CHAPTER 3: LAWS OF MOTION

EXERCISE 3(A)

Q. 1.) Explain giving two examples each of :

(a) Contact forces (b) Non-contact forces.

Ans. a)Contact Forces: The forces that are acting in the bodies while they are in physical
contact.
Example: Force of friction, force on object being pushed.

b)Non-contact forces: The forces that act on the bodies even when they are not in
physical contact.
Example: Force of gravitation, electromagnetic force.

Q. 2.) Classify the following amongst the contact and non-contact forces:

a) Frictional force.
b) Normal reaction force.
c) Force of tension in a string.
d) Gravitational force.
e) Electrostatic force.
f) Magnetic force.

Ans. Contact forces: (a),(b) and (c).

Non contact forces: (d), (e) and (f).

Q. 3.) Give one example in each case where:

a) The force is of contact, and

b) Force is at a distance.

Ans. (a)Force of friction

(b) electromagnetic force

Q. 4.) (a) A ball is hanging by a string by a ceiling of the roof. Draw a neat labeled diagram
showing the force acting on the ball and the string.

(b) A string is compressed against a rigid wall. Draw the neat and labeled diagram
showing the force acting on the string.
 (c) A wooden block is placed on a table top. Name the forces acting on the block and
draw a neat and labelled diagram to show the point of application and direction of
these forces.

Ans.

C. The weight of block acts in the downward direction while the force of normal
reaction from the table acts upward.
Q. 5.) State one factor on which the magnitude of the non-contact force depends. How does
it depend on the factor stated by you?

Ans. The distance by which the two bodies are separated affects the magnitude of the forces.
The forces are inversely proportional to the square of the distance between two bodies.

Q. 6.) The separation between two masses is reduced to half. How is the magnitude of
gravitational force between them affected?

Ans. As F=GMm/R2, the force becomes 4 times of the original if distance is reduced to half.

Q. 7.) State the effect of the force applied on

(i) a non-rigid, and

(ii) a rigid body. How does the effect of the force differ in the two cases?

Ans. i) When we apply force on a non rigid body, its shape changes or motion is also
produced as the force affects the interspacing between its constituent particles.

ii) When we apply force on a rigid body, it produces motion in it as it cannot change the
interspacing between its constituent particles.

Q. 8.) Give one example in each of the following cases where a force:

a) Stops a moving body

b) Moves a stationary body.
c) Changes the size of body.
d) Changes the shape of body.

Ans. i)Catching a ball.

ii) Engine pulling a train.
 iii) Compressing air.
iv) pressing a metal to change its shape.

MULTIPLE CHOICE TYPE

Q. 1.) Which of the following is the contact force :

a) Electrostatic force
b) Gravitational force
c) Frictional force
d) Magnetic force

Ans. (c).

Q. 2.) The non-contact force is:

a) Force of reaction
b) Force due to gravity
c) Tension in string
d) Force of friction

Ans. (b).
 EXERCISE 3(B)

Q. 1.) Name the physical quantity which causes motion in body.

Ans. Force.

Q. 2.) Is force needed to keep a moving body in motion?

Ans. No.

Q. 3.) A ball moving on a table top eventually stops. Explain the reason.

Ans. It is due to the frictional force experienced by the ball from the table top.

Q. 4.) A ball is moving on perfectly smooth horizontal surface. If no force is applied on it, will
its speed decrease, increase or remain unchanged ?

Ans. It will remain unchanged.

Q. 5.) What is the Galileo’s law of inertia?

Ans. Galileo’s law of inertia states that a body at rest remains at rest and a body in uniform
motion will remain in motion until and unless an external force is applied to it.

Q. 6.) State the Newton’s first law of motion?

Ans. Newton’s first law of motion states that a body at rest remains at rest and a body in
motion will remain in motion until and unless an external force is applied to it.

Q. 7.) State and explain the law of inertia (or Newton’s first law of motion).

Ans. The law of inertia states that a body at rest or in motion remains to be at rest or in
motion and the property by virtue of which it resists the change in its state is called
inertia.

Q. 8.) What is meant by the term inertia ?

Ans. The property of a body by virtue of which it resists the change in its state is called
inertia.

Q. 9.) Give qualitative definition of force on the basis of Newton’s first law of motion.

Ans. On the basis of Newton’s first law of motion, force is an external cause that either
moves a stationary body or stops a moving body.
Q. 10.)Name the factor on which inertia of a body depends and state how does it depend on
the factor stand by you.

Ans. The inertia of a body is directly proportional to its mass. Greater the mass, greater the
inertia.

