Chapter 3: Dynamics explaining motion

Force and acceleration

To calculate the acceleration produced by a net force we must also know the objects mass
The word equation for calculated the net force is:
Force (N) = mass (kg) x acceleration (m/s^2)
This equation is a simplified version of Newtons second law of motion
It only applies to objects which have a constant mass
From this equation we can see that acceleration is directly proportional to the net Force, and for a
constant Force acceleration is inversely proportional to the mass of the object

Defining the Newton

One Newton is the force that will give a 1kg mass an acceleration of 1m/s^2 in the direction of the
force
1N = 1kgms^-2

Acceleration caused by gravity

If you drop a stone from a distance s, the ball will accelerate towards the ground
This can be shown using a multi flash photograph
The photographs are taken at the same time interval, however the distance between the stone in
the photos will increase, hence an acceleration
The force causing the ball to fall is the pull of the Earths gravity (weight)
The centre of gravity of an object is defined as the point where its entire weight appears to act
Without air resistance objects of any mass will fall at the same rate
However air resistance is greater when acting on a lighter object therefore making it accelerate at a
smaller rate
Acceleration of free fall = 9.81 m/s^2
Weight = mass x acceleration of free fall

Acceleration on the moon

The moon is smaller and therefore has less mass and so its gravity is weaker
Because of the smaller effect of gravity the acceleration due to gravity is smaller
Acceleration of free fall on the moon = 1.6 m/s^2
Objects also weigh less on the moon due to the smaller value of acceleration due to free fall

Mass and weight

Mass will not vary from place to place as it is a measure of the amount of matter within an object
Weight will change as it is a force and is affected by the acceleration due to free fall
Acceleration due to free fall is equivalent to the gravitational field strength
 Determining the gravitational field strength

Electronic timer (method 1)

A steel ball is held by an electromagnet
When the current is switched off, the ball begins to fall and the timer starts
When the ball falls through the trap door the timer stops
Substituting the values we have found into s = ut + (at^2)/2 we can find g
h = (gt^2)/2
We could also have drawn a graph of h against t^2 and calculated the gradient
Uncertainty
The ball may still contain some magnetism when released (increasing the value of t)
The value of h may also be inaccurate altering the value of g
These are systematic and random errors
Ticker-timer (method 2)
As a weight falls it pulls a tape through the ticker timer
The increasing spacing between the dots shows that the acceleration is increasing
Using the equations of motion we can calculate the acceleration
Uncertainty
Friction between the tape and the ticker timer
This will cause the value of g to be smaller than it actually is
The bigger the weight used the less uncertain the value of g will be
Light gate (method 3)
The weight is attached to a card with two breaks in it designed to break the light beam
Initial velocity = x / (t2 t1)
Final velocity = x / (t4 t3)
Acceleration = (v u) / (t3 t1)
This can be repeated at different heights to give a more accurate value of acceleration

Mass and inertia

Friction will eventually make an object stop moving when the initial driving force has been removed
An object at rest will remain at rest, unless a force causes it to start moving
A moving object will continue to move at a steady speed in a straight line, unless a force acts on it
As particles move faster (approaching the speed of light) there mass also increases

The idea of inertia

An object with a large mass is difficult to stop moving

A stationary object with a large mass is difficult to start moving
It is difficult to make a massive object change direction
Inertia is the measure of the mass of an object
An object will remain at rest or in a state of uniform motion unless it is acted on by an external force
Newtons first law of motion
 Free fall (skydiver example)

When they jump out of the plane the accelerate freely as the only force acting is the weight of the
person
At the start the acceleration of the skydiver is therefore g
Air resistance begins to increase, decreasing the acceleration due to free fall
Eventually they reach a maximum velocity, known as terminal velocity
Terminal velocity is determined by the weight and orientation of the skydiver
When the parachute is released it greatly increases the air resistance and so the terminal velocity is
reduced

Parachute released

New terminal velocity

Moving through fluids

A fluid is a liquid or a gas

Drag is another form of resistance, experienced when moving through fluids
The deeper the fluid the more resistive it is
Drag means that an object reached terminal velocity quicker than it would in air
Terminal velocity takes longer to reach when air resistance is acting on an object, rather than drag

Summary

Net force, mass and acceleration are related by the equation F = ma (Newtons second law of
motion)
The acceleration produced by a force is in the same direction as the force (where there are two or
more forces, we must determine the resultant force)
A Newton is the force required to give a mass of 1kg an acceleration of 1 m/s^2 in the direction of
the force
The greater the mass of an object, the more it resists changes in motion
Mass is the measure of an objects inertia
The centre of gravity of an object is the point where its entire weight appears to act
The weight of an object is a result of the pull of gravity on it
An object falling freely under gravity has constant acceleration provided the gravitational field
strength is constant. However fluid resistance reduced its acceleration. Terminal velocity is reached
when the fluid resistance is equal to the weight of the object
According to the Special Theory of Relativity, the mass of an object increases as it approaches the
speed of light, so that we can no longer use the equation F = ma