s−12.0 m s−1
b. accelerating downwards at 2.0 m s−22.0 m s−2
c. accelerating upwards at 2.0 m s−22.0 m s−2.
25. A roller-coaster carriage (and its occupants), with a total mass of 400 kg400 kg, rolls
freely down a straight part of the track inclined at 40°40° to the horizontal with a constant
acceleration. The frictional force on the carriage is a constant 180 N180 N. Assume that air
resistance is insignificant. What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the carriage?
FIGURE 4.36

26. A skateboarder with a mass of 56 kg56 kg is rolling freely down a straight incline. The
motion of the skateboarder is described in the graph in figure 4.36. Assume that air
resistance is insignificant.
a. Calculate the magnitude of the net force on the skateboarder.
b. If the friction force resisting the motion of the skateboarder is a
constant 140 N140 N, at what angle is the slope inclined to the horizontal?
27. 90The magnitude of the air resistance, RR, on a car can be approximated by the
formula:
R=1.2 v2R=1.2 v2
where RR is measured in newtons and vv is the speed of the car in m s−1m s−1.
a. Design a spreadsheet to calculate the magnitude of the force of air resistance
and the net force on the car for a range of speeds as it accelerates
from 20 km h−120 km h−1 to 60 km h−160 km h−1 on a horizontal road. Assume that while
accelerating, the driving force is a constant 1800 N1800 N and the road friction on the non-
driving wheels is a constant 300 N300 N.
b. Use your spreadsheet to plot a graph of the net force versus speed for the
car.
c. Modify your spreadsheet to show how the net force on the car changes when
the same acceleration (from 20 km h−120 km h−1 to 60 km h−160 km h−1) is undertaken while
driving up a road inclined at 10°10° to the horizontal.
28. A 6 kg6 kg bowling ball and a 60 kg60 kg gold bar are dropped at the same instant
from the third floor of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Use Newton’s Second Law of Motion to
explain why:
a. they both reach the ground at the same time
b. a 6 kg6 kg doormat dropped from the same location at the same time takes
longer to reach the ground.
29. Copy and complete the following table by fully describing the missing half of the
action–reaction pairs.

30. What force provides the forward thrust that gets you moving when you are:
a. cycling
b. skateboarding
c. downhill skiing
d. swimming
e. water skiing
f. rowing?
31. Two loaded trolleys of masses 3.0 kg3.0 kg and 4.0 kg4.0 kg (which are joined by a
light string) are pulled by a spring balance along a smooth horizontal laboratory bench as
shown in figure 4.37. The reading on the spring balance is 14 N14 N.
FIGURE 4.37

a. Calculate the acceleration of the trolleys.

b. Calculate the magnitude of the tension in the light string joining the two
trolleys.
c. Calculate the net force on the 4.0 kg4.0 kg trolley.
d. Calculate the acceleration of the 4.0 kg4.0 kg trolley if the string was cut.
32. FIGURE 4.38

A warehouse worker applies a force of 420 N420 N to push two crates across the floor as
shown in figure 4.38. The friction force opposing the motion of the crates is a
constant 2.0 N2.0 N for each kilogram.
a. 91Calculate the acceleration of the crates.
b. Calculate the net force on the 40 kg40 kg crate.
c. Calculate the force exerted by the 40 kg40 kg crate on the 30 kg30 kg crate.
d. Calculate the force exerted by the 30 kg30 kg crate on the 40 kg40 kg crate.
e. Would the worker find it any easier to give the crates the same acceleration if
the positions of the two crates were reversed? Support your answer with calculations.
33. FIGURE 4.39
 A well-coordinated in-line skater is playing with a yo-yo while accelerating on a horizontal
surface. Figure 4.39 shows that when the yo-yo is at its lowest point it makes an angle
of 5°5° with the vertical. Determine the acceleration of the in-line skater.
34. The graph in figure 4.40 shows the acceleration experienced by a wooden block
placed on a concrete floor as it is pushed across the floor by a force FAFA.
From this graph, determine:
a. the limiting friction
b. the mass of the block
c. the sliding friction.
35. A 3 kg3 kg lantern suspended from a verandah roof by a 50 cm50 cm chain is blown
by the wind so that it hangs at an angle θθ to the vertical for the duration of the wind gust. If
the wind blows from the east and exerts a constant force of 20 N20 N, determine the
tension, TT, in the chain and the angle θ.θ..
FIGURE 4.40