SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

General Physics I
1st Semester – Module 4
Forces and Newton’s Laws
General Physics – Grade 12
1st Semester – Module 4: Forces and Newton’s Laws

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Development Team of the Module

Developers/ Writer:

MRS. JANNIS MAY V. ANTOLIJAO – Master Teacher I, APAS National High School

Content Editors:

MRS. CELIA C. GEPITULAN – Principal I, Regino Mercado Night High School MRS.

JOCELYN BUTANAS – Master Teacher I, Talamban National High School

MR. BONNIE JAMES SACLOLO- Teacher III, Cebu City National Science High School

Language Editor:
ROQUESA B. SABEJON – PSDS North District VII

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Chairperson: DR. RHEA MAR A. ANGTUD – Schools Division Superintendent

DR. DANILO G. GUDELOSAO, Ed.D. – Asst. Schools Division Superintendent

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MRS. VANESSA L. HARAYO – EPS, LRMS

MRS. RAYLENE S. MANAWATAO – EPS, Science

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Quarter : First Quarter
Content Standard : The learner demonstrates understanding on the laws of
motion, and the forces around us.
Performance Standard : Apply the laws of motion to daily life situations. Solve
problems using free body diagram approach in determining
forces.
Learning Outcomes (Syllabus) : Upon the completion of the given unit, the SHS
students are expected to define inertial reference frame, apply
Newton’s law to obtain quantitative and qualitative
conclusions about the contact and noncontact forces acting
on a body in equilibrium, differentiate the properties of static
and kinetic friction.
Competencies : STEM_GP12EU-Id-28, STEM_GP12EU-Id-33
Duration : Week 4
Topics : Laws of Motion, Forces

What I Need To Know

We are all subject to Newton’s laws of motion, whether we know it or not.
In this module you will learn the laws of Newton and show how can it be applied to
everyday situations. Using them, we go beyond the description of motion, as in
kinematics, to a study of the causes of motion referred as dynamics.
We extend our discussion of Newton’s laws by introducing types of forces,
we begin by considering the forces between two surfaces, as we shall see, the force
of friction is different depending on whether the surfaces are in static contact, or
are moving relative to one another.
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
• identify Newton’s laws of motion in daily life situations
• define inertial reference frame
• identify action-reaction pairs

What I Know (Pre-Test)

Directions: Carefully read each item and choose the letter of the correct answer.
Use a separate sheet of paper.

1. What do we call the study of the causes of motion? A.

acoustics B. dynamics C. kinematics D. optics

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 2. What can be inferred about the law of inertia inside an
accelerating jeepney? The law of inertia _____________________ an
inertial frame of reference.
A. can be used because the jeepney is
B.cannot be used because the jeepney is
C.can be used because the jeepney is not D.
cannot be used because the jeepney is not
3. How much is the force required to maintain a body at constant velocity in
free space? It is equal to ________________.

A. zero C. the mass of the body B. the force required to stop it D.

weight of the object
4. Which of the following is referred to as the tendency of an object to
resist change in motion?
A. balance B. force C. inertia D. mass
5. What happens to the nail when a hammer strikes it according to the third
law of motion? The nail _________________.
A. moves at a constant speed C. creates a friction with the hammer
A. disappears into the hammer D.exerts an equal force back to the hammer
6. Which is TRUE about the acceleration of an object? Acceleration of an object
_____________________.
A. decreases as the mass of an object increases
B. increases as the force on the object is constant
C. decreases as the mass of an object decreases
D. none of the above
7. What is the mass of an object when a force of 34 N accelerates it at a rate of
4 m/s2?
A. 0.12 kg B. 8.5 kg C. 38.0 kg D. 136 kg
8. How much force is needed to accelerate a 70 kg rider and her 200 kg motor
scooter at 4 m/s2?
A. 270 N B. 280 N C. 800 N D. 1,080 N
9. When you hit the bamboo pole, you get hurt as the bamboo pole hits you
back. Which law of motion is evident?
A. Law of Inertia C. Law of Interaction
B. Law of Acceleration D. Law of Universal Gravitation
10. Which is referred to as the force when two objects attract each other by
virtue of their masses?
A. electrical B. frictional C. gravitational D. magnetic
11. Which is referred to as the push or pull that alters the motion of a moving
body?
A. acceleration B. force C. inertia D. motion
12.Which of the following Free Body Diagram shows an object falling to the
ground? (Consider air resistance)

