VECTORS AND MOTION GRAVITY AND FALLING BODIES

GRAVITY - pulls us downward and is responsible for

our weight
RECAP
- first observed by Isaac Newton when he was
• Vectors are quantities that have both magnitude studying the falling of an apple from an apple tree
and direction. Acceleration due to gravity:

• Vectors have x and y components. The sum of g = - 9.8 m/s2

vectors is called the resultant vector.
FREELY FALLING BODIES
• Graphical method and Analytical/Component
method can be used to find the Resultant. Freely falling objects are objects falling under the
sole influence of gravity. Do freely falling bodies
• To describe motion: – Position (𝑥 Ԧ) : encounter air resistance?

- Displacement (∆𝑥 Ԧ = 𝑥 Ԧ 𝑓 − 𝑥 Ԧ 𝑖 ) - No.

- Distance (d)
Are bodies thrown upwards freely falling bodies?
Velocity (𝑣 Ԧ)
- Yes if there is no influence of air resistance.
- Average Velocity (𝑣 Ԧ 𝑎𝑣𝑒 = 𝑥 Ԧ 𝑓−𝑥 Ԧ 𝑖
𝑡𝑓−𝑡𝑖 ) WHY, GALILEO GALILEI?
- Instantaneous Velocity (𝑣 Ԧ 𝑡 = 𝑑𝑥 Ԧ 𝑑𝑡 ) Under normal conditions In vacuum
Acceleration (𝑎 Ԧ)

- Average acceleration (𝑎 Ԧ = 𝑣𝑓−𝑣𝑖 𝑡𝑓−𝑡𝑖 )

- Instantaneous acceleration (𝑎 Ԧ 𝑡 = 𝑑𝑣 𝑑𝑡 =
𝑑 2𝑥Ԧ 𝑑𝑡 2 )

• Kinematic equations (can only be used if the

acceleration 𝒂 is constant)

SAMPLE PROBLEM: A subway train starts from rest

at a station and accelerates at a rate of 1.60 m/s2 for Where g is equal to -9.8 m/s2.
14.0 s. It runs a at constant speed for 70.0 s and SYMMETRY IN FREE FALL
slows down at a rate of 3.50 m/s2 it stops at the next
station. Find the total distance covered. - The velocity at the highest point is ALWAYS
zero.
- The time it takes for a body to go to its
highest point is equal to the time it takes for
the body to go down to its initial position.
- The initial velocity of the body (launch
velocity) is equal in magnitude to its final
velocity (velocity as it goes back to its initial
position).
SAMPLE PROBLEMS 2. A flowerpot from a rooftop garden falls off
the edge of the roof and falls past the
1. A youngster throws a rock from a bridge
window below. Air resistance may be
into the river 50 below. The rock has a
ignored. The flowerpot takes 0.48 s to travel
speed of 15 m/s when it leaves the
between the top and bottom of the
youngster’s hand. Calculate the velocity of
window, which is 1.90 m high. How far
the rock when it strikes the water if it is
below the roof is the top of the window?
thrown straight upwards initially.

Solution:
3. A car starts from rest and accelerates at a 4. A bullet is launched with an unknown velocity
rate of 3 m/s2 for 60 s. after this, the car. A straight upwards and stays in the air for 60 s.
car starts from rest and accelerates at a a. What is the initial velocity of this bullet?
rate of 3 m/s2 for 60 s. after this, the b. What is the maximum height reached by
car continues to move at constant velocity the bullet?
for another 60 s and then slows down at a
rate of 1.8m/s2 until it STOPS. 𝑣 𝑦 = 0 velocity at the maximum height is zero
a. Provide an illustration for this problem
𝑡 = 30 𝑠 time from initial to maximum height is equal
b. Find the total distance covered by the
to time from maximum height to initial
car.
Projectile - any object that once projected or
dropped continues in motion by its own inertia and
is influenced only by the downward force of gravity

Projectile motion- As observed the biker is neither

moving in the vertical or horizontal axis. This is an
example of an object moving in two dimensions.

IN TERMS OF VECTOR

 Trajectory – the path followed by a

projectile
 Its motion follows a parabolic path
 Range R – maximum horizontal distance
covered.
 v is always tangent to the path.

IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER

- There is constant horizontal motion which

means that the horizontal velocity DOES
NOT CHANGE at any point in the trajectory.
- The vertical motion is identical to that of a
freely falling body, that is, it has constant 2. A tennis ball rolls off the edge of a table top
acceleration, g. 0.750 m above the floor and strikes the
floor at a point 1.40 m horizontally from the
What equations will we use? edge of the table. Ignore air resistance. a.
Find the time of flight. b. Find the
Kinematic Equations for Projectile Motion
magnitude of the initial velocity c. Find the
magnitude and direction of the velocity of
the ball just before it strikes the floor.

