Physics for Scientists and Engineers

Fifth Edition, Global Edition

Chapter 5
Force and Motion

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Chapter 5 Force and Motion

IN THIS CHAPTER, you will learn about the connection

between force and motion.
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Chapter 5 Preview (1 of 6)
What is a force?
The fundamental concept of
mechanics is force.
• A force is a push or a pull.
• A force acts on an object.
• A force requires an agent.
• A force is a vector.

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Chapter 5 Preview (2 of 6)
How do we identify forces?
A force can be a contact force or
a long-range force.
• Contact forces occur at points
where the environment
touches the object.
• Contact forces disappear the
instant contact is lost. Forces
have no memory.
• Long-range forces include
gravity and magnetism.

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Chapter 5 Preview (3 of 6)
How do we show forces?
Forces can be displayed on a
free-body diagram. You’ll draw
all forces—both pushes and
pulls—as vectors with their tails
on the particle. A well-drawn
free-body diagram is an
essential step in solving
problems, as you’ll see in the
next chapter.

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Chapter 5 Preview (4 of 6)
What do forces do?
A net force causes an object to
accelerate with an acceleration
directly proportional to the size
of the force. This is Newton’s
second law, the most important
statement in mechanics. For a
particle of mass m,
 1 
a = F net
m
❮❮ LOOKING BACK Sections 1.4, 2.4, and 3.2 Acceleration
and vector addition

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Chapter 5 Preview (5 of 6)
What is Newton’s first law?
Newton’s first law—an object at
rest stays at rest and an object
in motion continues moving at
constant speed in a straight line
if and only if the net force on the
object is zero—helps us define
what a force is. It is also the
basis for identifying the
reference frames—called inertial
reference frames—in which
Newton’s laws are valid.

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Chapter 5 Preview (6 of 6)
What good are forces?
Kinematics describes how an object moves. For the more
important tasks of knowing why an object moves and being
able to predict its position and orientation at a future time, we
have to know the forces acting on the object. Relating force
to motion is the subject of dynamics, and it is one of the
most important underpinnings of all science and engineering.

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Chapter 5 Reading Questions

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Reading Question 5.1
What is a “net force?”
A. The weight excluding the container.
B. The vector sum of all forces in a problem.
C. The vector sum of all forces acting on an object.
D. The vector force applied by a net.
E. The vector sum of all forces that add up to zero.

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Reading Question 5.1 Answer
What is a “net force?”
A. The weight excluding the container.
B. The vector sum of all forces in a problem.
C. The vector sum of all forces acting on an object.
D. The vector force applied by a net.
E. The vector sum of all forces that add up to zero.

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Reading Question 5.2
Which of the following are steps used to identify the forces
acting on an object?

A. Draw a closed curve around the system.

B. Identify “the system” and “the environment.”
C. Draw a picture of the situation.
D. All of the above.
E. None of the above.

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Reading Question 5.2 Answer
Which of the following are steps used to identify the forces
acting on an object?

A. Draw a closed curve around the system.

B. Identify “the system” and “the environment.”
C. Draw a picture of the situation.
D. All of the above.
E. None of the above.

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Reading Question 5.3
Which of these is not a force discussed in this chapter?

A. The tension force.

B. The orthogonal force.
C. The normal force.
D. The thrust force.
E. None of the above.

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Reading Question 5.3 Answer
Which of these is not a force discussed in this chapter?

A. The tension force.

B. The orthogonal force.
C. The normal force.
D. The thrust force.
E. None of the above.

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Reading Question 5.4
What is the name of a diagram used to show all forces acting
on an object?

A. Motion diagram.
B. Interaction diagram.
C. Free-body diagram.
D. Second-law diagram.

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Reading Question 5.4 Answer
What is the name of a diagram used to show all forces acting
on an object?

A. Motion diagram.
B. Interaction diagram.
C. Free-body diagram.
D. Second-law diagram.

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Chapter 5 Content, Examples,
and QuickCheck Questions

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What Is a Force? (1 of 3)
• A force is a push or a pull.

• A force acts on an object.