Q. 11.) Give two example to show that greater the mass, greater is the inertia of the body.

Ans. Examples to show that more the mass of a body, more inertia it will haveare as shown
below:

1. It take more force to move a truck than to move a cycle.

2. Catching a tennis ball is easier than to catch an iron ball falling from same height.

Q. 12.) ‘More the mass, more difficult is it move the body from rest, Explain this statement
by giving an example.

Ans. This statement is best explained by taking an example of moving a body. It take more
force to move a truck than to move a cycle

Q. 13.) Name the two kinds of inertia.

Ans. Inertia of rest and inertia of motion.

Q. 14.) Give an example of each of the following (a) inertia of rest, and (b) inertia of motion.

Ans. Examples
(a)inertia of rest: When we beat a carpet, the dust particles tend to be at rest and fall
off as the carpet moves.
(b)inertia of motion: When a fielder catches a ball, he tends to move his hands in the
direction of the ball moving.

Q. 15.) Two equal and opposite forces act on a stationary body. Will the body move? Give
reason to your answer.

Ans. No, it won’t move as the forces will cancel out each other.

Q. 16.) Two equal and opposite forces act on a moving object. How is its motion affected?
Give reason.

Ans. If two equal and opposite forces act on a moving object, the motion won’t be affected
as they tend to cancel out each other.
Q. 17.) An airplane is moving uniformly at a constant height under the action of two forces (i)
Upward force (ii) Downward force. What is the net force on the airplane?

Ans. The net force will be ZERO.

Q. 18.) Why does a person fall when he jumps out from a moving train?

Ans. A person falls when he jumps out of a moving train due to inertia of motion.

Q. 19.) Why does a coin placed on a card drop into the tumbler where the card is rapidly
flicked with the finger?

Ans. It is due to inertia of rest of the coin.

Q. 20.) Why does the ball thrown vertically upward in a moving train come to the thrower’s
hand?

Ans. It is due to inertia of motion.

Q. 21.) Explain the following:

a) When a train suddenly moves forward, the passenger suddenly standing in the
compartment tend to fall backwards.
b) When the corridor train suddenly starts, the sliding doors of some compartment
tend to fall backward.
c) People often shake branches of a tree for getting down the fruits.
d) After alighting from a moving bus, one has to run for some distance in the
direction of bus in order to avoid falling.
e) Dust particle are removed from a carpet by beating it.
f) It is advantageous to run before taking a long jump.

Ans. (a) As the feet of the passenger is in direct contact to the train, it moves with it, while
the upper body tends to be in the inertia of rest. This is why the passenger standing
tends to fall backwards.

(b) Due to inertia of rest, the sliding doors tend to move in a direction opposite to that
of moving train.

(c) As we shake the trees, the branches come in motion while the fruits are in rest due
to inertia of rest and hence break and fall down.

(d) While alighting from the moving bus, our body experiences inertia of motion and
thus tends to move even if we try to stop. So in order to avoid falling, we have to run
with the bus for some distance.
 (e) When a carpet is beaten, it moves while the dust particles tend to show the state of
inertial rest and fall down due to gravity.

(f) taking a long run before making a long jump makes the athlete gain an inertia of
motion which helps him achieve the distance in a long jump

MULTIPLE CHOICE TYPE

Q. 1.) The property of inertia is more in :

a) A car
b) A truck
c) A horse cart
d) A toy car

Ans. (b)

Q. 2.) A tennis ball and a cricket ball, both are stationary. To start motion in them:

a) A less force is required for the cricket ball than for the tennis ball
b) A less force is required for the tennis ball than for the cricket ball
c) Same force required for the same ball
d) Nothing can be said

Ans. (b)

Q. 3.) A force is needed to :

a) Change the state of motion or state of rest of the body

b) Keep the body in motion
c) Keep the body stationary
d) Keep the velocity of body constant

Ans. (a)
 EXERCISE 3(C)

Q. 1.) Name the two factor on which the force needed to stop a moving body in a given
time, depends.

Ans. Mass and Velocity

Q. 2.) Define linear momentum and state its S.I units

Ans. Linear momentum: It is the product of mass and velocity of the object.
The S.I. unit : kgms-1.

Q. 3.) A body of mass m moving with a velocity v is acted upon a force. Write expression for
change momentum in each of the following cases:

a) When v<<c
b) When v c
c) When v << c but m not remain constant. Here c is the speed of light

Ans.