A. B. C. D.

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 13. Which of the following unit of force is equal to a Newton?
A. kg B. m/s2 C. kg.m/ s2 D. kg. /m.s
14. Which force pulls an object towards the surface of the earth?
A. friction B. gravity C. normal D. tension
15. Which is referred to as the force exerted on an object that is always
perpendicular to the surface?
A. frictional B. gravitational C. normal D. tension

Lesson
Newton’s Laws of Motion
1

What’s In

Describing motion may differ from every observer’s perspective. A certain

object may be far from you but near to someone’s perspective. Dealing with relative
motion comes with defining the frame of reference which means the established
point or a set-up basis for describing motion.

Relative motion in one direction in one dimension means movement of

object vertically or horizontally. It has two possible directions; vertically moving
objects have directions either up or down (north or south) and horizontally moving
objects have directions either left or right (east of west).
Relative motion of two-dimension involves the movement of objects that do not have
the same line of action. This means that they are neither moving in the same
directions nor moving in opposite directions.

What’s New
Read the statements below. Determine which laws of motion it describes.
Write your answer on a separate sheet.

1. A school bus comes to a sudden stop, and all the backpacks on the floor
start to slide forward.
_________________________________________________________
2. If you push an empty grocery cart with the same force as you push one
that is filled with groceries.
___________________________________________________________
3. The hammer exerts a force on the nail and the nail exerts a force back on
the hammer. _______________________________________________

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 What’s Is It
Dynamics – the branch of mechanics concerned with the motion of
bodies under the action of forces.
Inertial reference frame – a set of time-space coordinate system
that is stationary or with constant velocity. It is a frame of reference
that is not accelerating.
Newton’s Laws of Motion
1. Newton’s First Law
Law of Inertia
An object at rest remains at rest, an object in motion continues in
motion with constant velocity (that is constant speed in a straight line) unless
the object experiences a net external force.
Inertia – resistance of an object to change its state of
motion. Mass - the quantity of matter.

Example 1.1 Which is more difficult to move from rest – a truck or bicycle?

Figure1. 1 Figure 1.2

It is the truck because it has greater mass than the bicycle. Note that the
greater the mass of an object, the greater is its tendency to maintain its
state of motion. Mass is the measure of the inertia of an object.

Why do passengers in a vehicle move backward when the vehicle

Example 1.2.
suddenly moves forward (from being stationary)? Why do passengers move
forward when it suddenly brakes or stops?

Figure 1.3. Starting from rest, the vehicle Figure 1.4. A vehicle initially moving to the left
accelerates forward. The passenger remains at rest suddenly stops. The passenger keeps on moving
relative to Earth. relative to Earth.

When a stationary blue bus suddenly starts to move, it accelerates forward.

By the law of inertia, the passengers tend to retain their state of being at
rest. But because they are standing on the bus, the friction on the floor
pulls them forward, making them look like they’re moving backward.
Likewise when the orange moving bus suddenly stops, its acceleration is
directed backward. The passengers tend to retain their state of being in
motion so they tend to move forward.

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The passengers tend to move in the direction opposite to the bus’
acceleration. Likewise, when a bus is rounding a curve, the passengers tend
to move “out of the circle,” opposite to the direction of the centripetal
acceleration.

For the observer inside the bus, this phenomenon may look odd. There is
no net force acting on the passengers, yet they move forward or backward.
When the bus is accelerating (speeds up or slows down), it is not a suitable
frame of reference for Newton’s first law. A frame of reference in which
Newton’s first law is valid is called an inertial frame of reference. The surface
of the Earth is approximately an inertial frame of reference. Any frame of
reference that moves at constant velocity with respect to another frame of
reference is also an inertial frame.

Thus, when the bus is accelerating , it is not an inertial frame of reference.

If you are a passenger inside the bus, you cannot use the law of inertia.
However, when it is moving with constant velocity relative to Earth, it is an
inertial frame of reference.