• Pushes and pulls are
applied to something.
• From the object’s
perspective, it has a force
exerted on it.
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What Is a Force? (2 of 3)
• A force requires an agent,
something that acts or
exerts power.
• If you throw a ball, your
hand is the agent or cause
of the force exerted on the
ball.
• A force is a vector.
• To quantify a push or pull,
we need to specify both
magnitude and a direction.

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What Is a Force? (3 of 3)
• Contact forces are forces
that act on an object by
touching it at a point of
contact.
• The bat must touch the ball
to hit it.

• Long-range forces are forces

that act on an object without
physical contact.
• A coffee cup released from your
hand is pulled to the earth by the
long-range force of gravity.
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QuickCheck 5.1
A ball rolls down an incline and
off a horizontal ramp. Ignoring
air resistance, what force or
forces act on the ball as it
moves through the air just after
leaving the horizontal ramp?
A. The weight of the ball acting vertically downward.
B. A horizontal force that maintains the motion.
C. A force whose direction changes as the direction of
motion changes.
D. The weight of the ball and a horizontal force.
E. The weight of the ball and a force in the direction of
motion.
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QuickCheck 5.1 Answer
A ball rolls down an incline and
off a horizontal ramp. Ignoring
air resistance, what force or
forces act on the ball as it
moves through the air just after
leaving the horizontal ramp?
A. The weight of the ball acting vertically downward.
B. A horizontal force that maintains the motion.
C. A force whose direction changes as the direction of
motion changes.
D. The weight of the ball and a horizontal force.
E. The weight of the ball and a force in the direction of
motion.
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Tactics: Drawing Force Vectors

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Example: Drawing a Force Vector
(1 of 3)
A box is pulled to the right by a rope.

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Example: Drawing a Force Vector
(2 of 3)
A box is pushed to the right by a spring.

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Example: Drawing a Force Vector
(3 of 3)
A box is pulled down by gravity.

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Combining Forces
• A box is pulled by two ropes, as
shown.
• When several forces are exerted
on an object, they combine to
form a net force given by the
vector sum of all the forces:
𝑁𝑁

𝐹𝐹⃗net ≡ � 𝐹𝐹⃗𝑖𝑖 = 𝐹𝐹⃗1 + 𝐹𝐹⃗2 +. . . +𝐹𝐹⃗𝑁𝑁

𝑖𝑖=1

• This is called a superposition

of forces.

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QuickCheck 5.2
The net force on an object
points to the left. Two of three
forces are shown. Which is the
missing third force?

A. B. C. D.
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QuickCheck 5.2 Answer
The net force on an object
points to the left. Two of three
forces are shown. Which is the
missing third force?

A. B. C. D.
Vertical components cancel
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Gravity
• The pull of a planet on an
object near the surface is
called the gravitational
force.
• The agent for the
gravitational force is the
entire planet.
• Gravity acts on all objects,
whether moving or at rest.
• The gravitational force
vector always points
vertically downward.

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Spring Force
• A spring can either push
(when compressed) or pull
(when stretched).
• Not all springs are metal
coils.
• Whenever an elastic object
is flexed or deformed in
some way, and then
“springs” back to its original
shape when you let it go,
this is a spring force.

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Tension Force
• When a string or rope or wire pulls on an object, it exerts a
contact force called the tension force.
• The tension force is in the direction of the string or rope.

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Ball-and-Spring Model of Solids

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QuickCheck 5.3
A steel beam hangs from a cable as a crane lifts the beam.
What forces act on the beam?

A. Gravity.
B. Gravity and tension in the cable.
C. Gravity and a force of motion.
D. Gravity, tension, and a force of motion.

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QuickCheck 5.3 Answer
A steel beam hangs from a cable as a crane lifts the beam.
What forces act on the beam?

A. Gravity.
B. Gravity and tension in the cable.
C. Gravity and a force of motion.
D. Gravity, tension, and a force of motion.

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QuickCheck 5.4
A book rests on a horizontal table. Gravity pulls down on the
book. You may have learned something in a previous physics
class about an upward force called the “normal force.” Deep
in your heart, do you really believe the table is exerting an
upward force on the book?