(i) when v  c,
P  (mv)  m v
(ii) When v  c,
P  (mv)
(iii) When v  c but doesnot remain cons tan t.
P  (mv)

Q. 4.) Show that the rate of change of momentum = mass  acceleration

Ans. Let on a body of mass ‘m’ a force ‘F’ is applied for a time ‘t’ which changes its velocity
from u to v. Then,

Initial momentum = mu
Final momentum = mv
Now change in momentum in ‘t’ seconds = mv – mu = m (v – u)
Rate of change of momentum of the body = Change in momentum/time
 m (v  u )

t
vu
 m.( )
t
vu
 m. a ( a  by definition)
t

Hence we can show that rate change in momentum= (mass) X (acceleration)

Q. 5.) Two bodies A and B, of same mass are moving with velocities. V and 2v respectively.
Compare their (i) Inertia (ii) momentum

Ans. (i) Inertia of a body depends on its mass not velocity.

Therefore, if the two bodies A and B have equal mass ‘m’.
Then,the ratio of their inertia = Inertia of body A:Inertia of body B :: m:m
Alternatively, Inertia of body A:Inertia of body B :: 1:1

(ii) Momentum of A = m (v)

Momentum of B = m (2v) = 2mv
Ratio of the Momentum of A and B is given as

Momentum of body A:Momentum of body B :: mv:2mv

=> Momentum of body A:Momentum of body B :: 1:2.

Q. 6.) Two ball A and B, of masses m and 2m are in motion with velocities 2v and v
respectively. Compare (i) their inertia, (ii) their momentum, and (iii) the force nedded
to stop them in the same time.

Ans. (i) Since, the ratio of Inertia is equivalent of ratio of their masses,

Thus, Inertia of body A:Inertia of body B :: m:2m

Alternatively, Inertia of body A:Inertia of body B :: 1:2.

(ii) Momentum of A = m ( 2v) = 2mv

Momentum of B = (2m) v = 2mv

Thus the ratio of momentum is given as

Momentum of A:Momentum of B :: 2 mv:2mv

Thus, Momentum of A:Momentum of B :: 1:1.
 (iii) As we know that rate of change of momentum is directly proportional to the
force applied on it. (Newton’s second law of motion)
Hence, Force needed to stop A: Force needed to stop B :: 1:1.

Q. 7.) State Newton’s second law of motion. What information do you get from it ?

Ans. Newton’s second law of motion states that the force on a body is directly proportional
to the rate of change of momentum. And the change in momentum takes place in the
direction of force applied.

Newton’s second law helps us measure force in terms of mass and acceleration.

Q. 8.) How does Newton’s second law of motion differ from first law of motion?

Ans. The first law of motion gives the qualitative definition of force while the second law of
motion gives the quantitative definition of force.

Q. 9.) Write the mathematical form of Newton’s second law of motion. State condition if
any.

Ans. Mathematical expression :

F  m.a

Below are the necessary conditions:

(i) mass of the body remains constant.
(ii) velocity of body is very less than the velocity of light.

Q. 10.) State Newton’s second law of motion. What condition does it take the form F  ma ?

Ans. Newton’s second law of motion states that the force applied on a body is directly
proportional to the rate of change of momentum and is applied in the direction of
change in momentum.

Below are the necessary conditions:

(i) mass of the body remains constant.
(ii) velocity of body is very less than the velocity of light.

Q. 11.) How can Newton’s first law of motion be obtained from the second law of motion ?

Ans. According to newton’s second law:

 F  m.a
Nowif F  0,
 a  0.

So, we can derive from the above equation that if there is no change in the velocity of
the body, the force applied is zero. This concludes to the first law of newton.

Q. 12. Draw graphs to show dependence of

a) Acceleration on force for a constant mass, and

b) Force on mass on constant acceleration.

Ans.
Q. 13.) How does the acceleration produced by a given force depend on mass of body ? Draw
graph to shown it.

Ans. The acceleration is inversely proportional to the mass of the body when a force is
applied to bodies of different masses.
Below graph depicts the same:

Q. 14.) Name the S.I of force and define it.

Ans. Newton(N).

The amount of force acting on a body of unit mass to produce unit acceleration is
defined as 1 newton.

Q. 15.) What is the C.G.S unit of force ? How is it defined ?

Ans. Dyne.
The amount of force acting on a body of mass 1g to produce an acceleration of 1 cms-2 is
defined as one dyne.

Q. 16.) Name the S.I and C.G.S units of force. How are they related ?

Ans. The S.I. unit: Newton

C.G.S. unit: dyne.

Relation: 1 N = 105 dyne.

Q. 17.) Why does a glass vessel break when is fall on hard floor, but it does not break when it
falls on a carpet ?

Ans. When the vessel falls on the floor, it comes to rest immediately experience high force
from the floor, which makes it break. Whereas, when the vessel falls on the carpet, it
doesn’t come to rest instantaneously and takes more time to come to rest which does
not let it get instant reaction force from the floor.