2. Newton’s Second Law of Motion

Law of Acceleration
The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net
external force acting on the object and inversely proportional to the object ’s
mass. where;
a = ∑F a = acceleration (m/s2)
m F = Force (N)
m = mass (kg)

An object’s acceleration is equal to the net force acting on it divided by its

mass. If only a single force acts on an object, its acceleration is found to be
in the same direction as the force. If more than one force acts on an object,
experiments show that acceleration is in the direction of the vector sum of
the forces. Thus, forces are indeed vectors which was discussed in module
1. The total force on the object is the sum of these individual forces, F total =
∑F. It tells us how an object will move when acted on by force or by a
collection of forces. This law is our link between force and motion.
Figure 2.1 When several forces act
on an object, the vector sum of
∑F = ma these forces ∑F determines the
acceleration according to Newton’s
second law. The acceleration is
directly proportional to ∑F.
In SI system od units, force is measured in units called newtons (N). Mass
is in kilograms, while acceleration has units of meters pers second squared.
Force = mass x acceleration
Newtons = kg x m / s2
The value of the newton as a unit of force is therefore
1 N = 1 kg. m/s2

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Example 2.1. Using Newton’s Second Law

A single force of magnitude 6.0 N acts on a stone of mass 1.1 kg. Find
the acceleration of the stone.

Solution
The force on the stone and its acceleration are related through Newton’s
second law,
a=
∑
F
m
where ∑F s the total force on the stone, of magnitude of 6.0 N as given. We
begin by drawing a picture, showing all the forces acting on the stone. Since
there is only a single force in the example, it is also the total force. Using
Newton’s second law, the magnitude of the acceleration and force are
related by
a = ∑F = 6.0 N = 6.0 kg x m/s2 = 5.5 m/s2
m 1.1 kg 1.1 kg
Fig. 2.2 The direction of the

stone’saccelerationis
parallel to that of the total
force, so the direction of
Force gives the direction of
acceleration Figure 2.2 single force of a stone

3. Newton’s Third Law of Motion

Law of Interaction
If two objects interact, the magnitude of force exerted on object 1 by
object 2 is equal to the magnitude of the force simultaneously exerted on
object 2 by object 1, and these two forces are opposite in direction.

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

When two objects interact with one another, the forces they mutually exert
on each are called an action-reaction pair.

The force that object 1 exert on object 2 is sometimes called action force,
while the force that object 2 exerts on object 1 is called the reaction force.

The action force is equal in magnitude and opposite direction to the reaction
force and must act on different objects. In physics, the reaction force occurs
at the same time as the action force.

Example 3.1. Action-Reaction

A person pushes a refrigerator across the floor of a room. The person exerts a
force F1 on the refrigerator. From Newton’s third law, we know that F 1 is part
of an action-reaction pair of forces. What is the reaction force of F 1?
Solution

The force on the refrigerator (F1) is caused by an action of the person on the
refrigerator. According to Newton’s third law, the reaction force must be

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 equal in magnitude to F1 but in opposite direction. The reaction force must
also act on a different object ( it cannot act on the refrigerator). So F2 = - F1

Figure 3.2

Figure 3.1 shows an action-

reaction pair of the man and the
refrigerator. Figure 3.2 shows an
example of a force diagram
Figure 3.3 shows a free-body diagram
Figure 3.3

What’s More
“Newton’s Law of Motion in Daily Life Situations”.
Read each statement below and identify which law of motion it applies.
Write INERTIA, ACCELERATION, and INTERACTION respectively in your
answer sheet.

________________1. A rider on a running horse is thrown forward when the

horse stops suddenly.
________________2. When a blanket is given a sudden jerk, the dust particles
fall off.
________________3. A shark closing on its prey.
________________4. The boxer’s fist can only exert as much force on the tissue
paper as the tissue paper can exert on the fist.
________________5. When the bat hits the ball, the ball hits the bat.
________________6. A motorcycle revving up to the finish line.
________________7. An elevator begins its lift to the 9th floor.
________________8. When the bus suddenly starts, the passengers sitting or
standing in the bus tend to fall backward.
________________9. It is easier to push an empty shopping cart than a full one.
________________10. When a person jumps out of a moving jeepney he falls
forward.

