Module 6

PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

In this Module

 Newton’s Laws of Motion

 Friction

At the completion of this module, you should be able to:

 Draw a diagram of a particle representation of a body isolated from its
environment in an inertial reference frame; and
o Illustrate, with vectors, all forces that act upon it.
o Identify, by name, the source of each force illustrated.
 Write Newton’s first and second laws in mathematical form; and
o Apply the second law to a given problem involving a single
massive body, solving for either a specified force or the
acceleration of the body.
o Use the second law to distinguish between weight and mass.
 Apply Newton’s third law to a problem to relate the forces exerted and
experienced by a body.
 Solve a problem concerning the motion of a body (acceleration, velocity
and displacement) given sufficient information concerning the external
forces acting on the body.

Are you ready? Then start the lesson now!

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 Lesson
LAWS OF MOTION
1
INTRODUCTION
When a body is at rest, we know from experience that it will remain at rest
unless something is done to change the state. A heavy box on the floor will stay
in place unless it is pushed or pulled. We walk without fear beside a massive
rock on level ground because we know it won’t suddenly move and crush us.
Undoubtedly, you have leaned against a chair only to have it moved and send
you scurrying for your balance. Did you then question the relationship of the
interaction between you and the chair to the ensuing motion of the chair?
It was Isaac Newton who first clearly made the connection between the
interactions on a body and its motion. In Newton’s theory, the acceleration of
every object has to be explained in terms of the interactions with other objects.
Newton’s laws of motion cover an enormous range of experience. At one
stroke, they convert what in retrospect had previously seemed chaos into a
beautifully organized universe. There have been a few achievements to rank
with this in the history of science.

PREREQUISITES
Before you begin this module, you should be able to:
 Check the units of a given mathematical expression and show that it is
dimensionally correct.
 Add (or subtract) two, three, or four two-dimensional vectors given in
unit-vector notation, finding the resultant.
 Describe the position, velocity, and acceleration of an object moving in
one dimension with constant acceleration.
 Describe the position, velocity, and acceleration of a single body moving
in a plane or moving in projectile motion.

It should be noted that a particle model is used throughout this module,

meaning each body is considered as if it were concentrated at a point and had
no extension in space, much like what we did in Module 4. This should always
be remembered in your study of the examples in this module.
In solving problems in this module, here are some suggested rules to follow:
1. Identify the particular body to be considered.
2. Identify all interactions (forces) between the body and its environment.
3. Choose a suitable inertial coordinate system (though at first this will
seem hard but you will master this as you practice solving)
4. Draw a diagram of the object representing it by a point; show all forces
acting on the body (and show the coordinate system)
5. Resolve the forces not lying along the coordinate axis into their
rectangular components.

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We’ve seen in the previous modules how to use kinematics to describe motion
in one and two or more dimensions. But what causes bodies move the way
that they do? Why do you feel pushed backward in a car that accelerates
forward? The answers to such questions take us into the subject of dynamics,
the relationship of motion to the forces that cause it.
The principles of dynamics were clearly stated for the first time by Sir Isaac
Newton (hence the name Newton’s Laws of Motion). However, he did not derive
these three laws. Rather, he deduced them from a multitude of experiments
performed by other scientists, especially Galileo Galilei (who died the year
Newton was born).
Newton’s First Law of Motion (Law of Inertia)
A body at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will stay in
motion unless acted upon by an external net force.
In your previous studies, you may have heard this statement before without the
term external net force. You may have only heard about the term external force.
But imagine for a second, you and your boyfriend (or girlfriend) is standing in
front of a big box (you on one side, he/she on the other). If both of you pushes
the box, the box is experiencing two external forces. So, if we follow the term
used ”external force”, we can directly conclude that the box will move. But what
if you both pushed the box by the same amount of force? Obviously, the box
will not move. This is because the “external net force” experienced by the box
is equal to zero.
(But then again, if you have no boyfriend or girlfriend, then the box will definitely
move to the direction you are pushing it.)
The tendency of a body at rest to remain at rest, and an object in motion to
remain in motion is called inertia.
To help us understand the concept of external net force, let us look at this
example.
This may be the good time to remind you that a force is a vector quantity thus
adding them is not the same as adding scalars where you just add them
algebraically.
EXAMPLE 1. To extricate an SUV
stuck in the mud, workmen used three
horizontal ropes, producing the force
vectors shown in the figure.
a) Find the 𝑥 and 𝑦 components of
each of the three pulls.
b) Use the components to find the
magnitude and direction of the
resultant of the three pulls.
𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛:
To help us solve this problem, we might
have to go back and recall what we

