NEWTON’S SECOND LAW OF

MOTION
(Review Problems)
While cleaning the house, Maria tries to push her 15-kg study
table. She applies 10 newtons of force against the table. What
is the acceleration of the table during the push?
Given and Solution:
unknown:
 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 ( 𝑚 ) =15 𝑘𝑔  𝐹=𝑚𝑎
 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 ( 𝐹 )=10 𝑁  10 𝑁 =( 15 𝑘𝑔 ) 𝑎
  𝑘𝑔 − 𝑚
 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ( 𝑎 ) =?   10 𝑁 10
𝑎= 𝑜𝑟 𝑠2
  𝑎=
15 𝑘𝑔 15 𝑘𝑔
Formula:
 𝐹=𝑚𝑎   𝑚  
𝑎=0.667
𝑠2
Two forces F1 and F2 act on a 5.00 kg object. Taking F1 =20.0 N and F2 =
15.0 N, find the acceleration of the object for the configurations of the
forces shown in parts (a) and (b) of Figure 1.
 𝑚=5 𝑘𝑔
 𝐹 1=20 𝑁
 𝐹 2=15 𝑁

Solution (a):
𝐹
  𝑅=𝑚𝑎
2 2
  𝑅=√ 𝐹 1 + 𝐹 2
𝐹 𝐹𝑅
 
𝑎=
2
  𝑅=√ (20 𝑁 ) +(15 𝑁 )
𝐹
2 𝑚
  𝑘𝑔 − 𝑚
5𝑁 5 2
  𝑅=√ 400 𝑁 2 +225 𝑁 2   𝑠
𝐹 𝑎= 𝑜𝑟
  𝑎=
5 𝑘𝑔 5 𝑘𝑔
𝐹  𝑅=√ 625 𝑁 2
𝑚  
𝐹  𝑅=5 𝑁  
𝑎=1 2
𝑠
 Two forces F1 and F2 act on a 5.00 kg object. Taking F1 =20.0 N and F2 =
15.0 N, find the acceleration of the object for the configurations of the
forces shown in parts (a) and (b) of Figure 1.
 𝑚=5 𝑘𝑔
 𝐹 1=20 𝑁
 𝐹 2=15 𝑁
Solution (b):
  𝑅=√ 𝐹 12 + 𝐹 22
𝐹 𝐹
  𝑅=𝑚𝑎
𝐹  2 𝑦
60°   𝑅=√ 𝐹 12 +( 𝐹 2 𝑥 + 𝐹 2 𝑦)2
𝐹   𝐹𝑅
  𝑎=
𝐹  2 𝑥 𝑚
  𝑅=√ (20 𝑁 )2+(7.5 𝑁 +12.99)2
𝐹   𝑘𝑔 − 𝑚
28.63 𝑁 28.63
𝐹
  2 𝑥=15 cos ⁡(60 °) 2 2  
𝑎= 𝑜𝑟 𝑠
2
  𝑅=√ 400 𝑁 +419.84 𝑁
𝐹   𝑎=
𝐹
  2 𝑥=7.5 𝑁 5 𝑘𝑔 5 𝑘𝑔
𝐹  𝑅=√ 819.84 𝑁 2
𝐹
  2 𝑥=15 sin ⁡(60° )   𝑚  
𝐹  𝑅=28.63 𝑁 𝑎=5.73 2
𝐹
  2 𝑥=12.99 𝑁 𝑠
A 300 kg car accelerates at 0.5 m/s2 at an angle of 15o degrees
N of W. Find the magnitude and direction of the force
responsible for this acceleration.
Given and Solution:
unknown:
 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 ( 𝑚 𝑏 )= 300 𝑘𝑔  𝐹=𝑚𝑎
 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ( 𝑎 𝑏 )=0.5 𝑚 / 𝑠 2   5𝑚
𝑎𝑛
  𝑔𝑙𝑒 ( Ɵ 𝑏 )=150 ° 𝑁 𝑜𝑓 𝑊
𝐹=( 300 𝑘𝑔 ) ( )
𝑠2
  1500 𝑘𝑔 . 𝑚
Formula: 𝐹=
𝑠2  
 𝐹=𝑚𝑎
  N of W
If a force of 15.0 N directed east acts on a stationary 5.00 kg mass,
what are its acceleration, displacement and velocity after 10.0 s?

