Newton’s Laws of Motion

Newton’s
Laws of Motion
I. Law of Inertia
II. F=ma
III. Action-Reaction
 Background
Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727) an English scientist
and mathematician famous for his discovery of the
law of gravity also discovered the three laws of
motion. He published them in his book
Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica
(mathematic principles of natural philosophy) in
1687. Today these laws are known as Newton’s
Laws of Motion and describe the motion of all
objects on the scale we experience in our
everyday lives.
 Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion
1. An object in motion tends to stay in motion
and an object at rest tends to stay at rest
unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
2. Force equals mass times acceleration
(F = ma).
3. For every action there is an equal and
opposite reaction.
 Newton’s First Law
(law of inertia)

An object at rest tends to stay at rest

and an object in motion tends to stay
in motion unless acted upon by an
unbalanced force.
 Newton’s First Law of
Motion:

• Also know as: Law of Inertia!

– Inertia is an objects resistance to a change in its motion (even if it isn’t
moving at all!)
– Inertia is caused because objects have mass
– The more mass an object has, the more inertia!
– “An object at rest will stay at rest unless it is acted upon by an outside
force.” (and the opposite is also true! An object in motion will stay in…blah blah blah)
 1 Law
st

• Once airborne,
unless acted on by
an unbalanced force
(gravity and air – fluid
friction), it would
never stop!
1 Law
st

• Unless acted upon

by an unbalanced
force, this golf ball
would sit on the tee
forever.
 Newtons’s 1 Law and Youst

Don’t let this be you. Wear seat belts.

Because of inertia, objects (including you) resist changes
in their motion. When the car going 80 km/hour is stopped
by the brick wall, your body keeps moving at 80 m/hour.
 Newton’s Second Law
(F = ma)

Force equals mass times acceleration.

F = ma
Acceleration: a measurement of how quickly
an object is changing speed.
 Newton’s Second Law of Motion
says:
I am
so
“To move a mass, you need a
smart force!”
…
Also known as F=ma
► MoreForce = more
Acceleration

► More
Mass = more Force
needed!

The greater the mass = greater inertia = more force

What do you think happens to our acceleration
w/ different masses?
With less mass, it doesn’t take as
much effort to get it moving; ½ kg
therefore, I can move it farther in
1kg
less time (faster).

Less Mass =
less force
Distance

needed 2kg

With more mass, it takes more

effort to get it moving; therefore, it
takes me more time to move it
farther (slower). More Mass =
more force
needed

Time
What do you think happens to our acceleration w/ different
masses if we pushed with the same amount of force?

Which one of these lines do you

think would represent a sports
car? SUV, Diesel Truck?

The Diesel truck would be the least steep line!

Less steep = less velocity!!!
Distance

Sports car would be the steepest line!

Steeper = more velocity!!!

The SUV would be the middle line!

Steepness of line is in the
middle = middle velocity

Time
Newton’s 2nd Law proves that different masses accelerate to
the earth at the same rate, but with different forces.

• We know that objects with

different masses
accelerate to the ground
at the same rate.
• However, because of the
2nd Law we know that they
don’t hit the ground with
the same force.

F = ma F = ma
98 N = 10 kg x 9.8 m/s/s 9.8 N = 1 kg x 9.8 m/s/s
 2 Law (F = m x a)
nd

• How much force is needed to accelerate a 1400 kilogram

car 2 meters per second/per second?
• Write the formula
• F=mxa
• Fill in given numbers and units
• F = 1400 kg x 2 meters per second/second
• Solve for the unknown
• 2800 kg-meters/second/second or 2800 N
 Newton’s Third Law
(Action-Reaction)

For every action there is an equal and

opposite reaction.
 Newton’s Third Law of Motion

• Also known as: Action-Reaction

• “For every action there is an

equal and opposite reaction.”
Upwards
reaction
• Rockets take off because of a
force downwards from the Downwards
force
bottom makes them accelerate in
the opposite direction!
 Check Your Understanding
• 1. What acceleration will result when a 12 N net force
applied to a 3 kg object? A 6 kg object?

• 2. A net force of 16 N causes a mass to accelerate at a

rate of 5 m/s2. Determine the mass.

• 3. How much force is needed to accelerate a 66 kg skier 1

m/sec/sec?

