Frame of Reference :

Inertial Frame and Non-

inertial Frame
What Is a Frame of Reference?
-a frame of reference consists of an
abstract coordinate system and the set
of physical reference points that
uniquely fix the coordinate system and
standardize measurements within that
frame.
Examples
1. A train is running and a person is sitting on the train and
looking at a tree passing by. In this case, the train is in the
frame of reference and the tree appears to be moving.
2. If you think about the opposite, people on the platform
consider the tree to be a stationary object. It will be his or her
reference frame. These two observations are correct, but they
differ because of the different reference frames.
3. A person sitting on the earth is stationary with respect to the
earth's frame of reference while moving against the moon.
Therefore, if the earth is the reference system, the moon
accelerates with respect to the earth and becomes a non-
inertial frame of reference.
Types of Frame of Reference

• Inertial Frame of Reference

• Non-inertial Frame of Reference
Inertial Frame of Reference
• an inertial frame is either stationary or moving at
a constant velocity around an imaginary inertial
coordinate system, depending on the context.

• An inertial frame of reference is a coordinate

system that is considered to reflect the inertial
coordinate system defined by the term inertial
coordinate system.
• The reference frame is basically part of the surrounding
environment used to measure the movement of the moving
object. The world around us appears to be stationary, and it
must be uniform, as any movement we measure with respect to
our surroundings is properly observed.

• A coordinate system that moves constantly, like a train, does

not affect the laws of motion. It was first proposed by Galileo
Galilei decades before Newton announced the Law of Motion.
Galileo's statement includes all the laws of nature, not just
Newton's rules.

• If Newton's law of motion is valid in the real world, then the law
of inertia is correct in all reference systems that move exactly
and evenly around a common world. Whenever it is in such a
frame, it is called an inertial frame.
Characteristics:
• Follows Newton's First Law (Law of Inertia).
• No acceleration present in the frame.
• Observers in an inertial frame do not experience
any "fictitious" or "pseudo" forces.
Pseudo force
• also called a fictitious force, inertial force or
d'Alembert force

• is an apparent force that acts on all masses

whose motion is described using a non-inertial
frame of reference, such as a rotating reference
frame
Example of Inertial Frame of
Reference
1. A train station [Link] platform doesn't
move, so it meets the criteria of not
accelerating. Objects on the platform follow the
law of inertia.
2. A ball that rolls across the platform will
continue to roll at a constant velocity until an
external force is applied. The bench on the
platform will not move without external force.
This applies to the entire platform area.
Example of Inertial Frame of
Reference
3. Trains approaching the platform also follow the law
of inertia. When the braking force is applied, it only
slows down. Without this force, it will pass through
the platform at a constant speed.