Q. 18.) Use Newton’s second law of motion to explain the following :-

a) A cricketer pulls his hand back while catching a first moving cricket ball.
b) An athlete prefer to land on sand instead to hard floor while taking a high jump.

Ans. (a) He does so to increase the time period of the ball which in turn helps decrease the
acceleration so that lesser amount of force is exerted on his hands when he catches the
ball.

(b) When falling from a height if the athlete falls on the hard floor, he will
instantaneously come to rest which makes him experience heavy force from the ground
that may injure his legs. So to avoid this damage, he prefers to land on sand rather.

MULTIPLE CHOICE TYPE

Q. 1.) The linear momentum of body of mass m moving with velocity v is :

a) v/m
b) m/v
c) mv
d) 1/mv

Ans. (c)

Q. 2.) The unit of linear momentum is :

a) Ns
b) kg ms 2
c) Ns 1
d) kg 2 ms 1

Ans. (a)

Q. 3.) The correct form of Newton’s second law is :

 p
a) F 
t
v
b) F 
t
m
c) F 
t
d) F= mv

Ans. (a)

Q. 4.) The acceleration produced in a body by a force of given magnitude depends on :

a) Size of a body
b) Shape of a body
c) Mass of a body
d) None of these

Ans. (c)

NUMERICALS

Q. 1.) A body of mass 5 kg is moving with a velocity 2ms 1 . Calculate its linear momentum.

P  m.v
Ans.
 5  2  10kgms 1
= 10kg ms 1

Q. 2.) The linear momentum of a ball of mass 50g is 0.5kg ms. Find the velocity.

P  m.v
P
Ans. v
m
0.5
v 3
 10ms 1
50 10

Q. 3.) A force of 50N acts on a body of mass 2 kg. Calculate the acceleration product.
 F  m.a
Ans.  50  2a
50
a  25ms 2
2

Q. 4.) A force of 10 N acts on a body of mass 5kg. Find the acceleration produced.

F  m.a
Ans.  10  5a
 a  2ms 2

Q. 5.) Calculate the magnitude of force which when applied on a body of mass 0.5kg
produces an acceleration of 5ms 2 .

F  m.a
Ans.  F  0.5  5
 F  2.5 N

Q. 6.) A force of 10N acts on a body of mass 2kg for 3s, initially at rest. Calculate : (i) the
velocity acquired by the body and (ii) change in momentum of a body.

F  10 N
m  2kg
t  3s
u0
v?

Now F  m.a
 10  2  (v  0) / 3
 10  2v / 3
 v  30 / 2
 v  15ms 1

Now,
P  m(v  u )
 2(15  0)
Ans.
 30 kgms 1
Q. 7.) A force acts for 10s on a stationary body of mass 100kg after which the force cease to
act. The body move through a distance of 100 m in the nest 5s. Calculate : (i) the
velocity acquired by the body, (ii) the acceleration produced by the force, and (iii) the
magnitude of the force.

m  100kg
s  100m
u0
v?
Now, s  vt
 v  s / t  100 / 5  20ms 1
Ans.

Now, as
v 2  u 2  2as
 a  2ms 1

And F  ma  100  2  200 N

Q. 8.) Figure shows the velocity-time graph of a particle of mass 100 g moving in straight
line. Calculate the force acting on the particle.
 Slopeof v  t graph gives acceleration
 a  20 / 5
Thus, a  4ms 2
Ans.

Now F  ma
 F  0.1 4  4 N

Q. 9.) A force causes an acceleration of 10ms 2 in a body of mass 500g. What acceleration
will be caused by the same force in a body of mass 5 kg ?

F  ma
 F  0.5  10
 F  5N
Ans.

5  5 a '
 a '  1ms 2

Q. 10.) A force acts for 0.1 s on a body of mass 2.0 kg initially at rest. The is then withdraw
and the body moves with velocity of 2 ms 1 . Find the magnitude of the force.

t  0.1s
m  2kg
u  0ms 1
v  2ms 1
Ans. Now, F  m.a
(v  u )
 F  m.
t
 F  2  (2  0) / 0.1
 F  40 N

Q. 11.) A body of mass 500g, initially at rest, is acted upon by a force which causes it to move
a distance of 4m in 2s. Calculate the force applied.
 m  0.5kg
s  4m
t  2s
u  0ms 1
1
Since, s  ut  at 2
Ans. 2
1
 4  0  a.22
2
 2a  4
 a  2ms 2
Now, F  ma
F  0.5  2  1N

Q. 12.) A car of mass 480kg moving at a speed of 54 km h 1 is stopped by applying breaks in

10s. Calculate the force applied by the breaks.

m  480kg
u  54kmh 1  15ms 1
v0
t  10s
Ans.  a  15 /10  1.5ms 2
F  m.a
 F  480  (1.5)
 F  720 N
The  ve sign shows that forceis acting in the direction oppositeto that of motion.

