10/4/2017 MasteringPhysics: Assignment 3 - Forces Part One

Newton's1stand2ndLaws

LearningGoal:
TounderstandthemeaningandthebasicapplicationsofNewton's1stand2ndlaws.

Newton'slawsarefundamentalinmechanics.Theirmathematicalexpressionsareverysimplebutconceptualunderstandingof
Newton'slaws,whichisnecessaryforsolvingnontrivialproblems,isnotsimpleatall.

Newton's1stlaw
ThecommontextbookstatementofNewton's1stlawmayseemratherstraightforward.Hereitis:
Anobjecthasaconstantvelocity(possiblyzero)ifandonlyifthenetforceactingontheobjectiszero.
Inotherwords,ifthevectorsumoftheforcesappliedtotheobjectiszero,theobjectwouldbeeitheratrestoratconstant
velocity(thatis,theobjectwouldhavezeroacceleration).Ifsuchasumisnotzero,theobjectcannotpossiblybemovingata
constantvelocity.

Framesofreference
ThestatementofNewton's1stlawbecomesabitmorecomplicatedinactualapplications.Imagineyourselfinacar.To
understandNewton's1stlawfully,weneedtheconceptofaframeofreference.Aframeofreferenceisasetofcoordinatesused
tomeasuredistancesandtimes.Inyourframeofreference,anydistancewouldbemeasuredrelativetoyou.Forexample,the
radiointhecaris0.75mtotherightofyou.Theradioisatrestinyourframeofreference,becausetheradiodoesn'tchangeits
distanceordirectionfromyou.

Inyourframeofreference,thecarisalwaysatrest.Itisentirelypossiblethatthenetforceactingonthecarisnotzero:Thecar
may(intheframeofreferenceofanobserverstandingontheground)beaccelerating,turning,orbraking.Yetinyourframeof
reference,thecarwouldremainatrestbecause,relativetoyou,itisnotmovingatall.So,thecarisatrestoraccelerating,
dependinguponwhoyouask.

Inertialframesofreference
It'stemptingtoignorethisdifficultybysayingthattheframeofreferenceattachedtothecarissomehowwrong.Theobserveron
theground,incontrast,isright:Theobserverseesthemotionofthecarasitreallyis.However,suchalineofreasoningseems
flawed,becauseitraisesthequestionofhowtodeterminewhichframesofreferenceare"right"andwhichonesare"wrong."

ThisiswhatNewton's1stlawsettles.Newtonestablishedtheconceptofaninertialframeofreference.Aninertialframeof
reference,bydefiniton,isoneinwhichthestatementofNewton's1stlawis,infact,true.

Newton's2ndlaw
Itisimportanttoknowthattheframeofreferencebeingusedis,infact,inertial.OnlythendoesNewton's2ndlawworkina
simpleandelegantform.Newton's2ndlawestablishestherelationshipbetweenthenetforceactingonanobject,themassof
theobject,anditsacceleration:

F net = ma ,
or

F
.
net
a=
m

NotethatNewon's2ndlawallowsonetofindthemagnitudeoftheobject'sacceleration.Italsoestablishesthefactthatthe
accelerationofanobjecthasthesamedirectionasthenetforceactingontheobject.

ApplyingNewton'slawsininertialandnoninertialframes
Iftheframeofreferenceisnotinertial,usingNewton's2ndlawtocalculateaccelerationisstillpossiblebutmaybefarmore
complicated.Objectsthatexperiencezeronetforcemayaccelerate,andobjectsthatmoveatconstantvelocitymayexperience
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10/4/2017 MasteringPhysics: Assignment 3 - Forces Part One
anetforcenotequaltozero.Theimportantquestionis:Whichframesofreferenceareinertialandwhichonesarenot?Thisalso
raisesthefollowingquestion:Arethereanyinertialframesofreferenceinthisuniverse?

Newtonpostulatedthatinertialframesofreferencedoexist.Thisstatement,coupledwiththedefinitionofinertialframesof
reference,maybeconsideredamoreproperwaytostateNewton's1stlaw.