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 What I Have Learned

Directions: Complete the statements below by supplying the correct word/s.

Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

Law of Acceleration
The ________________ of an object is ____________________ to the net
external force acting on the object and _____________________to the object’s
mass.

Law of Inertia
An object at rest remains at ________, an object in ________ continues
in motion with ______________ (that is constant speed in a straight line)
unless the object experiences a net external force.

Law of Interaction
If _______ objects interact, the magnitude of force exerted on object 1 by
object 2 is ________ to the magnitude of the force simultaneously exerted on
object 2 by object 1, and these two forces are ____________ in direction.

Demonstration 1: Inertia
Purpose: To develop kinesthetic sense of inertia.
Activity 1.1
Procedure: Hold a book upright between your hand, palm facing
inward. Move the book side to side (oscillating a distance of 30 cm) at a
regular time interval for 20 seconds. Note the effort involved in changing the
motion of the book. Repeat the demonstration with the sheet of paper,
noting the much smaller effort required.
Which has lesser inertia? The paper or book?

Demonstration 2: Acceleration
Purpose: Show that force applied to an object to provide a given
acceleration is proportional to the object’s mass.
Activity 2.1
Procedure: Get your school bag. Place it on top of the table or on the
floor. With a great amount of force push your bag away. Repeat the
demonstration when your bag is empty. Note the acceleration of the bag when
it was empty and not.
Which accelerated more? The empty bag or not?

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Demonstration 3: Interaction
Purpose: Show the action-reaction forces equal in magnitude with
opposite direction results from the interaction of two objects.
Activity 3.1
Procedure: Locate the inner fold of your arm (either left or right
arm). With your free hand, use the three fingers to hit the inner fold of that
other arm. Apply gradually an amount of force with your three fingers and hit
it until redness appears. Then stop. (Do not overdo this activity)
What does the redness indicate?

Lesson The Force of Friction

2

What I Need To Know

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to
• identify the types of forces
• draw free body diagrams
• differentiate the properties of static and kinetic friction

What’s In

Inertial reference frame is a set of time-space coordinate system

that is stationary or with constant velocity. It is a frame of reference
that is not accelerating.

Free-Body Diagram is a construct of simplified diagram showing

all forces acting on each object involved in the problem.

Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion. First, the law of inertia which states
that, an object at rest remains at rest, an object in motion continues in
motion with constant velocity (that is constant speed in a straight line) unless
the object experiences a net external force. Second, the law of acceleration
which states that, the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the
net external force acting on the object and inversely proportional to the
object’s mass. Lastly, the law of interaction which states that, if two objects
interact, the magnitude of force exerted on object 1 by object 2 is equal to the
magnitude of the force simultaneously exerted on object 2 by object 1, and
these tow forces are opposite in direction.

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 What’s New
Read and follow the instructions in the activity below.
Use a toy car and a book to model a car colliding with wall. Observe the motion
of the car before and after the crash. Identify as many changes in its motion,
such as a change in speed or in direction, as you can.
A. Make a list of all the changes and try to identify the forces that caused them.
B. B. Copy the illustration and draw the free body diagram showing the forces
present.

Figure 4. a car colliding with the wall

What is It
Force - a push or a pull exerted on some objects. It can change the objects’
velocity. It can cause stationary objects to move. It can cause moving objects to
stop. It can also change moving objects to change direction which involve change
in velocity – an acceleration.

The unit of force is newton, named after Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), whose work
contributed much to the modern understanding of force and motion. The newton
(N) is defined as the amount of force that, when acting on a 1 kg mass, produced
an acceleration of 1 m/s2. Therefore, 1 N = 1 kg x 1 m/s2.