4. An inertial coordinate system can indicate motion

as long as its motion is at a constant velocity and
maintains its direction of motion. An example of this
is a car set for cruise control to drive on a straight
road at a stable pace.
Non-Inertial Frame of Reference
• The non-inertial frame of reference moves faster
than the expected inertial frame of reference.
Newton's law does not apply to such situations.
However, to do this, you need to use a strange
power called pseudo power.
• By definition, an inertial frame of reference is a
frame that is neither moving nor moving at a
constant velocity. You can drive at a constant
speed in a non-inertial coordinate system and
accelerate at the same time, or you can drive at
a constant speed on a circular path.
Non-Inertial Frame of Reference
• According to Newton's second law of motion, it is
often possible to include additional apparent force
(also known as inertial force or pseudo force) in an
equation that describes the movement of an object.
Coriolis and centrifugal forces are two reference
examples of non-inertial frames.
• There is no global inertial reference system in
general relativity due to the non-Euclidean
geometry of curved spacetime due to the curvature
of spacetime. The imaginary force generated by
the general theory of relativity is gravity, and more
frankly.
Example of Non-Inertial Frame of
Reference
1. Let's say, you are in the car at a traffic light. The
car is stationary. The traffic light turns green and the
car accelerates forward. During this acceleration, the
car is in a non-inertial frame of reference.
2.A reference frame attached to the earth A Is an
inertial frame by definition B Cannot be an inertial
frame because the earth is revolving around the sun.
C Is an inertial frame because Newton's laws are
applicable in this frame D Cannot be an inertial
frame because the earth is rotating about its own
axis.
Example of Non-Inertial Frame of
Reference
3. The frame of reference that moves with a
constant speed as well as the frame of reference
which is neither rotating nor accelerating is known
as the inertial frame of reference. Since the earth
rotates about its coordinate axis and orbits the
sun thus Earth is not an example of a non-inertial
frame.
Difference Between Inertial and Non-Inertial
Frame of Reference
Summary
A frame of reference is required to measure various
quantities such as displacement, velocity, and
acceleration. A reference frame is an abstract coordinate
system whose direction, origin, and scale are specified by
a set of geometric reference points whose positions are
mathematically and physically identified. A reference
frame connected to an object that is stationary or moving
at a constant speed is called an inertial reference frame.
In the inertial reference system, Newton's first law of
motion is applied directly. A coordinate system to which
Newton's first law of motion does not apply directly is
called a non-inertial coordinate system. In this case, we
use pseudo-forces to test Newton's first law.
• What is meant by a frame of reference?
• In physical science, a frame of reference
comprises a group of physical reference points and an
abstract coordinate system that helps to standardize
calculations within the given frame.
• What are the two types of frames of reference?
• The frame of reference is mainly of two types:
inertial frame of reference and non-inertial frame of
reference.
• What is meant by an inertial frame of reference?
• An inertial frame of reference is the type of frame where
Newtonian laws are true. This implies that if no outside
force is exerted on an object, it will continue to stay in
uniform motion or state of rest.
• What is meant by a non-inertial frame of
reference?
• A non-inertial frame of reference can be defined as a
frame that is in the state of acceleration relative to the
considered inertial reference frame. Newtonian laws are
irrelevant in these reference frames.
• Which transformation is applied in the special
theory of relativity?
• In relativity, the transformation between multiple
inertial frames is the Lorentz transformation. In
Newtonian mechanics, it is replaced by a Galilean
transformation.
Newton's Third Law Of Motion: The
Action Reaction PairPair
• Newton’s Third Law Of Motion
• Statement: To every action, there is an equal and
opposite reaction.
 It means that if body A exerts a force F1 on body B,
and the body B exerts a force F2 on body A, then:

F1=F2
That is, they are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction.
Whenever two bodies interact, they will exert equal and opposite
forces.
Examples of action-reaction
pairs
• 1) A swimmer pushes the water backwards with their
hands, and in return, the water pushes the swimmer
forwards, thus enabling him to go forward during
swimming.
• 2) A man walking on the ground: While walking, a
person pushes the ground in the backward direction, and
the ground in return pushes the person in the forward
direction, thus making them walk.
• 3) A bird, while flying, pushes the air downwards with
the help of its wings. Consistent with Newton’s third law
of motion, the air makes the bird go upwards.
4. Person Pushing a Wall:
•Action: The person exerts a force on the wall by pushing it.
•Reaction: The wall exerts an equal and opposite force back on
the person.