Q. 13.) A car is moving with a uniform velocity 30 ms-1. It is stopped in 2 s by applying a force
of 1500 N through its brakes. Calculate: (a) the change in momentum of car, (b) the
retardation in car, and (c) the mass of car.
 u  30ms 1
t  2s
F  1500 N
v  u 0  30
a   15ms 2  ve sign shows retardation 
t 2
Ans. As, F  ma
 m  1500 /15  100kg

P  m(v  u )
 100(0  30)
 3000kgms 1

Q. 14.) A bullet of mass 50 g moving with an initial velocity 100 ms -1, strikes a wooden block
and comes to rest after penetrating a distance 2 cm in it. Calculate:-

a) Initial momentum of the bullet.

b) Final momentum of the bullet
c) Retardation caused by the wooden block, and
d) Resistive force exerted by the wooden block.

m  50 g  0.05kg
u  100ms 1
v0
s  2cm  0.02m
initial momentum ( pi )  m.u  0.05 100  5kgms 1
Ans. final momentum( p f )  m.v  0.05  0  0

(v 2  u 2 )
a
2s
0  1002
a  2.5 105 ms 2 (ve sign shows retardation)
2  0.02
F  m.a
 0.05  2.5 105  12500 N
 EXERCISE 3(D)

Q. 1.) State the usefulness of Newton’s third law of motion.

Ans. The principles of newton’s third law of motion helps one understand the follows:

i. Recoiling of a gun.
ii. Friction.
iii. Movement on water.
iv. Propulsion of rocket.

Q. 2.) State Newton’s third law of motion.

Ans. Newton’s third law states that there is always an equal and opposite reaction on an
action.Both the forces of action and reaction act on simultaneously two different
bodies..

Q. 3.) State and explain the law of action and reaction by giving two examples.

Ans. Newton’s third law states that there is always an equal and opposite reaction on an
action.Both the forces of action and reaction act on simultaneously two different bodies

Examples:

1. A plate kept on a table is being pulled by the gravitational force downward however
exerts an equal and opposite force upwards to stay put at its place on the table.
2. While running, we push the ground with a force which in reaction forces our body to
move forward.

Q. 4.) Name and state the action and reaction in the following cases:

a) Firing of a bullet from a gun.

b) Hammering a nail
c) A book lying on a table
d) A moving rocket
e) A person moving on the floor
f) A moving train colliding with a stationary train.

Ans. (a) Action: Force on the bullet.

Reaction: Recoiling of the gun.

(b) Action: The force by the hammer on the nail.

Reaction: The force by the nail on the hammer.
 (c) Action: Weight of the book which acts downwards.
Reaction: Force on the book by table acting upwards.

(d) Action: Force by exhausting gases on the atmosphere.

Reaction: Force on the rocket by atmosphere.

(e) Action: Force on the ground by feet.

Reaction: Force on the person by the ground to move forward.

(f) Action: Force applied by moving train on stationery train.

Reaction: Force applied by stationary train on moving train

Q. 5.) Explain the motion of a rocket with the help of Newton’s Third law.

Ans. When the gases exhaust, they exert pressure on outside gases which in reaction, force
the rocket to move forward. This can be understood from below picture.

Q. 6) When a shot is fired from a gun, the gun gets recoiled. Explain.

Ans. The bullet while being fired from gun exerts an equal and opposite force on the gun
which makes it recoil.
Q. 7.) When you step ashore from a stationary boat, it tends to leave the shore. Explain.

Ans. When you step ashore, you exert a force on the boat and it moves in opposite direction
which makes it leave the shore.

Q. 8.) When two spring balances joined at their free ends, are pulled apart, both show the
same reading. Explain.

Ans. Both the spring balances exert an equal and opposite force on each other which makes
it show similar reading on both of them.

Q. 9.) To move a boat ahead in water, boatman has to push the water backward by his oar.
Explain.
Ans. When the boatman pushes the water with his oar, the water in reaction pushes the boat
in the other direction. This helps the boat to move.

Q. 10.) A person pushing a wall hard is liable to fall back. Give a reason.

Ans. As he exerts a force on the wall, the wall inn reaction exerts an equal and opposite force
on him. The person being not fised to the ground cannot take this force and hence falls
back.

Q. 11.) ‘ The action and reaction both act simultaneously.’ Is this statement true ?

Ans. Yes, the statement is true.

Q. 12.) ‘The action and reaction are equal in magnitude.’ Is this statement is true?

Ans. Yes, the statement is true.

