Essential University Physics

Fourth Edition, Global Edition

Chapter 5
Using Newton’s Laws

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Learning Outcomes
5.1 Use a strategic approach to
solve problems involving Newton’s
second law in two dimensions.
5.2 Solve problems involving two
connected objects.
5.3 Solve problems involving circular
motion with one or more forces.
5.4 Describe the difference between
static and kinetic friction.
5.5 Incorporate frictional force into
problems involving other forces.
5.6 Describe drag forces.

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Newton’s Law in Equilibrium
In the Figure, a car engine with weight w hangs from a chain that is
linked at ring O to two other chains, one fastened to the ceiling and the
other to the wall. Find expressions for the tension in each of the three
chains in terms of w. The weights of the ring and chains are negligible
compared with the weight of the engine.

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Conceptual Example
A hockey puck is sliding at constant velocity across a flat horizontal ice
surface that is assumed to be frictionless. Which of these sketches is the
correct free-body diagram for this puck? What would your answer be if
the puck slowed down?

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Example
A box of mass m is placed on a smooth incline that makes an angle θ
with the horizontal. (a) Determine the normal force on the box. (b)
Determine the box’s acceleration. (c) Evaluate for a mass m = 10 kg and
an incline of θ = 30°.

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Newton’s Law in Two Dimensions:
Skiing (1 of 2)
• A 65-kg skier glides down a slippery slope (negligible friction) at an
angle of 32°:
– Find the skier’s acceleration.
– Find the force the snow exerts on the skier.
• To solve this problem, we draw a free-body diagram that corresponds
to the physical diagram.
Physical diagram Free-body diagram

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Newton’s Law in Two Dimensions:
Skiing (2 of 2)
• We now apply Newton’s second law using the free-body diagram as a
guide:
𝐹⃗!"# + 𝑛 + 𝐹⃗$ = 𝑚𝑎⃗
• The analysis is simpler if we write this equation in component form
using a tilted coordinate system—this makes the y-component of the
unknown acceleration zero.
• In components:
– x-component: mg sinq = ma
– y-component: n – mg cosq = 0
• Solve (with m = 65 kg and θ = 32°) to
get the answers:
– a = g sinq = (9.8 m / s2 ) sin32º = 5.2 m / s2
– n = mg cosq = ( 65 kg) (9.8 m / s2 ) cos32º = 540 N
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Multiple Objects (1 of 2)
• Solve problems involving multiple objects by first identifying each object
and all the forces and constraints on it.
• Draw a free-body diagram for each object.
• Write Newton’s law for each object.
• Identify connections among the objects, which give common terms in
the equations.
• Solve.

• Example: A 73-kg climber dangles

over the edge of a frictionless ice
cliff from a massless rope tied to a
940-kg rock:
– What is the acceleration of
the climber?

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Multiple Objects (2 of 2)
• Draw a free-body diagram for the climber and the rock.
• Write Newton’s second law for the both objects:
! ! !
climber : Tc + Fgc = mc ac
! ! ! !
rock : Tr + Fgr + n = mr ar
• Now write these equations in component form:
– The accelerations of the climber and rock are equal
in magnitude—call that common value a.
– In the absence of friction, the magnitude of the
tension in the massless rope is constant—call that T:
climber, y: T − mcg = − mca
rock, x: T = mra
rock, y: n − mrg = 0
• Solving the first two equations, we obtain:
mc g (73 kg)(9.8 m/s2 )
a= = = 0.71 m / s2
mc + mr (73 kg + 940 kg)
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Example
Two boxes, A and B, are connected by a lightweight cord and are resting
on a smooth table. The boxes have masses of 12.0 kg and 10.0 kg. A
horizontal force of 40.0 N is applied to the 10.0-kg box. Find (a) the
acceleration of each box, and (b) the tension in the cord connecting the
boxes.

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Example
The pulley is frictionless and the rope has negligible weight. When the
system is released, it starts to accelerate. Find the acceleration of the
system and tension force in the rope.

𝑎⃗

m2

m1

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Example
A 50.0-kg woman stands on a bathroom scale while riding in the elevator.
The elevator is initially moving downward at 10.0 m/s; it slows to a stop
with constant acceleration in a distance of 25.0 m. What is the reading on
the scale?

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Circular Motion (1 of 2)
• Problems involving circular motion use the same methods as other
Newton’s law problems.
• For uniform circular motion, the acceleration points toward the center
of the circle and has the following magnitude:
v2
a=
r
• Thus, the magnitude of the force
on an object of mass m in circular
motion with radius r is as follows:
v2
F = ma = m
r
– This is sometimes called a
centripetal force.
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Circular Motion (2 of 2)
• A ball of mass m whirls around in a horizontal circle at the end of a string of
length L. The string makes an angle θ with the horizontal. Find the speed of
the ball:
– Draw a free-body diagram.
! ! !
– Apply Newton’s second law: T + Fg = ma
– Note that r = L cos q and ay = 0
– Write equations using components:
v2 mv 2
x : T cos q = max = m =
r L cos q
y : T sin q - mg = may = 0
– Solve for the ball’s speed by eliminating T:

TL cos2 q (mg / sin q )L cos2 q gL cos2 q

V = = =
m m sin q

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If the string break !..

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Free-Body Diagram in Uniform
Circular Motion
• Figure (a) shows the correct
free-body diagram for a body
in uniform circular motion.

• Figure (b) shows a common

error. In an inertial frame of
reference, there is no such
thing as “centrifugal force.”