5. Book Resting on a Table:

•Action: The book exerts a downward force on the table due to
gravity (its weight).
•Reaction: The table exerts an equal and opposite upward force
on the book (normal force).
Important Points:
• The forces in an action-reaction pair always act on
different objects.
• These forces are always of the same type (e.g., both are
contact forces or both are gravitational forces).
• Even though they are equal in magnitude and opposite
in direction, they do not cancel each other out because
they act on different objects.
Free Body Diagram
• Free Body Diagrams (FBD) are useful aids for
representing the relative magnitude and direction of all
forces acting upon an object in a given situation. The
first step in analyzing and describing most physical
phenomena involves the careful drawing of a free body
diagram. In a free-body diagram, the size of the arrow
denotes the magnitude of the force, while the direction
of the arrow denotes the direction in which the force
acts.
A free body diagram is defined as
follows:
• A free body diagram is a graphic, dematerialised,
symbolic representation of the body (structure,
element or segment of an element) in which all
connecting “pieces” have been removed.
Features of a Free Body
Diagram
A free body diagram is a diagram that is modified as the problem is
solved. Typically, a free body diagram consists of the following
components:
• A simplified version of the body (most commonly a box)
• A coordinate system
• Forces are represented as arrows pointing in the direction they act
on the body
• Moments showed as curved arrows pointing in the direction they
act on the body
The number of forces acting on a body depends on the specific
problem and the assumptions made. Commonly, air resistance and
friction are neglected.
Exclusions in a Free Body
Diagram
Some of the things that a free body diagram excludes are
as follows:
• Bodies other than the free body diagram
• Constraints
• Internal forces
• Velocity and acceleration vectors
What Is the Purpose of a Free
Body Diagram?
• Free body diagrams are tools that are used to visualise
the force and moments applied to a body and to
calculate the resulting reactions in many types of
mechanics problems.
How to Make a Free Body
Diagram?
•1. Identify the Contact Forces
• To identify the forces acting on the body, draw an
outline of the object with dotted lines, as shown in the
figure. Make sure to draw a dot when something
touches the object. When there is a dot, it indicates that
there is at least one contact force acting on the body.
Draw the force vectors at the contact points to
represent how they push or pull on the object.
• 2. After identifying the contact forces, draw a dot to
represent the object that we are interested in. Here, we
are only interested in determining the forces acting on
our object.
• 3. Draw a coordinate system and label positive
directions.
• 4. Draw the contact forces on the dot with an arrow
pointing away from the dot. The arrow lengths should
be relatively proportional to each other. Label all forces.
• 5. Draw and label the long-range forces. This will usually
be weight unless there is an electric charge or
magnetism involved.
• 6. If there is acceleration in the system, then draw and
label the acceleration vector.
Components of a free- body
diagram
1. Gravity (weight)- the force due to gravity always acts downward
toward the center of the Earth.
2. Normal Force- the support force exerted by a surface, perpendicular to
the surface. It acts upward when the objects is on a horizontal surface.
3. Frictional Force- this force opposes the motion of the object and acts
parallel to the surface. It can be static (no movement) or kinetic (sliding
movement)/
4. Tension- the force transmitted through a string, rope, or cable when it
is pulled tight by forces acting at either end.
5. Applied Force- any external force applied to the object.
Common Mistakes Made While Drawing a Free Body Diagram

•Avoid drawing forces of the object acting on other objects

•The direction of the different types of forces is denoted wrong
The direction of different forces:
[Link] is always down
[Link] is always parallel to the contact surface
[Link] normal force is always perpendicular to the contact
surface, and tension only pulls
Free Body Diagram Examples
1. A bottle is resting on a tabletop.
Draw the forces acting on the bottle.
2. An egg is free-falling from a nest in a tree,
neglecting the air resistance. What would the free
body diagram look like?
3. If a rightward force is applied to a book in order to move it across a desk at a constant
velocity, considering only the frictional forces and neglecting air resistance, a free body
diagram for this situation will look like the following:
4. A skydiver is descending at a constant velocity. Considering the air
resistance, the free body diagram for this situation will be like the following:
Example: Draw a free body diagram of three blocks
placed one over the other, as shown in the figure.
Solution:
The forces acting on the individual elements of the system are shown below:
Description of forces acting on each
block:
The forces on block “C” are:
WC = mCg = its weight, acting downward
NB = normal reaction on “C” due to the upper surface of block B, acting
upward
The forces on block “B” are:
WB = mBg = its weight, acting downward
NB = normal reaction on “B” due to the lower surface of block C, acting
downward
NA= normal reaction on “B” due to the upper surface of block A, acting
upward
The forces on the block “A” are:
WA = mAg = its weight, acting downward
NA = normal reaction on “A” due to the lower surface of block B, acting
downward
NO = normal reaction on “A” due to the horizontal surface, acting
upward
The FBD of the blocks as points with external forces are shown below.
How to Find Net Force
The net force on the object is the sum of all of the forces
acting on that object and it takes into account both
magnitude and direction. Remember, forces are vectors,
and adding vectors always results in a vector. This leaves
us with the question of how to find net force.