Classification of Forces
Contact Forces- occurs when the Noncontact Forces (at a
bodies interacting is touching each distance/field force) -long-range forces
other. that can act even if the bodies are
separated by an empty space.
Normal force (Fn) – exerted on an object Gravitational force – attractive force
by a surface which it is in contact with. between two objects with mass.
The word “normal” means that its Force F = m a ; N = kg x m/s2
direction is always perpendicular to the Weight W= m g: N = kg x m/s2
surface
Tension force (FT) or (T)– a stretching Electrical force – attraction or
force exerted along the length of a repulsion between electrical charges
material (Ex. Force on a string)
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 Frictional Force (Ff)– acts parallel to Magnetic force – attraction or
the surface opposite to the direction of repulsion between magnetic fields
motion of the body. Nuclear force – force present inside
the nucleus of an atom

Force is a vector quantity because the effect of a force depends on its magnitude
and direction. Diagrams that show force vectors as arrows are called force
diagrams. All forces are drawn as if they act on that point, no matter where the
force applied.

Net external force – the total force resulting from a combination of external
forces on an object; sometimes called the resultant force.

Free-Body Diagrams – used to analyze only the forces affecting the

motion of a single object. They are constructed and analyzed just like
other vector diagrams which helps in identifying the components and
resultant forces. It isolates an object and forces acting on it.

Steps for drawing a Free-Body Diagram (FBD)

1. Determine the known and unknown forces. Draw or sketch the situation.
2. Consider only one object (at a time) and draw a free-body diagram for that
object, showing all the forces acting on that object. Include any unknown
forces that you have to solve for. Do not show any forces that the chosen
object exerts on other objects. Draw the arrow for each force vector
reasonably accurately for direction and magnitude. Label each force
including forces you must solve for, as to its source (gravity, person,
friction, and so on.)
3. If several objects are involved, draw a free-body diagram for each object
separately, showing all forces acting on that object (and only forces acting
on that object). For each and every force, you must be clear about on what
object that force acts, and by what object that force is exerted. Only forces
acting on a given object can be included in that object.
4. It is important to resolve vectors into components. Choose x and y axes in
a way that simplifies the calculation.
5. Solve the equation or equations for the unknowns.

Forces Acting on a Body in Equilibrium and its Free-Body Diagram

A body is in state of equilibrium when it is at rest or moving with a constant
velocity. By the Newton’s law of inertia, the net force acts on it must be zero. That
is, for a body to be in a state of equilibrium, the vector sum of all the forces that
act on it must be zero.
∑F=0
Thus, for a body to be in a state of equilibrium, the summation of forces in each
component must also be zero. This is sometimes called the first condition for
equilibrium.
∑F x = 0 and ∑ F y =0

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Example Problem Drawing/sketch FBD Solution
1. y ∑Fy=0
A box with a weight Fn + W = 0
of 1 Newton rests
Fn – W = 0
on a table. Find the
normal force that x Fn = W
the table exerts on Fn = 1 N
the apple.
Given: In this

Weight (W) = 1 Where: Fn = normal force solution, take

note of how the
Newton Fg = gravitational force series of
Unknown: equations was
Normal force (Fn) The box is in a state of equilibrium (net transformed
from vectors to
=? force = zero), use the first condition for magnitudes
equilibrium in the y-axis.
Answer: only
Fn = 1 N So, the normal force has magnitude of 1
N and directed upward.

Example Problem Drawing/sketch FBD

2. y
A man pulls a 100-
N box using a rope
oriented at an angle x
of 30° with the
horizontal force on
the rough floor that
exert 8-N frictional Where: FT = T = Tension force
force on the box. Fn = normal force
Find (a) the tension W = weight (mass x gravity)
force in the rope Ff = frictional force
and (b) the normal a. (Recall the previous lesson of module 1 in getting the
force that the floor
components of the vector). Notice that the tension has
exerts on the box.
two components with magnitudes Tx = T cos 30° and Ty
=T sin 30°. Use the condition for equilibrium in the
x-axis.
Solution ∑Fx=0
Given: Tx + Ff = 0

Weight of the box = T cos 30° - Ff = 0

100 N T cos 30° - Ff + Ff = Ff
Angle = 30° T cos 30° = Ff
Frictional force (Ff) cos 30° cos 30°
=8N

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Unknown: FT = Ff = 8N = 9.24 N
a. Tension of cos 30° 0.8660
the rope
b. To find the normal force, use the condition for
(T)=? equilibrium in the y-axis.
∑F y = 0
b. normal force
(Fn) = ? Fn + Ty + W = 0
Fn + T sin 30° - W = 0

Answer: Fn + T sin 30 - W + W = W
Fn + T sin 30 - T sin 30 = W - T sin 30
a. FT = 9.24 N Fn = W - T sin 30
b. Fn = 9.38 N Fn = 100 N - (9.24 N) (0.5)
Fn = 95.38 N

The normal force is less than the weight of the box. This
is due to the magnitude of the weight of the box being
equal to the sum of the y component of the tension and
normal force.
The Force of Friction

Static Friction – the resistive force that opposes the relative motion of two
contacting surfaces that are at rest with respect to one another.