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have learned in Module 2 – Vector Addition. All we have to do is fill them up in
a table to easily solve this problem.
Quadrant,
Force Angle from 𝑥-axis 𝑥-component 𝑦-component
Given Angle
Quadrant II,
788 N 32° + 90° = 122° 788 cos 122° 788 sin 122°
32°
Quadrant I,
985 N 31° 985 cos 31° 985 sin 31°
31°
Quadrant III,
411 N 53° + 180° = 233° 411 cos 233° 411 sin 233°
53°
∑ 𝐹𝑥 = 179.387 N ∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 847.335 N

𝑅 = √179.3872 + 847.3352 = 866.116 N

∑𝑦
tan 𝜃 =
∑𝑥
∑𝑦 847.335
𝜃 = tan−1 ( ) = tan−1 ( ) = 78.047°
∑𝑥 179.387
Since both ∑ 𝑥 and ∑ 𝑦 are all positives, our angle is expected to be in the first
quadrant (from 0° to 90°). Thus, our angle is correct.
This basically means that the external net force acting on the car is 866.116 N.
To simplify the whole definition of the first law of motion, allow me to explain it
into five words in our dialect: “Walai mafall kung walai pafall”.
Newton’s Second Law of Motion (Law of Acceleration)
The net force on a body is equal to the product of the body’s mass and
its acceleration.
The second law of motion pertains to the behavior of objects for which all
existing forces are not balanced. It states that the acceleration of an object
depends directly upon the net force acting upon the object, and inversely upon
the mass of the object. Thus,
𝑎∝𝐹
1
𝑎∝
𝑚
This will then ultimately become:
𝐹 = 𝑎𝑚
Or in vector notation:

𝐹⃗ = 𝑎⃗𝑚
This simple equation is the key idea for nearly all the problems we will work on
this module, but we must use it cautiously. We must always be certain that the

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forces we include in our analysis are all the forces that is acting on that body in
observation. For example, if you are in a rugby scrum, the net force on you is
the vector sum of all the pushes and pulls on your body, not the push or pull on
another player.
Also, like any other vector equations we have encountered so far, there is
always one equivalent equation for each coordinate system.
𝐹𝑛𝑒𝑡,𝑥 = 𝑎𝑥 𝑚 𝐹𝑛𝑒𝑡,𝑦 = 𝑎𝑦 𝑚 𝐹𝑛𝑒𝑡,𝑧 = 𝑎𝑧 𝑚
This all happens if we have an external net force as described in the first law.
If we have an external net force which is ∑ 𝐹⃗ = 0, then obviously we have an
acceleration which is 𝑎⃗ = 0.
This supports the first law statement that an object at rest will remain at rest.
An object at rest means 𝑉𝑖 = 0
Suppose our 𝑦𝑖 = 0, then as mentioned, the 𝑎⃗ = 0
Then,
1 2 1
𝑦𝑓 = 𝑦𝑖 + 𝑉𝑖 𝑡 + 𝑎𝑡 = 0 + 0(𝑡) + (0)𝑡 2 = 0
2 2
𝑦𝑓 = 0

This supports the first law statement that an object in motion will remain in its
motion.
An object in motion means 𝑉𝑖 = 𝑉𝑖
As mentioned, the 𝑎⃗ = 0
Then,
𝑉𝑓 = 𝑉𝑖 + 𝑎𝑡 = 𝑉𝑖 + (0)𝑡 = 𝑉𝑖
𝑉𝑓 = 𝑉𝑖

Now let us analyze the given equation:

𝐹⃗ = 𝑎⃗𝑚
The unit of acceleration is meters per second square (in metric system). The
m
unit of mass is kilograms (in metric system). So if we have 𝑎 = 1 s2 and 𝑚 =
1 kg, we have:
m m
𝐹⃗ = 𝑎⃗𝑚 = (1 ) ( 1 kg ) = 1 kg = 1N
s2 s2
EXAMPLE 2. A hockey puck having a mass of 0.30 kg slides on a frictionless,
horizontal surface of an ice rink. Two hockey sticks strike the puck
simultaneously, exerting the forces on the puck as shown
in the figure. Determine both the magnitude and the
direction of the puck’s acceleration.

𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛:

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Since the figure is given, then we don’t have to draw a free-body diagram
anymore. (This means that if there is no given figure, a free-body diagram will
help you in your analysis.)
We are asked to solve for the magnitude and direction of its acceleration. Since
we are dealing with an 𝑥𝑦 dimension analysis, then we need to get the 𝑥 and 𝑦
component of the acceleration. We can only do that if we resolve the given
forces into its components. Thus:
Quadrant,
Force Angle from 𝑥-axis 𝑥-component 𝑦-component
Given Angle
Quadrant IV,
5N 360° − 20° = 340° 5 cos 340° 5 sin 340°
20°
Quadrant I,
8N 60° 8 cos 60° 8 sin 60°
60°
∑ 𝐹𝑥 = 8.698 N ∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 5.218 N
At 𝑥 coordinate:
𝐹𝑥 = 𝑎𝑥 𝑚
m
𝐹𝑥 8.698 N 8.698 kg s 2 m
𝑎𝑥 = = = = 28.993 2
𝑚 0.30 kg 0.30 kg s
At 𝑦 coordinate:
𝐹𝑦 = 𝑎𝑦 𝑚
m
𝐹𝑦 5.218 N 5.218 kg s 2 m
𝑎𝑦 = = = = 17.393 2
𝑚 0.30 kg 0.30 kg s
To solve for the magnitude:
m
𝑎⃗ = √28.9932 + 17.3932 = 33.810
s2
To solve for the direction:
𝑎𝑦
tan 𝜃 =
𝑎𝑥
𝑎𝑦 17.393
𝜃 = tan−1 ( ) = tan−1 ( ) = 30.960°
𝑎𝑥 28.993
Since both acceleration is positive, thus it is in the first quadrant (0° to 90°).
Therefore, the solve value for direction above is already correct.
m
Remember also that the gravitational pull of −9.81 s2 is also an acceleration.
Thus we can also apply it to the second law. The force that will get using this is
the force due to gravitational pull (𝐹𝑔 ).
𝐹𝑔 = 𝑚𝑔 = 𝑊
This is a good time to tell you the common mistake of interchanging mass and
weight. Remember that mass is an intrinsic property of an object thus it will not

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change wherever you go, even if the acceleration due to gravity will change.
(Ako gugma para nimo murag akoang mass, bisan asa ko moadto, di jud
mabag-o.)
Weight, on the other hand, is the measure of the gravitational force between
the object and the Earth (or any other planet) thus it will vary depending on the
acceleration due to gravity.
EXAMPLE 3. If a man weighs 900 𝑁 on Earth, what would he weigh on Jupiter,
m
where the free fall acceleration is 25.9 s2?

𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛:
To solve for the weight on Jupiter, we have to solve first for the mass of the
man.
𝑊 = 𝐹𝑔 = 𝑚𝑔
Since our weight is pulling us downward, then:
𝑊 = −900 N
m
−900 N = 𝑚 (−9.81
)
s2
m
−900 N −900 kg s 2
𝑚= m= m
−9.81 2 −9.81 2
s s
𝑚 = 91.743 kg
Now that we have the mass, we know that mass is unchangeable anywhere we
go, thus mass on Earth is equal to mass on Jupiter.
m
𝑊𝑗 = 𝑚𝑗 𝑎𝑗 = (91.743 kg) (−25.9 )
s2
𝑊 = −2376.144 N
The negative sign is just telling us that the weight is directed downward, thus:
𝑊 = 2376.144 N
Newton’s Third Law of Motion (Law of Interaction)
For every action, there is always equal but opposite reaction.
If you press against a corner of a textbook with your fingertip, the book pushes
back and make a small dent in your skin. If you push harder, the book does the
same and the dent in your skin is a little larger. This simply activity illustrates
that forces are interactions between two objects: when your finger pushes on
the book, the book pushes back on your finger. This important principle is
known as Newton’s third law.
Putting it mathematically, if you apply a 50-N push against a wall, the wall will
apply a -50-N push against you. The force exerted by object 1 on object 2 is
equal in magnitude to the force exerted by object 2 on object 1.