• 4. What is the force on a 1000 kg elevator that is falling

freely at 9.8 m/sec/sec?
 Check Your Understanding
• 1. What acceleration will result when a 12 N net force applied to a 3 kg object?
12 N = 3 kg x 4 m/s/s

• 2. A net force of 16 N causes a mass to accelerate at a rate of 5 m/s 2. Determine the mass.
16 N = 3.2 kg x 5 m/s/s

• 3. How much force is needed to accelerate a 66 kg skier 1 m/sec/sec?

66 kg-m/sec/sec or 66 N

• 4. What is the force on a 1000 kg elevator that is falling freely at 9.8 m/sec/sec?

• 9800 kg-m/sec/sec or 9800 N

 Vocabulary
Inertia: the tendency of an object to resist changes in
its state of motion
Dyne: smallest unit of force

Acceleration:
•a change in velocity
•a measurement of how quickly an object is
changing speed, direction or both

Velocity: The rate of change of a position along

a straight line with respect to time

Force: Push or pull (strength or energy

• Weight unit- kg.m/s2 which is equivalent to the newton.
• The mass of a body is constant, while its weight
depends on the value of the acceleration due to
gravity.
An astronaut weighs 931 N here on Earth.
(a). What is his mass on Earth?
(b). What is his mass on the surface of the moon?
(c.) What is his weight on the surface of the moon?
(Hint: The acceleration due to gravity on the surface of the
moon is 1.62 m/s2.)
 Solution
An astronaut weighs 931 N here on Earth.
(a). What is his mass on Earth?
(b). What is his mass on the surface of the moon?
(c.) What is his weight on the surface of the moon?
(Hint: The acceleration due to gravity on the surface of the moon is 1.62
m/s2.)
Given : 931 N
• a. The mass of the astronaut on Earth may be
computed using the weight formula.
• m= w/g= 931N/ 9.8 /S2= 95kg
• b. Mass is constant and does not depend on location nor
on acceleration due to gravity. Hence, the mass of the
astronaut is 95 kg on the surface of the moon.
• c. The weight of the astronaut on the surface of the moon
may be computed using w=mg= ( 95kg)(1.62 m/s2)=
• 153.9 154 N
LAW OF INTERACTION
• If you push hard on a wall
by a force of 5 N, the wall
in turn pushes you back by
a force of 5N.

“action-reaction pair
Action and reaction forces are equal in
magnitude but opposite in directions
• At a roller skating rink, a girl pushes a boy, causing the
boy to accelerate at 1.50 m/s2 to the right. The masses of
the boy and the girl are 60.0 kg and 50.0 kg, respectively.
• (a.) Find the force exerted by the girl on the boy.
• (b). Find the force exerted by the boy on the girl
• (c.) Find the acceleration of the girl.
 Solution
• At a roller skating rink, a girl pushes a boy, causing the boy to accelerate at
1.50 m/s2 to the right. The masses of the boy and the girl are 60.0 kg and
50.0 kg, respectively.
• (a.) Find the force exerted by the girl on the boy.
• (b). Find the force exerted by the boy on the girl
• (c.) Find the acceleration of the girl.

• (a). Let FG on B represent the force that the girl exerts on

the boy , mB, the mass of the boy , and aB his acceleration.
We can find FB using this formula (FG on B = mB aB )
• (60.0 kg)(1.50 m/s2)= 90.0 N, to the right
 Solution
• At a roller skating rink, a girl pushes a boy, causing the boy to accelerate at
1.50 m/s2 to the right. The masses of the boy and the girl are 60.0 kg and
50.0 kg, respectively.
• (a.) Find the force exerted by the girl on the boy.
• (b). Find the force exerted by the boy on the girl
• (c.) Find the acceleration of the girl.

• (b). Let FB on G represent the force that the boy

exerts on the girl. Note: FB on G is simply the
reaction force of FG on B. Hence it is also 90.0 N but
directed to the left.
 Solution
• At a roller skating rink, a girl pushes a boy, causing the boy to accelerate at
1.50 m/s2 to the right. The masses of the boy and the girl are 60.0 kg and
50.0 kg, respectively.
• (a.) Find the force exerted by the girl on the boy.
• (b). Find the force exerted by the boy on the girl
• (c.) Find the acceleration of the girl.