Net force is written as Fnet and can be defined by

the equation:
To find the net force in one dimension,
you’ll follow the process below.

1. Identify all of the forces acting on the object.

2. Draw a free body diagram of the object.
3. Decide which direction is positive and which is negative.
4. Subtract the forces in the negative direction from those
in the positive direction.
5. If the problem asks for it, use the net force to find mass
or acceleration.
example
Verify the magnitude and direction of net
force and recognize which will be at rest
a. 5.0 N

Fnet = 2.0 N

3.0 N
Verify the magnitude and direction of net
force and recognize which will be at rest
b.
4.0 N
Fnet =0 N
2.0 N
a. 1.0 N
b. 3.0 N
3.0 N 1.0 N
Example word Problem
 Net Force on a Skydiver
Let’s look back at the skydiver who just opened his
parachute. Let’s say that as the parachute opens
they are experiencing a gravitational force
of 100 N and an air resistance of 150 N and that the
skydiver has a mass of 25 kg. What acceleration
does the skydiver experience as they open their
parachute?
• What is the definition of a free body diagram?
• A free-body diagram is a graphic, dematerialised,
symbolic representation of the body (structure, element
or segment of an element) in which all connecting
“pieces” have been removed.
• What does a free body diagram represent?
• Free-body diagrams represent the relative magnitude
and direction of all forces acting upon an object in a
given situation.
• How to draw a free body diagram?
• While drawing a free body diagram, we draw the object
of interest by drawing all the forces acting on it and
resolving all force vectors into x– and y-components.
Separate free body diagrams should be drawn for each
object in the problem.
• What is a free body diagram used for?
• Free body diagrams are used to visualise the forces and
moments applied to a body and to calculate the
resulting reactions in many types of mechanics
problems.
activity
(1 whole sheet of white paper)

I. Identify whether it is inertial or non-inertial

1. A platform at a railway station is an example of an inertial reference system. The
platform satisfies the requirement of not speeding since it remains stationary. The law
of inertia governs how things move on the platform
2. Lift moving up and down.
3. Rolling Ball: Until an outside force is provided, a ball rolling across the platform will
keep rolling at the same speed. Without an outside force, the bench on the platform
will not move. This holds true for the whole platform.
4. Inertia is also applied by trains approaching the platform. It only slows down when the
braking power is applied. It will move through the platform at a steady speed in the
absence of this force.
5. For an instance, when you’re stopped at a traffic signal in your car. The vehicle is not
moving. The automobile accelerates as the traffic light turns green. The vehicle is in
a non-inertial frame of reference during this acceleration. l
II. Identify where is the action and reaction
in each item.
[Link] Launching
The rocket expels gas downward with force. The expelled gas
exerts an equal and opposite force upward on the rocket,
propelling it into the air.

[Link] on the Ground:

A person’s foot pushes backward on the ground. The ground
pushes forward on the person’s foot with an equal and opposite
force, propelling them forward.

[Link] Tire on the Road:

The car tire pushes backward against the road. The road pushes
forward on the tire, moving the car forward.
 Verify the magnitude and direction of net force and
[Link] which will be at rest

9.
5.00 N

4.00 N
8.00 N
3.00 N

3.00 N 2.00 N
 Verify the magnitude and direction of net force and
[Link] which will be at rest

10.
5.00 N

12.00 N