A. Yes, I’m quite confident the table exerts an upward

force on the book.
B. No, I don’t see how the table can exert such a force.
C. I really don’t know.

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QuickCheck 5.4 Answer
A book rests on a horizontal table. Gravity pulls down on the
book. You may have learned something in a previous physics
class about an upward force called the “normal force.” Deep
in your heart, do you really believe the table is exerting an
upward force on the book?

A. Yes, I’m quite confident the table exerts an

upward force on the book.
B. No, I don’t see how the table can exert such a force.
C. I really don’t know.

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Normal Force
• When an object sits on a
table, the table exerts an
upward contact force on the
object.
• This pushing force is directed
perpendicular to the surface,
and thus is called the
normal force.

• A table is made of atoms joined together by molecular

bonds which can be modeled as springs.
• Normal force is a result of many molecular springs being
compressed ever so slightly.
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Examples of Normal Force
• Suppose you place your hand on a wall and lean against it.
• The wall exerts a horizontal normal force on your hand.
• Suppose a frog sits on an
inclined surface.
• The surface exerts a tilted
normal force on the frog.

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Kinetic Friction
• When an object slides along
a surface, the surface can
exert a contact force which
opposes the motion.
• This is called sliding friction
or kinetic friction.

• The kinetic friction force is

directed tangent to the surface,
and opposite to the velocity of
the object relative to the surface.
• Kinetic friction tends to slow
down the sliding motion of an
object in contact with a surface.
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QuickCheck 5.5
A bobsledder pushes her sled across horizontal snow to get it
going, then jumps in. After she jumps in, the sled gradually
slows to a halt. What forces act on the sled just after she’s
jumped in?

A. Gravity and kinetic friction.

B. Gravity and a normal force.
C. Gravity and the force of the push.
D. Gravity, a normal force, and kinetic friction.
E. Gravity, a normal force, kinetic friction, and the force
of the push.

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QuickCheck 5.5 Answer
A bobsledder pushes her sled across horizontal snow to get it
going, then jumps in. After she jumps in, the sled gradually
slows to a halt. What forces act on the sled just after she’s
jumped in?

A. Gravity and kinetic friction.

B. Gravity and a normal force.
C. Gravity and the force of the push.
D. Gravity, a normal force, and kinetic friction.
E. Gravity, a normal force, kinetic friction, and the force
of the push.

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Static Friction
• Static friction is the
contact force that keeps an
object “stuck” on a surface,
and prevents relative
motion.

• The static friction force is

directed tangent to the
surface.

• Static friction points

opposite the direction in
which the object would
move if there were no static
friction.
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Drag
• Kinetic friction is a resistive
force, which opposes or
resists motion.
• Resistive forces are also
experienced by objects
moving through fluids.

• The resistive force of a fluid is called drag.

• Drag points opposite the direction of motion.
• For heavy and compact objects in air, drag force is
fairly small.
• You can neglect air resistance in all problems unless a
problem explicitly asks you to include it.
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Thrust
• A jet airplane or a rocket has a thrust force pushing it
forward during takeoff.
• Thrust occurs when an engine expels gas molecules at
high speed.
• This exhaust gas exerts a
contact force on the engine.
• The direction of thrust is
opposite the direction in
which the exhaust gas is
expelled.

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Electric and Magnetic Forces
• Electricity and magnetism, like gravity, exert long-range
forces.
• We will study electric and magnetic forces in detail in Part
Ⅵ.
• Atoms and molecules are made of charged particles
(electrons and protons) and what we call a molecular bond
is really an electric force between these particles.
• Forces such as the normal force, tension force, and friction
are, at the most fundamental level, actually electric forces
between the charged particles in the atoms.