1. A projectile is projected at 400 at 25 m/s.

Find a. Maximum height and range. b. Time
it takes for the projectile to cover ½ of its
range. c. Position in both x and y at t = 1.5 s.
d. At what point of the projectile’s velocity
is the velocity at its maximum?
Topic 2: NEWTON’S LAWS Concept Question: Why do you feel yourself being
pushed back in to the seat of an airplane on takeoff?
Explain in terms of Newton’s laws of motion.
Forces

- We encounter forces in our daily life

- Push or pull action Gravitational force Free Body Diagram FBD

Electromagnetism Lifting objects
- A technique used to simplify a problem. The
Force is a vector quantity. Denoted by symbol F unit forces are indicated as arrow lines with
of force is in Newtons
direction.
1N = 1 kg.m/s2

TYPES OF FORCES
NEWTON’S THREE LAWS OF MOTION

- These laws relate force to acceleration,

motion and mass of the body.
- These laws allow us to predict motion of a
certain system.

FIRST LAW

Weight
INERTIA
- defined to be the force of gravity on an
- the tendency of the body to resist motion or
object.
changes in motion.
- location dependent.
* The greater the mass of an object, the greater is its W = mg
inertia and the greater is the force needed to
* In calculating weights, g is always taken to be
accelerate it
positive
Second Law
Friction Force and Normal Force
Mathematical representation: Fnet = ma
Normal force – the perpendicular force exerted by
Where: m = mass , a = acceleration the surface to an object resting on it.

Fnet – - net external force Symbol: N

* Forces in the intermolecular level are not counted * In a horizontal surface, the normal force acting to
an object resting on the surface is equal to the
Third Law: Action and Reaction Law object’s weight in magnitude but opposite in
“Whenever a body exerts a force on a second body, direction.
the second body exerts a force back on the first that Friction force results from physical contact between
is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.” two surfaces.
Correct way to view it: Two types of Friction Force

1. Kinetic Friction
2. Static Friction

Static Friction

This is the friction force associated with objects at

rest. This force resists force that is applied to an
object, and the object remains at rest until the force
of static friction is overcome. 𝑓𝑠 = 𝜇𝑠𝑁
where: 18.0 kg, and the coefficient of kinetic friction
between each block and the surfaces 0.100.
- µs = coefficient of kinetic friction
- N = normal force a) Draw a free-body diagram for each block.
b) Determine the magnitude of the
Kinetic Friction
acceleration of the system.
This is the friction force associated with objects in
motion. This force resists the motion of an object.

𝑓𝑘 = 𝜇𝑘N

where:

- µk = coefficient of kinetic friction

- N = normal force

Coefficients of Kinetic and Static Friction

- Static friction is always equal or larger in

value than kinetic friction. This explains why
you need to exert a larger force to move an
object from rest. In keeping the object in
motion or in constant velocity, you need
lesser force.
Problem 3
TENSION

- This comes from the Latin word meaning

“to stretch thin”
- This force is usually observed when a load
hanged using a string, rope, cable and
chains.
- Symbol: T

Weighing Scales

- Tension in the string counteracts the force

of gravity and holds the load up and
prevents the load from falling. The tension
is then read as the weight.

Problem 4

Block B in the figure weighs 711 N. The coefficient of

static friction between block and table is 0.2; assume
that the cord between B and the knot is horizontal.
Find the maximum weight of block A for which the
system will be stationary.

Problem 2. Two blocks connected by a rope of

negligible mass are being dragged by a horizontal
force F. Suppose that F = 68.0 N, m1 = 12.0 kg, m2 =
 Problem 6.

A block of mass m1 = 3.70 kg on an inclined

plane of angle 300 is connected by a cord over a
massless, frictionless pulley to a second block of
mass m2 = 2.30 kg hanging vertically. The plane
has a coefficient of kinetic friction equal to 0.1.
What are

a) The magnitude of the acceleration of

each block and
b) The direction of the acceleration of the
hanging block?
c) What is the tension in the cord?
Problem 5

The figure at the side shown three blocks

attached by cords that loop over frictionless
pulleys. Block B lies on a frictionless table; the
masses are: mA= 6.00 kg, mB = 8.00 kg, mC =
10.0 kg.

a) When the blocks are released, what is

the tension in the cord at the right?
b) What is the acceleration of the blocks
and where is it directed?
Work and Energy
- mathematically defined as

- where F is the force applied and s refers to the

displacement of the object when the force has acted
on it.