Other examples are:

a box resting on the ground

your books on the table
your backside against the
chair desk not moving
standing still
pencil on the table
car parked on a steep hill

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Kinetic Friction – the resistive force that opposes the relative motion of two
contacting surfaces that are moving past one another with a finite relative speed.

Other examples are:

rubbing both hands together to

create heat
a washing machine pushed along a
floor
an iron being pushed across material
the frame and the edge of door sliding
against one another
the bottom of a trashcan sliding
against the concrete

Conceptual Checkpoint: FRICTION FOR ROLLING TIRES

A car drives with its tires rolling freely. Is friction between the tires and the road
(a) static or (b) kinetic?
Reasoning and Discussion
A reasonable sound answer is that because the car is moving, the friction
between its tires and the road must be kinetic friction-but this not the case.
Actually, the friction is static because the bottom of the tire is in static contact
with the road. To understand this, watch your feet as you walk. Even though you
are moving, each foot is in static contact with the ground once you step down on
it. Your foot does not move again until you lift it up and move it forward for the
next step. A tire can be thought of as a succession of feet arranged in circle, each
of which is momentarily in static contact with the ground.
Answer: (b) The friction between the tires and the road is static friction.

The only way to achieve kinetic

friction with a wheel or tire is if the
same point of tire was locked in
contact with the ground as a car kept
moving. Then the tire would be
skidding and leaving black marks of
rubber. This is the tire SLIDING
(kinetic friction) across the ground
instead of ROLLING (static friction).

Static = point moves as ground moves

with it (means tire rolls). Point in
contact has no velocity

Kinetic = point locks and skids

against ground having velocity

Source: Walker, James S. “Physics 4th Edition”. Pearson Education, Inc.2010.page 155-156

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Friction opposes the applied force.
The force of static friction is always equal to and opposite in direction to
the component of applied force that is parallel to the surface (F s = -Fapplied). As
the applied force increases, the force of static friction also increases and vice
versa. When the applied force is as great as it can be without causing the object
to move, the force of static friction reaches its maximum value, Fs, max.
Kinetic Friction is less than static friction
When an applied force exceeds F s,max, the object begins to move with an
acceleration to the same direction as the force, there is still a frictional force
acting on the object as it moves, but that force is less than F s,max. this retarding
frictional force is known as kinetic friction (F k). The net force is equal to the
difference between the applied force and the force of kinetic friction.
Mathematically; Fnet = (Fapp – Fk) Force of Friction is
proportional to the normal force.
The magnitude of the force of friction is proportional to the magnitude of
the normal force exerted on an object by a surface. Greater normal force results
to greater friction.
Friction depends on the surfaces in contact.
The direct relationship between normal force and the force of friction is a
good approximation of the friction between dry, flat surfaces that are at rest or
sliding past one another. Under different conditions, the frictional force may
depend on different factors. The force of friction also depends on the
composition of the surfaces in contact. The quantity that expresses the
dependence of frictional forces on the particular surfaces in contact is called
the coefficient of friction, represented by the symbol µ, lower case Greek
letter mu.