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Symbols for Forces
Force Notation
General force
r
F
F vector

r
Gravitational force FG
F vector sub G

r
Spring force Fsp
F vector sub s p

r
Tension T
T vector

r
Normal force n
n vector

r
Static friction fs
f vector sub s

r
Kinetic friction fk
f vector sub k

r
Drag Fdrag
f vector sub drag

r
Thrust Fthrust
f vector sub thrust

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Tactics: Identifying Forces

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Example 5.1 Forces on a Bungee
Jumper
A bungee jumper has leapt off a bridge and is nearing the
bottom of her fall. What forces are being exerted on the
jumper?
VISUALIZE
Figure 5.11 Forces on a bungee jumper.

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Example 5.2 Forces on a Skier
A skier is being towed up a snow-covered hill by a tow rope.
What forces are being exerted on the skier?

VISUALIZE
Figure 5.12 Forces on a skier.

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Example 5.3 Forces on a Rocket
A rocket is being launched to Figure 5.13 Forces on a
place a new satellite in orbit. rocket.
Air resistance is not negligible.
What forces are being exerted
on the rocket?
VISUALIZE This drawing is
much more like the sketch
you would make when
identifying forces as part of
solving a problem.

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QuickCheck 5.1 (revisited)
A ball rolls down an incline and
off a horizontal ramp. Ignoring
air resistance, what force or
forces act on the ball as it
moves through the air just after
leaving the horizontal ramp?
A. The weight of the ball acting vertically downward.
B. A horizontal force that maintains the motion.
C. A force whose direction changes as the direction of
motion changes.
D. The weight of the ball and a horizontal force.
E. The weight of the ball and a force in the direction of
motion.
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QuickCheck 5.1 (revisited) Answer
A ball rolls down an incline and
off a horizontal ramp. Ignoring
air resistance, what force or
forces act on the ball as it
moves through the air just after
leaving the horizontal ramp?
A. The weight of the ball acting vertically downward.
B. A horizontal force that maintains the motion.
C. A force whose direction changes as the direction of
motion changes.
D. The weight of the ball and a horizontal force.
E. The weight of the ball and a force in the direction of
motion.
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What Do Forces Do? A Virtual
Experiment (1 of 5)
• Attach a stretched rubber band to a 1 kg block.
• Use the rubber band to pull the block across a horizontal,
frictionless table.
• Keep the rubber band stretched by a fixed amount.
• We find that the block moves with a constant
acceleration.

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What Do Forces Do? A Virtual
Experiment (2 of 5)
• A standard rubber band
can be stretched to some
standard length.
• This will exert a
reproducible spring force of
magnitude F on whatever it
is attached to.
• N side-by-side rubber
bands exert N times the
standard force: Fnet = NF

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What Do Forces Do? A Virtual
Experiment (3 of 5)
• When a 1 kg block is pulled
on a frictionless surface by a
single elastic band stretched
to the standard length, it
accelerates with constant
acceleration a1.
• Repeat the experiment with 2,
3, 4, and 5 rubber bands
attached side-by-side.
• The magnitude of the acceleration is directly
proportional to the magnitude of the force.

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What Do Forces Do? A Virtual
Experiment (4 of 5)
• When a 1 kg block is pulled
on a frictionless surface by a
single elastic band stretched
to the standard length, it
accelerates with constant
acceleration a1.
• Repeat the experiment with a
2 kg, 3 kg and 4 kg block.

• The magnitude of the acceleration is inversely

proportional to the mass.

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What Do Forces Do? A Virtual
Experiment (5 of 5)
• Force causes an object to accelerate!
F
• The result of the experiment is a =
m
• The SI unit of force is the newton (N).
• 1N = 1kg m / s 2

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QuickCheck 5.6
A cart is pulled to the right with a
constant, steady force. How will
its acceleration graph look?

A. B. C.

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QuickCheck 5.6 Answer
A cart is pulled to the right with a
constant, steady force. How will
its acceleration graph look?

A. B. C.

A constant force produces a constant acceleration.