Onlyanexperimentcanestablishwhetheraparticularframeofreferenceisinertial(or,tobeprecise,"inertialenough"forthe
purposesneeded).Letusgobacktothecarexample.Theframeofreferenceattachedtotheground,wewouldusuallysay,is
inertial.Thatis,ifwegetanobjectandmakesurethatallexternalforcesactingonitadduptozero,wecanthenobservethat
theobjectis,infact,movingatconstantvelocity(or,possibly,remainingatrest).Inmostproblemsthatwewillbesolving,the
frameofreferenceoftheearthwillbeconsideredaninertialframeofreference.Forallpracticalpurposes,thismeansthat
Newton's2ndlawwillworkinit.

However,itisinstructivetounderstandthattheearthprovidesareferenceframethatislessthan"perfectlyinertial."Anobserver
onthesun,forinstance,wouldnoticethattheobjectinquestiondoes,infact,haveanacceleration:thecentripetalacceleration
associatedwiththeorbitalmotionoftheeartharoundthesun!Thebestinertialframeofreferenceistheoneassoicatedwith
distantstarsandanyotherframeofreferencethatismovingataconstantvelocityrelativetodistantstars.

TheconceptualquestionsthatfollowshouldhelpyoulearntoapplyNewton's1stand2ndlawsproperly.Notethat,throughout
thisproblem,wewillassumethattheframeofreferenceassociatedwiththeearthisperfectlyinertial.

PartA
Whichobjectprovidesaninertialframeofreference?
ANSWER:

thetipofthemovingsecondhandofaclock

arockthrownverticallyupward

apendulumswingingwithnoairresistance

askydiverfallingatterminal(constant)velocity

Correct
Assumingthattheearthprovidesaninertialframeofreference,anobjectmovingataconstantvelocityrelativetothe
earthwouldalsoprovideaninertialframeofreference.

PartB
Youareconductinganexperimentinsideanelevatorthatcanmoveinaverticalshaft.Aloadishungverticallyfromthe
ceilingonastring,andisstationarywithrespecttoyou.Thetensioninthestringismeasuredtobe10%lessthantheforce
duetogravityontheload.Nootherforcesareactingontheload.Whichofthefollowingstatementsabouttheelevatorare
correct?
Checkallthatapply.
ANSWER:

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Theelevatorisaninertialframeofreference.

Theelevatorisnotaninertialframeofreference.

Theelevatormaybeatrestforthedurationoftheentireexperiment.

Theelevatormaybemovingataconstantvelocityupward.

Theelevatormaybemovingataconstantvelocitydownward.

Theelevatormustbeaccelerating.

Correct

PartC
Youareconductinganexperimentinsideanelevatorthatcanmoveinaverticalshaft.Aloadishungverticallyfromthe
ceilingonastring.Thetensioninthestringismeasuredtobeexactlyequaltotheforceduetogravityontheload.Noother
forcesareactingontheload.Whichofthefollowingstatementsabouttheelevatorarecorrect?
Checkallthatapply.
ANSWER:

Theelevatorisaninertialframeofreference.

Theelevatorisnotaninertialframeofreference.

Theelevatormaybeatrest.

Theelevatormaybemovingataconstantvelocityupward.

Theelevatormaybemovingataconstantvelocitydownward.

Theelevatormaybeaccelerating.

Theelevatormustbeaccelerating.

Correct

PartD
Youareconductinganexperimentinsideatraincarthatmaymovealonglevelrailtracks.Aloadishungfromtheceilingon
astring.Theloadisnotswinging,andthestringisobservedtomakeaconstantangleof45 withthehorizontal.Noforces
otherthantensionandgravityareactingontheload.Whichofthefollowingstatementsarecorrect?

Checkallthatapply.
ANSWER:

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Thetrainisaninertialframeofreference.

Thetrainisnotaninertialframeofreference.

Thetrainmaybeinstantaneouslyatrest.

Thetrainmaybemovingataconstantspeedinastraightline.

Thetrainmaybemovingataconstantspeedinacircle.

Thetrainmustbespeedingup.

Thetrainmustbeslowingdown.

Thetrainmustbeaccelerating.

Correct
Sincethetensionandtheforceduetogravityarenotdirectedoppositetoeachother,thenetforcecannotpossiblybe
zeroandyettheloadisatrestrelativetothetraincar.Therefore,thecarisnotaninertialframeofreference.Itmust
beacceleratingrelativetotheearth,althoughitisnotclearexactlyhow.