The coefficient of friction is a ratio of forces

coefficient of static coefficient of kinetic If the value of µ and the
friction is the ratio of the friction is the ratio normal force on the
maximum value of the between force of kinetic object are known, then
force of static friction to friction to the normal the magnitude of the
the normal force. force. force of friction can be
calculated directly.
µs = Fs, max µk = Fk
Ff = µFn
Fn Fn

Where: Fn = normal force the unit is Newton

Ff = frictional force the unit Newton is
µs = coefficient of static friction
µk = coefficient of kinetic friction

17
Example Problem 3.
A 24 kg crate initially at rest on a horizontal floor requires a 75-N horizontal force to set it in
motion. Find the coefficient of static friction between the crate and the floor.
Given: Fs, max = 75N = 75kg.m/s2 m = 25 kg Unknown: µs =?
Solution:
µs = Fs, max µs = F s, max = 75 (kg.m/s2) =µs = 0.32
Fn mg 24 kg x 9.8 m/s2

What’s More
Part 1. Draw or sketch what is being asked for in the situations below, then
utilize the free-body diagram technique indicate the arrows properly by
determining the direction of the forces and make sure to label the specific forces
using symbols such as Fg for gravitational force, Fn for normal force, Ff for
frictional force, Fapp for applied force, FT for Tension force. Write your answer in
a separate sheet. Refer the µs and

Situation Drawing FBD

1.The book is at rest on the table.

2.A cat jumping down from the

rooftop to the ground.

3.A SHS student slings a backpack

upon his shoulder. The backpack

18
 is suspended motionless by one
strap only on the shoulder.

4.A force is applied to a book

towards the right across a desk
with acceleration. Consider
frictional forces. Neglect air
resistance.
5.A car is moving to the right and
is slowing down to a stop. Neglect
air resistance.

Part 2. The Concept of Friction. Analyze each comparison below. Determine

which has greater friction. Indicate greater than (>) or lesser than (<) symbols
depending on the magnitude of frictional force. Write your answer on a separate
sheet.

1.a chair at rest on a corner. a table at rest on a corner

2.a paper a sandpaper

3.a an unwaxed floor of science a shiny floor of science

laboratory laboratory
4.rubber on dry concrete rubber on wet concrete

5.a chair pushed on the shiny a table pushed on a shiny

floor floor
6.a chair pushed on a shiny floor a chair pushed on a rough

floor
7. a wet pavement a dry pavement

8. a slippery and muddy road a concrete pavement

9.a drinking glass on glass drinking glass slides on glass

tabletop tabletop
10.small piece of wood on wood large piece of wood on wood
panel panel

19
 What I have Learned
Fill in the blank. Write the correct word/s as key concepts of what you have learned in
this topic based on its definition. Write your answers directly on a separate sheet.

1. ________________ is a vector quantity because the effect of a force depends

on its magnitude and direction.

2. _________________is used to analyze only the forces affecting the motion of

a single object. They are constructed and analyzed just like other vector
diagrams which helps in identifying the components and resultant forces.
It isolates an object and forces acting on it.

3. _________________ is the resistive force that opposes the relative motion of

two contacting surfaces that are at rest with respect to one another.

4. _________________ is the resistive force that opposes the relative motion of

two contacting surfaces that are moving past one another.

5. The quantity that expresses the dependence of frictional forces on the

particular surfaces in contact is called the _____________________ ,
represented by the symbol µ, lowercase Greek letter mu.

What I Can Do
Overcoming Friction: Read and understand the problems. Draw a free-body
diagram. Solve for the unknown. Write your answer in a separate sheet of paper.

1.A student moves a box of books by attaching a rope to the box ang pulling with a
force of 90.0 N at an angle of 30.0°. The box of books has a mass of 20.0 kg and the
coefficient of friction of kinetic friction between the bottom of the box and the
sidewalk is 0.50. Diagram: Fapp
a. Define a
Given: m = 20.0 kg
µk = 0.50
Fapp = 90.0 N
Ɵ = 30.0 °
Fk
Unknown: a =?
Fg
c. Plan Choose the equation(s) or situation
-First find the normal force Fn by applying the first condition of equilibrium
in the vertical direction. ∑ F y = 0

20
 -Calculate the force of kinetic friction in the box.
µk = Fk
Fn
-Apply Newton’s second law along the horizontal direction to find acceleration
of the box. ∑F x = m ax
d. Calculate
Choose a convenient coordinate system and find the x and y components of
all forces. (Please see the diagram above. Recall the Module 1 in getting the
components of vectors)
-Find the y component of Fapp.
Fapp y =?
-Find the x component of Fapp.
Fapp x =?
-Use the mass to find the force of gravity (g = 9.8 m/s2) acting on the box.
Fg = m x g
-To find the normal force, find the sum of all forces in the y direction, set them
equal to zero, and solve for Fn
∑Fy = Fn + Fapp y - Fg = 0

-Use the normal force to find the force of kinetic

friction µk = Fk
Fn
-Determine the horizontal acceleration using Newton’s second law.
∑F x = Fapp x - Fk = m ax

2. A 91 kg refrigerator is placed on a ramp. The refrigerator begins to slide when

the ramp is raised to an angle of 34°. What is the coefficient of static friction?