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 𝐹12 = −𝐹21
EXAMPLE 4. Harry and Ron, of masses 45 kg and 50 kg respectively, are
standing on a very slippery icy surface. Ron pushes Harry to the left with a force
of 75 𝑁.
a. What is the acceleration of Harry?
b. What is the force that Harry exerts on Ron?
c. What is the acceleration of Ron?
𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛:
a. Since Ron pushed Harry to the left with a force of 75 N,
𝐹𝑅𝐻 = −75 N
Therefore, that is the force that makes Harry accelerate.
𝐹𝑅𝐻 = 𝑚𝐻 𝑎ℎ
m
𝐹𝑅𝐻 −75 N −75 kg s 2
𝑎𝐻 = = =
𝑚ℎ 45 kg 45 kg
m
𝑎𝐻 = −1.667
s2
b. By law of interaction,
𝐹𝐻𝑅 = −𝐹𝑅𝐻 = −(−75 N)
𝐹𝐻𝑅 = 75 N
c. Now we have the force that Harry applied on Ron:
𝐹𝐻𝑅 = 𝑚𝑅 𝑎𝑅
m
𝐹𝐻𝑅 75 N 75 kg s 2
𝑎𝑅 = = =
𝑚𝑅 50 kg 50 kg
m
𝑎𝑅 = 1.5
s2
DISCLAIMER: In regards to this module, even though there is no example given
about this one, but expect that there will be problems that will relate the Laws of
Motion to Rectilinear Motion. Problems like:
 given the mass of an object and a force is applied, you will be asked to
solve for the distance travelled by the object after a certain time interval.
 given the mass and motion of the object, you will be asked to solve how
much force was required for that motion.
These are both just an example and there might be more problems that will test
your analytic abilities. I suggest you make use of the references I mentioned in
the course syllabus and practice solving problems like these.

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LESSON TEST
Answer the following problems. Show you solutions in a whole
sheet of paper.

1. A 3-kg object undergoes an acceleration given by:

𝑚
𝑎⃗ = 2𝑖̂ + 5𝑗̂ 2
𝑠
a. Find the resultant force acting on the object.
b. Find the magnitude of the resultant force.
𝑚
2. An electron of mass 9.11 × 10−31 𝑘𝑔 has an initial speed of 3 × 105 . It
𝑠
𝑚
travels in a straight line, and its speed increases to 7 × 105 𝑠 in a distance of
5 𝑐𝑚. (Assume constant acceleration)
a. Determine the magnitude of the force exerted on the electron.
3. Three forces acting on an object are given by:
𝐹1 = −2𝑖̂ + 2𝑗̂ 𝑁
𝐹2 = 5𝑖̂ − 3𝑗̂ 𝑁
𝐹3 = −45𝑖̂ 𝑁
𝑚
The object experiences an acceleration of magnitude 3.75 𝑠 2.
a. What is the direction of the acceleration?
b. What is the mass of the object?
c. If the object is initially at rest, what is its speed after 10 𝑠 ?
𝑚
4. An object of mass 𝑚 = 1 𝑘𝑔 is observed to have an acceleration of 𝑎⃗ = 10 𝑠 2
in a direction 60° east of north. A force ⃗⃗⃗⃗ 𝐹2 = 5 𝑁 is acting on the object
directed north. Determine the magnitude and direction of the other horizontal
force ⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐹1 acting on the object.

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 Lesson APPLICATION OF NEWTON’S LAW:
2 FRICTION

INTRODUCTION
Frictional forces are unavoidable in our daily lives. If we were not able to
counteract them, they would stop every moving object and bring to a halt every
rotating shaft. On the other hand, if friction were totally absent, we could not get
an automobile to go anywhere, and we could not walk or ride a bicycle.

Friction is a force that opposes relative motion between surfaces in contact,

but also allows us to move. While a common force, the behavior of friction is
actually very complicated and is still not completely understood. Every
understanding that is gained about friction relies heavily on observations and
empirical data.
Friction exists in all types of materials. Friction between solid surfaces is
generally classified as static, kinetic, and rolling.
 Static friction occurs in cases where friction is sufficient to prevent
relative motion between the surfaces.
 Kinetic friction or sliding friction is present when there is relative motion
between the surfaces in contact.
 Rolling friction occurs when one surface rotates as it moves over
another without sliding nor slipping at the point or area of contact.
LAWS ON FRICTION
1. Static friction is greater in magnitude than kinetic friction. Experience
tells us that we need to exert a greater force to start than to maintain
motion. (Mas dali man unta man unta mag maintain kaysa sugdan pa,
pero ngano ang uban di man consistent sa ila ginabuhat og
ginaestorya?)
2. Friction acts parallel to the surfaces in contact and in a direction so as to
oppose motion. Friction cannot produce motion. Its main role is to
oppose motion. (Naa jud always kontrabida sa atong life )
3. Friction is independent of the area of contact and speed of sliding.
4. Friction is proportional to the normal force.
5. Friction depends on the nature of surfaces in contact and condition of
surfaces, that is, whether the surfaces are rough, smooth, polished or
wet.
Imagine, for example, trying to slide a heavy crate across a concrete floor – you
may push harder and harder on the crate and not move it at all. This means
that the static friction responds to what you do – it increases to be equal to and