Q. 13.) A light ball falling on ground, after striking the ground rises upwards. Explain the
reason.

Ans. When the ball falls on ground, it exerts a force on ground. The ground in reaction exerts
the same force on the ball in the opposite direction making it rise.

Q. 14.) Comment on the statement ‘ the sum of action and reaction on a body is zero’.

Ans. This statement is incorrect as according to Newton’s 3rd law, the force of action and
reaction act simultaneously on different bodies not the same.

MULTIPLE

Q. 1.) Newton’s third law :

a) Defines the force qualitatively

b) Defines the force quantitatively
c) Explain the way the force acts on a body
d) Gives the direction of force

Ans. c

Q. 2.) Action and reaction act on the :

a) Same body in opposite directions

 b) Different bodies in opposite direction
c) Different bodies , but same direction
d) Same body but same direction

Ans b

NUMERICALS

Q. 1.) A boy pushes a wall with a force of 10 N towards east. What force is exerted by the
wall on the boy ?

Ans. 10 N but in the opposite direction.

Q. 2.) In figure, a block of weight 15N is hanging from a rigid support by a string. What force
is exerted by

a) Block on the string.

b) String on the block

Name them and show them in the diagram

Ans. (a) 15 N force (weight) downwards.

(b) 15 N. upwards (tension).
 EXERCISE 3(E)

Q. 1.) State Newton’s law of gravitation.

Ans. Newton’s law of gravitation states that every body in this universe attracts every other
particle with a force directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely
proportional to the square of distance between them in a direction of force along the
line joining them.

Q. 2.) State whether the gravitational forces between two masses are attractive or
repulsive?

Ans. Attractive

Q. 3.) Write the expression for the gravitational force of attraction between two bodies of
masses m1 and m2 separated by a distance r.

Gm1m2
Ans. Expression: F 
r2
where G is a constant of proportionality called the universal gravitational constant.

Q. 4.) How does the gravitational force of attraction between two masses depend on the
distance between them?

Ans. It is inversely proportional to the square of distance between them.

Q. 5.) How does the gravitational force between two masses affected if the separation
between them is doubled?

Ans. If the distance of separation is doubled, the force is reduced to one-fourth of the
original force.

1
F
r2
1
F '
 2r 
2

F' 1 1
  2  r2 
F 4r 4
F
or F ' 
4

Q. 6.) Define gravitational constant G.

Ans. The force of attraction between two bodies of unit mass separated by a unit distance is
defined as the gravitational constant G. It is constant throughout the universe

Q. 7.) Write the numerical value of gravitational constant G with its S.I unit

Ans. G= 6.67 x 10-11Nm2kg-2.

Q. 8.) What is the importance of the law of gravitation ?

Ans. The law of gravitation governs the movement of all heavenly bodies.

Q. 9.) What do you understand by the term force due to gravity ?

Ans. The force due to gravity is defined as the force with which the earth attracts a body
towards its center.

Q. 10.) Write an expression for the force due to gravity on a body of mass m and explain the
meaning of the symbols used in it.

Ans.
GMm
F
R 2 , where

F- force due to gravity

G-gravitational constt.

M-mass of earth

m-mass of body

R- radius of earth

Q. 11.) Define the term acceleration due to gravity ? Write the s.I. unit.

Ans. Acceleration due to gravity is the acceleration experienced by a freely falling body
towards the surface of earth.

SI Unit : ms-2

Q. 12.) Write down the average value of g on the earth’s surface.

Ans. 9.8ms-2.
Q. 13.) How the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of earth related to its mass and
radius ?

GM
g where
R2
Ans. G is gravitational cons tan t
M is mass of earth
R is radius of earth

Q. 14.) How are g and G related ?

Ans. g is directly proportional to G.

Q. 15.) A body falls freely under gravity from rest and reaches the ground in time t. Write the
expression for the height fallen by the body.

Ans. Using second law of motion

1 2
h  ut  gt
2

As the body is dropped with initial velocity u=0

1 2 1
h  0  gt or h  gt 2 .
2 2

Q. 16.) A body is thrown vertically upward with an initial velocity u. Write an expression for
the maximum height attained by body.

Ans. As the body is thrown up, it experience a=-g

On reaching the highest point, v=0

Thus,
v2  u 2  2   g  h
 0  u 2  2 gh
u2
h 
2g

Q. 17.) Define the terms mass and weight.

Ans. Mass: The quantity of matter a body contains is called as the mass of that body.
Weight: The force with which the earth attracts a body towards it is called the weight of
the body

Q. 18.) Distinguish between mass and weight.

Ans.