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Example
A 0.150-kg ball on the end of a 1.10-m-long cord
(negligible mass) is swung in a vertical circle. (a)
Determine the minimum speed the ball must have
at the top of its arc so that the ball continues
moving in a circle. (b) Calculate the tension in the
cord at the bottom of the arc, assuming the ball is
moving at twice the speed of part (a).

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Example
Banking the curve can help keep cars from skidding. (a) For a car
traveling with speed v around a curve of radius r, determine a formula for
the angle at which a road should be banked so that no friction is
required. (b) What is this angle for an expressway off-ramp curve of
radius 50 m at a design speed of 50 km/h?

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Looping the Loop
• A roller-coaster car is traveling around a circular loop of radius r. What
minimum speed does the car need at the top of the loop so that stays on the
track?
– The car experiences the force of gravity and a normal force from the
track.
– Gravity is always downward and the normal force is always perpendicular
to the track. We assume that the normal force pushes the car away from
the track and cannot pull the car toward the track.

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Looping the Loop Solution
• At the top of the loop, both forces are downward. Newton’s second law
gives:
! ! !
n + Fg = ma
• In component form (choosing the
positive direction downward), we have:
mv 2
ny = n, Fgy = mg Þ n + mg =
r
• Solving for v, we obtain:
v = ( nr / m ) + gr
• As the car slows and begins to leave the track, the normal force
approaches zero. Therefore, the minimum speed is:
v = gr
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Looping the Loop Summary
• To keep the roller-coaster car moving on a circular path, a net force of mv 2 / r
must be applied.

• At the top of the loop, gravity and the normal force both act downward to
provide the required force:
– At high speeds, mv 2 / r > mg, gravity cannot provide this force by itself. A
downward normal force is also required.
– At low speeds, where mv 2 / r < mg,
gravity provides too much force. An
upward normal force would be
required to keep the car from leaving
the track!
– When mv 2 / r = mg, gravity can
provide the required force by itself.
This occurs at the speed: v = gr

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Friction (1 of 2)
• Friction is a force that opposes the relative
motion of two contacting surfaces.
• Static friction occurs when the contacting
surfaces are not in relative motion. When you
gently push on a box at rest on the floor, it is the
force of static friction the keeps the box at rest.
As you push harder, you eventually overcome
the static friction and the box begins to move.
• Kinetic friction occurs once static friction has
been overcome and the contacting surfaces are
in relative motion.

Walking would be impossible with friction!

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Friction (2 of 2)
• Static friction can increase as needed to prevent the
relative motion between contacting surfaces—until it
reaches a maximum value given by fs £ µsn,
where n is the normal force and μs
is the coefficient of static friction
between the two surfaces.
• Kinetic friction occurs between
surfaces that are in relative motion;
its magnitude is fk = μkn.

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Solving Problems with Friction (1 of 2)
• Problems with friction are solved like all other Newton’s law
problems.
• Identify the forces, draw a free-body diagram, and write
Newton’s second law.
• You need to relate the force components in two
perpendicular directions, corresponding to the normal force
and the frictional force.
• Example: Stopping a car:
– A car locks its wheels and skids to rest. The coefficient
of kinetic friction between the tires and pavement is μ.
– What is the acceleration of the skidding car?
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Solving Problems with Friction (2 of 2)
• Draw a free-body diagram for the skidding car.
• Apply Newton’s second law:
! ! ! !
Fg + n + fs = ma
• Write this in component form:
x : - µ n = max
y : -mg + n = 0
• Solve these for n and a:
y equation gives n = mg,
µn
so x equation gives ax = - = - µg
m

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Conceptual Example
Your little sister wants a ride on her sled. If you are on flat ground, will
you exert less force if you push her or pull her? Assume the same angle
θ in each case.

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Example
This skier is descending a 30° slope, at constant
speed. What can you say about the coefficient of
kinetic friction?

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Example
You want to move a 500-N crate
across a level floor. To start the
crate moving, you have to pull with
a 230-N horizontal force. Once the
crate “breaks loose” and starts to
move, you can keep it moving at
constant velocity with only 200 N.
What are the coefficients of static
and kinetic friction?

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Example
Two boxes are connected by a cord running over a
pulley. The coefficient of kinetic friction between box
A and the table is 0.20. We ignore the mass of the
cord and pulley and any friction in the pulley. We
wish to find the acceleration, a, of the system, tension
T in the cord as box B moves down.

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Example
Box A, of mass 10.0 kg, rests on a surface inclined at
37° to the horizontal. It is connected by a lightweight
cord, which passes over a massless and frictionless
pulley, to a second box B, which hangs freely as
shown. (a) If the coefficient of static friction is 0.40,
determine what range of values for mass B will keep
the system at rest. (b) If the coefficient of kinetic
friction is 0.30, and mB = 10.0 kg, determine the
acceleration of the system.

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Example
The sports car is rounding a flat, unbanked curve with radius R. If the
coefficient of static friction between tires and road is μs, what is the
maximum speed vmax at which the driver can take the curve without
sliding?

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Example
A 1000-kg car rounds a curve on a flat road of radius
50 m at a speed of 15 m/s (54 km/h). Will the car
follow the curve, or will it skid? Assume: (a) the
pavement is dry and the coefficient of static friction is
μs = 0.60; (b) the pavement is icy and μs = 0.25.

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Summary
• Newton’s laws are a universal description of motion, in which
uniform motion occurs in the absence of a net force.
• All Newton’s law problems are handled using the same steps:
– Identify all the forces acting on the object or objects of
interest.
– Draw one or more free-body diagrams.
– Write Newton’s law in vector form for each object:
▪ Equate the net force to the mass times the acceleration.
– Establish a coordinate system.
– Write Newton’s law in component form.
– Solve for the quantities of interest.

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