- Unit: Joule (J) or Nm

SCALAR PRODUCT

WORK
An old oaken bucket of mass 6.75 kg hangs in a well
at the end of a rope. The rope passes over a
frictionless pulley at the top of the well, and you pull
horizontally on the end of the rope to raise the
bucket slowly a distance of 4.00 m.

a) How much work do you do on the bucket in

pulling it up?
b) How much work does gravity do on the
bucket?
c) What is the total work done on the bucket?

A factory worker pushes a 30.0-kg crate at distance

of 4.5 m along a level floor at constant by pushing
horizontally on it. The coefficient of kinetic friction
between the crate and the floor is 0.25.

a) What magnitude of force must the worker

apply?
b) How much work is done on the crate by this
force? How much work does the crate by
friction?
c) How much work is done on the crate by the
normal force? by gravity?
d) What is the total work done on the crate?
The figure below shows four situations in which a
force is applied to an object. In all four cases, the
force has the same magnitude, and the displacement
of the object is to the right and of the same
magnitude. Rank the situations in order of the work
done by the force on the object, from most positive
to most negative.

A block of ice with mass 2.0 kg slides 0.750 m down

an inclined plane that slopes downward at an angle
of 36.9° below the horizontal. If the block of ice
starts from rest, what is its final speed? Friction can
be neglected.
ENERGY

- defined as the capacity of the system to

perform work.
- exists in several forms such as heat, kinetic
or mechanical energy, potential energy or
electric energy and can be converted from
one form into another.
- according to the principle of conservation of
energy, it can never be created nor A 0.600-kg particle has a speed of 2.00 m/s at point
destroyed. A and kinetic energy of 7.50 J at point B. What is
- SI unit is Joule (J)
a) its kinetic energy at A?
b) its speed at B?
c) the total work done on the particle as it
moves from A to B?

A 0.300-kg ball has a speed of 15.0 m/s.

a) What is its kinetic energy at A?

Some work is done to change the speed of an object. b) If its speed were doubled, what would be its
kinetic energy?
- Bringing an automobile up to speed or in
slowing it down involves work. POTENTIAL ENERGY
- In both categories, work involves a transfer
of energy between something and its
surroundings.

KINETIC ENERGY
Gravitational Potential Energy A spring of negligible mass has force constant k =
1600 N/m. How far must the spring be compressed
for 3.20 J of potential energy to be stored in it?

Elastic Potential Energy

Definition of a conservative force

In one day, a 75-kg mountain climber ascends from

the 1500-m level on a vertical cliff to the top at 2400
m. The next day, she descends from the top to the
base of the cliff, which is at an elevation of 1350 m.
What is her change in gravitational potential energy
Mechanical Energy
a) on the first day and
b) on the second day?

Conservation of Energy
Nonconservative forces A 2.00-kg block is pushed against a spring with
negligible mass and force constant k = 400 N/m ,
compressing it 0.220 m . When the block is released,
it moves along a frictionless, horizontal surface and
then up a frictionless incline with slope 37.0 degrees.
a. What is the speed of the block as it slides along
the horizontal surface after having left the spring?

A 10.0-kg block is released from point A. The track is

frictionless except for the portion between points B
and C , which has a length of 6.00 m. The block
travels down the track, hits a spring of force constant
POWER
2 250 N/m, and compresses the spring 0.300 m from
its equilibrium position before coming to rest
momentarily.

a) What is the speed of the block as it reaches

point B?

(b) Determine the coefficient of kinetic friction

between the block and the rough surface
between points B and C.

A glider with mass sits on a frictionless horizontal air

track, connected to a spring with force constant k =
5.00 N/m. You pull on the glider, stretching the
spring 0.100 m, and release it from rest. The glider
moves back toward its equilibrium position (x = 0). C) What is the speed of the block at point C?
What is its x-velocity when x = 0.080 m?

A block of mass 0.500 𝑘𝑔 is pushed against a

horizontal spring of negligible mass until the spring is
compressed a distance 𝑥. The spring constant is 450
𝑁/𝑚. When it is released, the block travels along a
frictionless, horizontal surface to point B, at the
bottom of a vertical circular track of radius 𝑅 = 1.00
𝑚, and continues to move up the track. The speed of
the block at the bottom of the track is 𝑣𝐵= 12.0 𝑚/𝑠,
and the block experiences an average frictional force
of 7.00 N while sliding up at point C.
 a) Calculate the compression distance 𝒙 of the
spring?

(b) Find the work done by the frictional force on the

block as it slides from B to C.
(Hint:𝑪𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒖𝒎𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 = 𝟐𝝅𝑹)

(c) Assume that the block never falls off as it

reaches point C, what speed do you predict for
the block at the top of the track?