Given and
 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 ( 𝑚 ) =5 𝑘𝑔
unknown: Solution for acceleration:
  15 𝑁
 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 ( 𝐹 )=15 𝑁 𝑎=
5 𝑘𝑔
 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ( 𝑎 ) =?   𝑘𝑔 −𝑚
  15 𝑁 15
 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 ( 𝑆 ) =? 𝑎= 𝑜𝑟 𝑠2
  𝑎=
 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 ( 𝑣 ) = ?
5 𝑘𝑔 5 𝑘𝑔
  𝑚  
Formula for acceleration: 𝑎=3
𝑠2
  𝐹
𝑎=
𝑚
If a force of 15.0 N directed east acts on a stationary 5.00 kg mass,
what are its acceleration, displacement and velocity after 10.0 s?

Given and
 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 ( 𝑚 ) =5 𝑘𝑔
unknown: Solution for displacement:
 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 ( 𝐹 )=15 𝑁   3𝑚
 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ( 𝑎 ) =3 𝑚 / 𝑠 2 𝑆=0+ ( )
𝑠2
( 10 𝑠 ) 2
 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 ( 𝑆 ) =?
  3𝑚
 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 ( 𝑣 ) = ? 𝑆=( ) ( 100 𝑠 2 )
𝑠2
 
Formula for displacement:  𝑆=300 𝑚

𝑆=𝑉
  0𝑡 +𝑎𝑡 2
If a force of 15.0 N directed east acts on a stationary 5.00 kg mass,
what are its acceleration, displacement and velocity after 10.0 s?

Given and
 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 ( 𝑚 ) =5 𝑘𝑔
unknown: Solution for velocity:
 𝑣 =𝑎𝑡
 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 ( 𝐹 )=15 𝑁
 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ( 𝑎 ) =3 𝑚 / 𝑠 2   3𝑚
 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 ( 𝑆 ) =300 𝑚
𝑣= ( )
𝑠2
(10 𝑠)

 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 ( 𝑣 ) = ?   𝑚  
𝑣 =30 2
𝑠
Formula for velocity:
𝑣  =𝑎𝑡
A force acting on an object is given by F = (-2.00 i + 3.00 j) N. The
object experiences an acceleration of magnitude 3.75 m/s2. What is
the direction of the acceleration? (b) What is the mass of the object?

Given and Solution for direction:

 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 ( 𝐹 )=(−2 𝑖 +3 𝑗 ) 𝑁
unknown:  𝑡𝑎𝑛 Ɵ = 𝑦
𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
  ( 𝑎 ) =3.75 𝑚 / 𝑠 2 𝑥
𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ( Ɵ )= ?   =𝑡𝑎𝑛− 1 𝑦
(𝑎)
  Ɵ
𝑥 ( )
(𝑏)𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠
  ( 𝑚 ) =?
  3
Illustration:
Ɵ=𝑡𝑎𝑛
−2
−1
( )  
Ɵ=−56.31
  ° 𝑜𝑟 123.69 °
 𝐹 𝑅  3 𝑗
−2
  𝑖
A force acting on an object is given by F = (-2.00 i + 3.00 j) N. The object
experiences an acceleration of magnitude 3.75 m/s2. What is the direction
of the acceleration? (b) What is the mass of the object?
Given and Solution for Force:
 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 ( 𝐹 )=(−2 𝑖 +3 𝑗 ) 𝑁
unknown:  𝐹= √ ( −2 ) 2+ ( 3 ) 2 𝑁
 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ( 𝑎 ) =3.75 𝑚 / 𝑠 2
 𝐹=√ 4 +9 𝑁
 (𝑎) 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ( Ɵ )= 123.69°  𝐹= √ 15 𝑁
 (𝑏)𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 ( 𝑚 ) =?   𝐹  
𝑚= 𝑚=1.03
  𝑘𝑔
𝑎
Formula (b):
 𝐹=𝑚𝑎  
𝑚= √ 15 𝑁
𝑚
3.75
𝑠2
Now try this problem:

Two forces F1 and F2 act on a 3.00 kg object. Taking F1 =10.0 N

and F2 = 18.0 N, find the acceleration of the object for the
configurations of the forces shown in parts (a) and (b) of Figure 1.q