Mass Weight
The quantity of matter a body The force with which the
contains is called as the mass of earth attracts a body
that body towards it is called the
weight of the body

It is a scalar quantity It is a vector quantity

It is universal It changes with the place
SI unit: kg SI unit: N

Q. 19.) State the S.I units of (a) mass and (b) weight.

Ans. mass: kg and weight: N

Q. 20.) The value of g at the centre of earth is zero. What will be the weight of a body of mass
m kg at the centre of earth ?

Ans. It will be zero as W = mg

Q. 21.) Which of the following quantity does not change by change of place of a body : mass
or weight ?

Ans. Mass

Q. 22.) Explain the meaning of the following statement 1kgf = 9.8 N.

Ans. 1 kgf = 9.8 N.

One kgf is the force due to gravity on a body of mass of 1 kg.

Multiple
Q. 1.) The gravitational force between two bodies is:

(a) Always repulsive (b) always attractive

(c) attractive only at largest distances (d) repulsive only at largest distances

Ans. (b)

Q. 2.) The value of G is:

(a) 9.8 Nm2kg-2 (b) 6.7x10-11 Nm2kg-2

(c) 6.7x10-11 ms-2 (d) 6.7 Nkg-1

Ans. (b)

Q. 3.) The force of attraction between two masses each of 1 kg kept at a separation of 1m is:

(a) 9.8 N (b) 6.7 N (c) 980 N (d) 6.7x10-11 N

Ans. (d)

Q. 4.) A body is projected vertically upward with an initial velocity u. If acceleration due to
gravity is g, the time for which it remains in air, is :

u 2u u
a  b  ug  c  d 
g g 2g

Ans.
(c)

Q. 5.) An object falling freely from rest reaches ground in 2s. If acceleration due to gravity is
9.8ms 2 , the velocity of object on reaching the ground will be :

Ans. 19.6 m s-1

NUMERICALS:

Q. 1.) The force of attraction between two bodies at a certain separation is 10N. what will
be the force of attraction between them if the separation between them is reduced to
half ?
Ans. If the distance of separation is reduced by half, the Force will become 4 times of original
as it is inversely proportional to the square of distance between the bodies.

Thus F’=4F=4X 10= 40 N

Q. 2.) Write the approximate weight of a body of mass 5 kg. What assumption have you
made ?

Ans. Taking g=10 approx.,

W=mg=(5)X(10)=50N

Q. 3.) Calculate the weight of the body of mass 10 kg in (a)kgf and (b)newton. Take
g  9.8ms 1

m  10kg
Weight  10 1kgf  10kgf
Ans.
As 1kgf  9.8 N ,
W  10  9.8  98 N

Q. 4.) State the magnitude and direction of the force of gravity acting on a body of mass 5kg.
Take g  9.8ms 1

Given, m  5kg , g  9.8ms 2

Ans. as F  mg  5  9.8  49 N
Direction would be downwards towards earth ' s surface

Q. 5.) The weight of a body is 2.0 N. What is the mass of the body?

GivenW  2 N
W  mg
Ans.
 2  (m)(9.8)
 m  0.2kg

Q. 6.) The weight of a body on earth is 98 N where acceleration due to gravity is 9.8ms1 .
What will be its (a) mass and (b) weight on the moon where the acceleration due to
gravity is 1.6 ms 2 ?
 We  98 N
g  9.8ms 2
m?
Ans. As we know, m  W / g
 m  98 / 9.8  10kg
This mass will be samethroughout theuniverse
Now,W moon  m  g moon  10 1.6  16 N

Q. 7.) A man weighs 600N on earth. What would be his approximate weight on moon? Give
reason for your answer?

Ans. As acceleration due to gravity on moon is 1/6th of that on earth, the weight will also be
1/6th of that on earth.

Thus, Man’s weight on moon=600/6=100N

Q. 8.) What is the (a) force of gravity and (b) weight of a block of mass of 10.5 kg? Take
g  10 ms 2 .

m  10.5kg
g  10ms 2
Ans.
F  mg  10.5 10  105 N
AlsoW  mg  105 N

Q. 9.) A ball is released from a height and its reaches the ground in 3 s. If g  9.8 ms 2 , find

a) The height from which the ball was released,

b) The velocity with which the ball will strike the ground,

1 2
h gt (u sin g sec ond equation)
2
Ans.
1
 h   9.8  3  3  44.1m
2

U sin g thethird equation;

v 2  2 gh
 v 2  2  9.8  44.1
 v  29.4 ms 1
Q. 10.) What force, in newton , your muscles need to apply to hold a mass of 5 kg in your
hand ? State the assumption.

m  5kg
Ans. Assumption :' g ' 10ms 2
F  mg  5 10  50 N

Q. 11.) A ball is thrown vertically upwards. It goes to a height 20 m and then return to the
ground. Taking acceleration due to gravity g to be 10 ms 2 , find ?