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Approximate Magnitude of Some
Typical Forces
Table 5.1 Approximate magnitude of some typical forces
Force Approximate magnitude (newtons)
Weight of a U.S. quarter 0.05
Weight of 1/4 cup sugar 0.5
Weight of a 1 pound object 5
Weight of a house cat 50
Weight of a 110 pound person 500
Propulsion force of a car 5,000
Thrust force of a small jet engine 50,000

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Inertial Mass
• An object with twice the amount of matter accelerates only
half as much in response to the same force.
• The more matter an object has, the more it resists
accelerating in response to the same force.
• The tendency of an object to resist a change in its velocity
is called inertia.
• The mass used in 𝑎𝑎 = 𝐹𝐹 ⁄𝑚𝑚 is called inertial mass.

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Newton’s Second Law (1 of 2)
• When more than one force is
acting on an object, the
object accelerates in the
direction of the net
force vector Fnet.

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Newton’s Second Law (2 of 2)
Newton’s second law An object of mass m subjected to

forces ⃗1 , 𝐹𝐹⃗2 , 𝐹𝐹⃗3 , . . . 𝐹𝐹⃗
𝐹𝐹 will undergo an acceleration a given by
𝐹𝐹⃗net
𝑎𝑎⃗ =
𝑚𝑚

where the net force 𝐹𝐹⃗net = 𝐹𝐹⃗1 + 𝐹𝐹⃗2 + 𝐹𝐹⃗3 +⋅⋅⋅ is the vector sum of
all forces acting on the object. The acceleration vector 𝑎𝑎⃗
points in the same direction as the net force vector 𝐹𝐹⃗net.

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Newton’s Zeroth Law
• An object responds only to the forces acting on it at this
instant.
• The object has no memory of forces that may have been
exerted at earlier times.
• This idea is sometimes called Newton’s zeroth law.

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QuickCheck 5.7
A constant force causes an object to accelerate at 4 m/s 2. super

What is the magnitude of the acceleration of an object with

twice the mass that experiences the same force?

A. 1 m / s 2
B. 2 m / s 2
C. 4 m / s 2
D. 8 m / s 2
2
E. 16 m / s

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QuickCheck 5.7 Answer
A constant force causes an object to accelerate at 4 m/s 2. super

What is the magnitude of the acceleration of an object with

twice the mass that experiences the same force?

A. 1 m / s 2
F
B. 2 m / s 2 a=
m
C. 4 m / s 2
D. 8 m / s 2
2
E. 16 m / s

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Newton’s First Law (1 of 2)
Newton’s first law An object that is at rest will remain at
rest, or an object that is moving will continue to move in a
straight line with constant velocity, if and only if the net force
acting on the object is zero.
• Newton’s first law is also known as the law of inertia.
• If an object is at rest, it has a tendency to stay at rest.
• If it is moving, it has a tendency to continue moving with
the same velocity.

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Newton’s First Law (2 of 2)
• An object on which the net
force is zero—and thus is
either at rest or moving in a
straight line with constant
velocity—is said to be in
mechanical equilibrium.
• As the figure shows, objects
in mechanical equilibrium
have no acceleration.

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QuickCheck 5.8
An object on a rope is lowered at constant speed. Which is
true?

A. The rope tension is greater than the

object’s weight.
B. The rope tension equals the object’s
weight.
C. The rope tension is less than the object’s
weight.
D. The rope tension can’t be compared to
the object’s weight.

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QuickCheck 5.8 Answer
An object on a rope is lowered at constant speed. Which is
true?
Constant velocity
Zero acceleration
𝐹𝐹⃗net = 0

A. The rope tension is greater than the

object’s weight.
B. The rope tension equals the object’s
weight.
C. The rope tension is less than the
object’s weight.
D. The rope tension can’t be compared to
the object’s weight.

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QuickCheck 5.9
An object on a rope is lowered at a steadily decreasing
speed. Which is true?

A. The rope tension is greater than the

object’s weight.
B. The rope tension equals the object’s
weight.
C. The rope tension is less than the object’s
weight.
D. The rope tension can’t be compared to
the object’s weight.