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in the opposite direction of your push. But if you finally push hard enough, the
crate seems to slip suddenly and starts to move. Once in motion, it is easier to
keep it in motion that it was to get it started, supporting our law number one.
When there is no motion between the objects, the magnitude of static friction
𝐟𝒔 is:
𝑓𝑠 ≤ 𝜇𝑠 𝑁
where 𝜇𝑠 is the coefficient of static friction and 𝑁 is the magnitude of the normal
force (the force perpendicular to the surface).
The symbol less than or equal to implies that static friction can have a maximum
value of 𝜇𝑠 𝑁. Static friction is a responsive force that increases to be equal and
opposite to whatever force is exerted, up to its maximum limit. Once the applied
force exceeds 𝑓𝑠 , the object will move.
Once an object is moving, the magnitude of kinetic friction 𝑓𝑘 is:
𝑓𝑘 = 𝜇𝑘 𝑁
Shown below is the list of contact systems and their coefficient of frictions:
System 𝜇𝑠 𝜇𝑘
rubber on dry concrete 1.0 0.7
rubber on wet concrete 0.7 0.5
wood on wood 0.5 0.3
waxed wood on wet
0.14 0.1
snow
metal on wood 0.5 0.3
steel on steel (dry) 0.6 0.3
steel on steel (oiled) 0.05 0.03
Teflon on steel 0.04 0.04
bone lubricated by
0.016 0.015
synovial fluid
shoes on wood 0.9 0.7
shoes on ice 0.1 0.05
ice on ice 0.1 0.03
steel on ice 0.04 0.02

EXAMPLE 1. A 100 − kg crate rests on a rough horizontal surface. The

coefficient of static friction and coefficient of kinetic friction are 0.5 and 0.1,
respectively.
a) What is the normal force acting on the crate?
b) What is the value of the maximum static friction?
c) What minimum horizontal force is needed to start the motion of the
crate?
d) What happens to the crate if a force of 350 N is applied?
e) What is the value of static friction if a force of 350 N is applied?

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 f) What happens to the crate if a force of 550 N is applied? What is its
acceleration?
g) What force is needed to keep the crate moving at a constant speed once
motion has begun?
𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛:
a) We are given the mass of the crate which is 100 kg. It’s weight, therefore
is equal to:
m
𝑊 = 𝑚𝑔 = (100 kg) (9.81 2 ) = 981 N
s
The normal force acting on the crate is the force perpendicular to our
surface, thus we can safely say that the weight is the normal force acting
on the crate.
𝑁 = 𝑊 = 981 N
b) Since the value of static friction is represented by the formula:
𝑓𝑠 ≤ 𝜇𝑠 𝑁
We can say that the value of maximum static friction is:
𝑓𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝜇𝑠 𝑁 = (0.5)(981 N)
𝑓𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 490.5 N
c) To start the motion of the crate, the maximum static friction must be
overcome. Hence, the minimum horizontal force needed to start motion
must be greater than 490.5 N.
𝐹 > 490.5 N
d) If the applied horizontal force is 350 N, the crate will remain at rest since
the applied force is below 𝑓𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑥 .
e) And since the 350 N is below the 𝑓𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑥 , it is safe to say that the frictional
force acting on the crate will just oppose the 350 N applied force. Thus,
𝑓𝑠 = 350 N
f) If the applied horizontal force is 550 N, the crate will accelerate since the
applied force is above 𝑓𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑥 . Applying Newton’s second law:
𝐹 550 N − 490.5 N
𝑎= =
𝑚 100 kg
m
𝑎 = 0.595 2
s
g) The force needed to keep the crate moving at a constant speed must be
equal to the kinetic friction. Thus,
𝑓𝑘 = 𝜇𝑘 𝑁 = (0.1)(981 N)
𝑓𝑘 = 98.1 N

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LESSON TEST
Answer the following problems. Show you solutions in a whole
sheet of paper.

1. A skier with a mass of 85 kg is sliding down a snowy slope. Find the

coefficient of kinetic friction for the skier if friction is known to be 46 N.

2. A 3.5 kg block is pushed along a horizontal floor by a force of magnitude

15 N at an angle of 40° with the horizontal, as shown in the figure. The
coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the floor is 0.25.
Calculate the:
a. magnitude of the frictional force on the block from the floor.
b. magnitude of the block’s acceleration.

3. Determine the magnitude of the horizontal force that will push a block
weighing 5 N against a vertical wall to prevent it falling down. The
coefficient of static friction between the wall and the block is 0.60, and
the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.40.

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