a) The initial velocity of the ball

b) The final velocity of the ball on reaching the ground and
c) The total time of journey of ball

Given h  20m, g  10ms 2 , v  0

Now, u sin g third eqn. of motion
u 2  2 gh
Ans.
u 2  2 10  20
u  20ms 1
negative sign indicates motion is against gravity

(b) when the ball is coming down from the highest point,

u  0, h  20, g  10
as v 2  u 2  2 gh
v 2  0  2 10  20
 v 2  400
 v  20ms 1

2u
Total time t 
g
(c)
2  20
t  4s
10

Q. 12.) A body dropped from a top of the tower. It acquires a velocity 20 ms 1 on reaching the
ground. Calculate the height of the tower.
 Given, u  0
v  20ms 1
Ans. g  10ms 2
As, v 2  u 2  2 gh
h  20m

Q. 13.) A ball is thrown vertically upwards. It returns 6s later. Calculate:

I. The greatest height reaches by the ball and

II. The initial velocity of the ball (Take g  10 ms 2 )

Total time, T  6s
g  10ms 2
Now,
t  T/ 2  3s
1
h  ut  gt 2
2
1
Ans. h  0  10  9  45m
2

Now, let ui betheinitial velocity

V 0
as, v 2  u 2  2 gh
 v  30ms 1

Q. 14.) A pebble is thrown vertically upwards with a speed of 20 ms 1 , How high will it be after
2 s ? (Take g  10 ms 2 )

u  20ms 1
t  2s, g  10ms 2
Ans. gt 2
as h 
2
 h  20m

Q. 15.) (a) How long will a stone take a fall to the ground from the top of a building 80 m high
and (b) What will be the velocity of the stone on reaching the ground ?
 According to question :
gt 2
h
2
 80  10  t 2 / 2
Ans.  t  4s

Now, v 2  2 gh
 v 2  2 10  80
 v  40ms 1

Q. 16.) A body falls from a top of a building and reaches the ground 2.5s later. How high is the
building ? (Take g  9.8 ms 2 )

gt 2
h
Ans. 2
9.8  2.5  2.5
h  30.6m
2

Q. 17.) A ball is thrown vertically upwards with an initial velocity of 49 ms 1 . Calculate (i) the
maximum height attained, (ii) time taken by it before it reaches the ground again.
(Take g  9.8 ms 2 )

u  49ms 1
v0
as v 2  u 2  2 gh

Ans.  0  492  2  (9.8)  h

 h  49  49 /19.6  122.5m

Also t  2u / g
 t  2  49 / 9.8  10 s

Q. 18.) A stone drop freely from the top of a tower which reaches the ground in 4s. taking
g  10 ms 2 , Calculate the height of the tower,
 gt 2
As, h 
Ans. 2
 h  10  42 / 2  80m

Q. 19.) A pebble is dropped freely in a well from its top. It takes 20 s from the pebble to reach
the water surface in the well. Taking g  10 ms 2 and speed of sound = 330 ms 2 , find:

i. The depth of water surface

ii. The time when echo is heard after the pebble is dropped

gt 2
As, h 
2
 h  10  202 / 2
 h  2000m

Ans. Also given speed of sound  330ms 1

t h/v
t  2000 / 330  6.1s
as time taken to reach watersurface  20s
So, the echo will be heard after 26.1s after dropping the stone

Q. 20.) A ball is thrown vertically upwards from the top of the tower with an initial velocity of
19.6 ms 1 . The reaches ground after 5s. Calculate:

i. The height of the tower

ii. The velocity of the ball reaching the ground. Take g  9.8 ms 2

Ans. Let the height of tower=x.

Distance from top of tower to the highest point=h.

Given that, u = 19.6 m/s

g = 9.8 m/s2
v=0
As we know that
v2 – u2 = 2gh
=> – (19.6) 2 = 2   9.8  h
therefore, h = 19.6 m
Let the ball takes t1 time to reach the highest pointfrom top of tower, then for the
journey upward,

v = u – gt,
=> 0 = 19.6 –  9.8    t1 
=> t1 = 2s

(i) Now for the path (x+h)

t = (5 – 2) = 3s
1
As we know, s = ut + gt2
2
Putting the values,
1
(x + h) = 0 +     9.8    3
2
=> (x + 19.6) = 44.1 m
=> x = 44.1 – 19.6 = 24.5 m
Thus, height of the tower = 24.5 m

(ii) Suppose ‘v’ is the velocity of the ball when reaching ground.
as we know, v = u + gt
Putting the values;
v = 0 + (9.8) (3)
Thus, v = 29.4 ms 1