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QuickCheck 5.9 Answer
An object on a rope is lowered at a steadily decreasing
speed. Which is true?
Decreasing downward velocity
Acceleration vector points up
⃗
𝐹𝐹pointsup

A. The rope tension is greater than

the object’s weight.
B. The rope tension equals the object’s
weight.
C. The rope tension is less than the
object’s weight.
D. The rope tension can’t be compared
to the object’s weight.
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Inertial Reference Frames (1 of 3)
• If a car stops suddenly,
you may be “thrown”
forward.
• You do have a forward
acceleration relative to the
car.
This guy thinks there’s a force
• However, there is no force hurling him into the windshield.
What a dummy!
pushing you forward.

• We define an inertial reference frame as one in which

Newton’s laws are valid.
• The interior of a crashing car is not an inertial reference
frame!

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Inertial Reference Frames (2 of 3)
• A physics student cruises at
a constant velocity in an
airplane.
• A ball placed on the floor
stays at rest relative to the
airplane.
• There are no horizontal
forces on the ball, so 𝑎𝑎⃗ = 0
when 𝐹𝐹⃗net = 0.
• Newton’s first law is satisfied, so this airplane is an inertial
reference frame.

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Inertial Reference Frames (3 of 3)
• A physics student is
standing up in an airplane
during takeoff.
• A ball placed on the floor
rolls toward the back of the
plane.
• There are no horizontal
forces on the ball, and yet
the ball accelerates in the
plane’s reference frame.
• Newton’s first law is violated, therefore, this airplane is not
an inertial reference frame.
• In general, accelerating reference frames are not inertial
reference frames.
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Thinking About Force
• Every force has an agent that causes the force.
• Forces exist at the point of contact between the agent and the
object (except for the few special cases of long-range forces).
• Forces exist due to interactions happening now, not due to what
happened in the past.
• Consider a flying arrow.
• A pushing force was required
to accelerate the arrow as it
was shot.
• However, no force is needed
to keep the arrow moving
forward as it flies.
• It continues to move because
of inertia.
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QuickCheck 5.10
A hollow tube lies flat on a
table. A ball is shot through
the tube. As the ball emerges
from the other end, which path
does it follow?

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QuickCheck 5.10 Answer
A hollow tube lies flat on a
table. A ball is shot through
the tube. As the ball emerges
from the other end, which path
does it follow?

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Tactics: Drawing a Free-Body
Diagram

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QuickCheck 5.11
An elevator, lifted by a cable, is moving upward and slowing.
Which is the correct free-body diagram?

𝐹𝐹⃗net = 0

A. B. C. D. E.

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QuickCheck 5.11 Answer
An elevator, lifted by a cable, is moving upward and slowing.
Which is the correct free-body diagram?

𝐹𝐹⃗net = 0

A. B. C. D. E.

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QuickCheck 5.12
A ball has been tossed straight up. Which is the correct free-
body diagram just after the ball has left the hand? Ignore air
resistance.

A. B. C. D.

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QuickCheck 5.12 Answer
A ball has been tossed straight up. Which is the correct free-
body diagram just after the ball has left the hand? Ignore air
resistance.

No points of
contact. Gravity
is the only
force.
A. B. C. D.

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Example 5.4 An Elevator Accelerates
Upward (1 of 2)
An elevator, suspended by a cable, speeds up as it moves
upward from the ground floor. Identify the forces and draw a
free-body diagram of the elevator.
MODEL Model the elevator as a particle.

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Example 5.4 An Elevator Accelerates
Upward (2 of 2)
VISUALIZE
Figure 5.21 Free-body diagram of an elevator accelerating upward.

REVIEW The coordinate axes, with a vertical y-axis, are the ones we
would use in a pictorial representation of the motion. The elevator is
accelerating upward, so 𝐹𝐹⃗net must point upward. For this to be true, the
magnitude of 𝑇𝑇 must be larger than the magnitude of 𝐹𝐹⃗𝐺𝐺 The diagram
has been drawn accordingly.
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QuickCheck 5.13
A ball, hanging from the ceiling
by a string, is pulled back and
released. Which is the correct
free-body diagram just after its
release?

A. B. C. D. E.
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QuickCheck 5.13 Answer
A ball, hanging from the ceiling
by a string, is pulled back and
released. Which is the correct
free-body diagram just after its
release?