• (c). Let mG represent the mass of the girl. The acceleration of

the girl (a ) can be determined using aG = FB on G /mG
G

• 90.0 N/ 50.0 kg= 1.80 m/s2, to the left.

 SEAT WORK
• Mickey and kyle of masses 35kg and 55 kg ,
respectively , are standingon a very slippery
icy surface.Kyle pushes Mickey to the left with
a force of 75N.
• Find the (a).the acceleration of Mickey ( b) the
force that Mickey exerts o Kyle and (c) the
acceleration of Kyle.
 FIRST CONDITION OF EQUILIBRIUM
• Newton’s Law of Inertia defines equilibrium , a condition where
there is no change in the state of motion of a body.
• A body in equilibrium may be at rest or moving at a constant
velocity.
• If an object is in equilibrium is at rest, then the object is in static
equilibrium.
• If the object is moving with constant velocity , then the
object is in dynamic equilibrium.
• NET FORCE IS ZERO =0
 Step in solving Equilibrium Problem
• 1.draw a free –body diagram of the particle representation
of the object or system we are interested in.
• A FREE BODY DIAGRAM- is a diagram of the object
separated from its surrounding showing the magnitude
and direction of all forces acting on it. Does not show the
forces exerted by the object . The forces as vectors are
represented by arrows.
 Example
• Two balls are hung one after the other. The
upper ball weighs 0.35 N, while the lower ball
weighs 0.28 N.
• (a) draw a free body diagram for each ball
• (b) Find the tension in each string supporting
the balls.
• Two balls are hung one after the other. The upper ball weighs 0.35
N, while the lower ball weighs 0.28 N.
• (a) draw a free body diagram for each ball
• (b) Find the tension in each string supporting the balls.

• Solution:
• Let w1 and w2 represent the weight of the upper and lower
balls, respectively.
• Let T1 and T2 be the tension in each string supporting the
upper and lower balls, respectively.
Notice that T2 is acting upward with respect to the lower ball and
downward with respect to the upper ball. This is consequence of
Newton’s Third law of motion.
For W1: T1 T2 For W2

W1 T2
W2
• (b). Apply the first condition of equilibrium to each of the
balls , =0

Upper
T2-W2= 0 T1-T2-W1=0
T2-0.28N=0 T1-0.28N-0.35N=0
T2=0.28N T1=0.63N
 ACCELERATING SYSTEM OF MASSES
• Systems apply in 2nd Law of Newton
• Applied to an entire system or to a part of a system. = ma
• When applied to the entire system , m is the mass, a is the
acceleration, and
the whole system.
∑ 𝐹 𝑛𝑒𝑡 is the resultant force acting on
• When applied to a part of the system, m is the mass, a is
the acceleration, and ∑ 𝐹 𝑛𝑒𝑡 is the resultant force
acting on that portion of the system
• Cables and ropes are efficient ways to
transmit force from one part of the system
( mass) to another. Atwood Machine
• They are often used with pulley that can
redirect this force.
• A simple device that runs over pulleys used to
study the laws of motion & forces.
• First laboratory apparatus that provided
experimental verification of Newton’s laws of
motion.
• Designed by George Atwood in 1784.
• The machine consisted of two different
masses connected by a string that runs over
a low-friction pulley.
 • Two blocks of masses m1= 4.5 kg and m2= 6.5 kg resting
on a frictionless surface are connected by alight
inextensible cord as shown in the figure below. A
horizontal force F of 33.0N directed to the right is applied
to the block with m1 as shown. Find (a) the acceleration
of the masses and (b) the tension T in the cord.

Frictionless m2 m1 F
surface
 Solution
• We are given m1=4.5kg , m2=6.5kg, and F of 33.0 N directed to the right.
• (a). We first draw the free-body diagrams of the blocks with masses m1 and
m2. FN1 and FN2 represent the upward forces exerted by the horizontal
surface on m1 and m2, respectively.
FN1
FN2
For m2; For m1;

We apply Newton’s
Second Law of motion T F
to the two blocks. T
Because there is no
motion along the
vertical axis,
W2 W1
• For m2 • For m1
• =0 • =0
• FN2-W 2 =0 • FN1-W 1 =0
• FN2 =w2 • FN1 =w1

For motion along horizontal axis,

• m2
• T=m2a2