PartE
Considerthetraincardescribedinthepreviouspart.Anotherexperimentisconductedinit:Anetforceof20 N isappliedto
anobjectofmass5 kg.Canyoudeterminetheaccelerationoftheobjectwithrespecttothetrain,and,ifso,whatisits
value?
ANSWER:

2
Yes0.25 m/s .

2
Yes4.0 m/s .

2
Yes100 m/s .

Nothereisnotenoughinformation.

Correct

Thetraincarisnotaninertialframeofreference,soF net = ma wouldnotworkhere.

PartF
A1000kgcarismovingalongastraightroaddowna30 slopeataconstantspeedof20.0 m/s .Whatisthenetforce
actingonthecar?
ANSWER:

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10/4/2017 MasteringPhysics: Assignment 3 - Forces Part One

0 N

10000 N

17320 N

20000 N

Correct
Thecarhaszeroaccelerationtherefore,itexperienceszeronetforce.AccordingtoNewton's1stlaw,nonetforceis
requiredtomaintainaconstantvelocity(inaninertialframeofreference,ofcourse).Thecarhasaconstantveclocity
relativetotheearththerefore,thecarisalsoaninertialframeofreference.

PartG
Considertwocarsmovingalongthesamestraightroadinoppositedirections.CarAhasamassof500 kgandhasa
constantspeedof20 m/scarBhasamassof800 kgandaconstantspeedof15 m/s.Whatcanyousayaboutthenet
forcesonthecars?
ANSWER:

CarAexperiencesgreaternetforcethancarB.

CarBexperiencesgreaternetforcethancarA.

Bothcarsexperienceequalnetforces.

Correct
Eachcarhaszeroaccelerationtherefore,thenetforceoneachcar,accordingtoNewton's1stlaw,iszero.

PartH
Inaninertialframeofreference,aseriesofexperimentsisconducted.Ineachexperiment,twoorthreeforcesareappliedto
anobject.Themagnitudesoftheseforcesaregiven.Nootherforcesareactingontheobject.Inwhichcasesmaytheobject
possiblyremainatrest?

Theforcesappliedareasfollows:

Checkallthatapply.

Hint1.Usingthenetforce
Inaninertialframeofreference,thestateofrestisonlypossiblewhenthenetforceactingontheobjectiszero.In
whichcasescantheforcesactingontheobjectpossiblyadduptozero?Youmaywanttodrawsomediagrams.

ANSWER:

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10/4/2017 MasteringPhysics: Assignment 3 - Forces Part One

2N2N

200N200N

200N201N

2N2N4N

2N2N2N

2N2N3N

2N2N5N

200N200N5N

Correct

PartI
Inaninertialframeofreference,aseriesofexperimentsisconducted.Ineachexperiment,twoorthreeforcesareappliedto
anobject.Themagnitudesoftheseforcesaregiven.Nootherforcesareactingontheobject.Inwhichcasesmaytheobject
possiblymoveataconstantvelocityof256 m/s?

Theforcesappliedareasfollows:

Checkallthatapply.

Hint1.Usingthenetforce
Inaninertialframeofreference,movingataconstantvelocityisonlypossiblewhenthenetforceactingontheobject
izzero.

ANSWER:

2N2N

200N200N

200N201N

2N2N4N

2N2N2N

2N2N3N

2N2N5N

200N200N5N

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10/4/2017 MasteringPhysics: Assignment 3 - Forces Part One

Correct
Youshouldhavenoticedthatthesetsofforcesappliedtotheobjectarethesameastheonesintheprevousquestion.
Newton's1stlaw(andthe2ndlaw,too)makesnodistinctionbetweenthestateofrestandthestateofmovingata
constantvelocity(evenahighvelocity).Inbothcases,thenetforceappliedtotheobjectmustequalzero.

Althoughsomeofthequestionsinthisproblemmayhaveseemedtrickyandunfair,thesubtletieshereareimportantin
improvingconceptualunderstanding.Thatunderstanding,inturn,willenableyoutocorrectlysolvecomplex
computationalproblemsusingNewton'slaws.

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