A. B. C. D. E.
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Example 5.6 A Skier Is Pulled up a Hill
(1 of 4)
A tow rope pulls a skier up a snow-covered hill at a constant
speed. Draw a pictorial representation of the skier.
MODEL This is Example 5.2 again with the additional
information that the skier is moving at constant speed. The
skier will be modeled as a particle in mechanical equilibrium.
If we were doing a kinematics problem, the pictorial
representation would use a tilted coordinate system with the
x-axis parallel to the slope, so we use these same tilted
coordinate axes for the free-body diagram.

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Example 5.6 A Skier Is Pulled up a Hill
(2 of 4)

VISUALIZE
Figure 5.23 Pictorial representation for a skier being towed
at a constant speed.

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Example 5.6 A Skier Is Pulled up a Hill
(3 of 4)
REVIEW We have shown 𝑇𝑇 pulling parallel to the slope and
⃗
which opposes the direction of motion, pointing down the 𝑓𝑓k,
slope 𝑛𝑛 is perpendicular to the surface and thus along the
y-axis. Finally, and this is important, the gravitational force 𝐹𝐹⃗G
is vertically downward, not along the negative y-axis. In fact,
you should convince yourself from the geometry that the
Angle 𝜃𝜃 between the 𝐹𝐹⃗𝐺𝐺 vector and the negative y-axis is
the same as the angle 𝜃𝜃 of the incline above the horizontal.

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Example 5.6 A Skier is Pulled up a Hill
(4 of 4)
The skier moves in a straight line with constant speed, so
𝑎𝑎⃗ = 0 and, from Newton’s second law, 𝐹𝐹⃗net = 0.
Thus we have
drawn the vectors such that the y-component of 𝐹𝐹⃗𝐺𝐺
is equal in magnitude to 𝑛𝑛. Similarly, 𝑇𝑇 must be large
enough to match the negative x-components of both
𝑓𝑓⃗𝑘𝑘 and𝐹𝐹⃗𝐺𝐺 .

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Chapter 5 Summary Slides

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General Principles (1 of 3)
Newton’s First Law
An object at rest will remain at rest, or an object that is
moving will continue to move in a straight line with constant
velocity, if and only if the net force on the
object is zero

The first law tells us that no “cause” is needed for motion.

Uniform motion is the “natural state” of an object.

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General Principles (2 of 3)
Newton’s Zeroth Law
An object responds only to forces acting on it at this instant.

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General Principles (3 of 3)
Newton’s Second Law
An object with mass m has acceleration
1
a= 𝐹𝐹⃗
m net

where 𝐹𝐹⃗net = 𝐹𝐹⃗1 + 𝐹𝐹⃗2 + 𝐹𝐹⃗3+. . . is the vector sum of all the
individual forces acting on the object.

The second law tells us that a net force causes an object to

accelerate. This is the connection between force and motion.

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Important Concepts (1 of 3)
Acceleration is the link to kinematics.
From 𝐹𝐹⃗net ,
find a.

From, ax, find vx and X.

b
su b
su

a=0
is the condition for equilibrium.
An object at rest is in equilibrium.
So is an object with constant velocity.
Equilibrium occurs if and only if 𝐹𝐹⃗net = 0.

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Important Concepts (2 of 3)
Mass is the resistance of an object to acceleration. It is an
intrinsic property of an object.

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Important Concepts (3 of 3)
Force is a push or a pull on an object.
• Force is a vector, with a magnitude and a direction.
• Force requires an agent.
• Force is either a contact force or a long-range force.

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Key Skills (1 of 2)
Identifying Forces
Forces are identified by
locating the points where other
objects touch the object of
interest. These are points
where contact forces are
exerted. In addition, objects
with mass feel a long-range
gravitational
force.

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Key Skills (2 of 2)
Free-Body Diagrams
A free-body diagram
represents the object as a
particle at the origin of a
coordinate system. Force
vectors are drawn with their
tails on the particle. The net
force vector is drawn beside
the diagram.

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