Assessment (Post Test)

Instructions: Write the letter of the correct answer on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. What force is exerted when one surface rubs against another?

A. acceleration B. friction C. gravity D. inertia
2. Which of the following actions increases friction?
A. adding grease to gears on a bike C. oiling a squeaky door
B. applying wax on the floor D. putting a carpet on the tiled floor
3. What does Newton’s second law of motion say about the object’s acceleration? It
says that the object’s acceleration ________________ as its mass
_______________ and force acting on it increases

A. decreases, decreases C. increases, decreases B. decreases;

increases D. increases; increases

21
4. What is the concept of Newton’s third law of motion? It states that whenever
one object exerts a force on a second object, the ______________________
A. first object is unaffected by that force
B. second object exerts a less powerful force on the first object
C. second object exerts an equal and opposite force on a third object
D. second object exerts an equal and opposite force on the first object
5. Which of the following is an example of Newton’s third law?

A. hitting a baseball C. both A and B B. sitting on a chair

D. none of these
6. What happens when we swim?
A. The reaction force is what moves the swimmer forward
B. The reaction force could be the water pushing on the hands and feet
C. The action force could be the swimmer’s hands and the feet pushing on
the water
D. All of the above
7. Which Newton’s law explains about inertia?
A. First Law of Motion C. Third Law of Motion
B. Second Law of Motion D. Law of Conservation of Energy
8. Which law is applied if a car driver suddenly makes a sharp left turn and the
passenger slides to the right?
A. friction B. free fall C. gravity D. inertia
9. Which is generally TRUE about the coefficient of kinetic friction in most
materials affecting each other?
A. It is lesser than static friction. C. It is equal to static friction.
B. It is greater than static friction. D. It is not affected by normal force.
10. What direction does frictional force acts with reference to motion?
A. northern B. opposite C. parallel D. same
11. Which is referred to as the constant value that gives the amount of friction
when multiplied by normal force?
A. calibration B. coefficient of friction C. direction D. smoothness 12. Which
type of friction prevents a stationary block from sliding down the ramp?
A. dry B. fluid C. rolling D. static
13.A 5 kg box on a horizontal table is pushed by a horizontal force of 15 N. If
the static coefficient of friction is 0.4, will the box move? Why?
A. Yes, because the kinetic friction is equal to the applied force.
B. No, because the kinetic friction is lesser than the applied force.
C. Yes, because the kinetic friction is lesser than the applied force.
D. No, because the kinetic friction is greater than the applied force.
14. What forces are exerted to a girl who sits on a chair?
A. frictional and tension C. tension and magnetic
B. normal and gravitational D. weight and nuclear
15.Which force is difficult to overcome when sliding a heavy cabinet?
A. buoyant B. friction C. thrust D. weight

22
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24
Answer Key
s
.2 µ .1a = 012. m/s2 to the right

= 067.
What I Can Do
.5 Coefficient of friction .4 Kinetic Friction

.3 Static Friction .2 Free Body Diagram .1 Force

What I Have Learned
.6
.10 < < .5
.9 > > .4
.8 < > .3
.7 < < .2
.6 < < .1
Part .2 Concept of Force
What’s More
Activity 31. – reaction to the force applied

Activity 21. – empty bag

Activity 11. – paper
What I Can Do
ppositeo equal, two,
motion, constant velocity rest,
directly proportional, inversely proportional acceleration,
What I Have Learned
.10 Inertia .5 Interaction

.9 Acceleration .4 Interaction
.8 Inertia .3 Acceleration
.7 Acceleration .2 Inertia
.6 Acceleration .1 Inertia
What’s More
.3 Interaction .2 Acceleration Inertia .1

What’s New

25