CH APTER

LAWS OF MOTION & FRICTION

FORCE Newton's third law of motion :

A push or pull that one object exerts on another. Whenever a particle A exerts a force on another particle
B, B simultaneously exerts a force on A with the same
Forces in nature magnitude in the opposite direction.
There are four fundamental forces in nature : r r
i.e. FA / B = -FB / A
• Gravitational force
• Electromagnetic force Spring Force (According to Hooke's law)
• Strong nuclear force In equilibrium F=kx (k is spring constant)
• Weak force
Natural length
Types of forces on macroscopic objects F
(a) Field Forces or Range Forces : x
These are the forces in which contact between
two objects is not necessary. Note : Spring force is non impulsive in nature.
Ex. (i) Gravitational force between two bodies. Ex. If the lower spring is cut, find
(ii) Electrostatic force between two charges. acceleration of the blocks, k
immediately after cutting the spring.
(b) Contact Forces : m
Contact forces exist only as long as the objects 3mg
Sol. Initial stretches x upper =
are touching each other. k 2k

Ex. (i) Normal force. (ii) Frictional force mg

and x lower = 2m
k
(c) Attachment to Another Body : On cutting the lower spring, by virtue of non–
Tension (T) in a string and spring force (F = kx) impulsive nature of spring the stretch in upper
comes in this group. spring remains same immediately after cutting the
spring. Thus,
NEWTON'S FIRST LAW OF MOTION
(or Galileo's law of Inertia) Lower block : 2m a 2mg= 2ma Þ a = g

Every body continues in its state of rest or uniform

2mg
motion in a straight line unless compelled by an external
unbalanced force to change that state.
k (xupper)
Inertia : Inertia is the property of the body due to
æ 3mg ö
which body opposes the change of it's state. Inertia of Upper block : a kç – mg
è k ÷ø
m
a body is measured by mass of the body.
= ma Þ a = 2g
mg
inertia µ mass
Motion of bodies in contact
Newton's second law
When two bodies of masses m1 and m2 are kept on
r dp r r
d r dv r dm the frictionless surface and a force F is applied on one
F= = (mv) = m +v body, then the force with which one body presses the
dt dt dt dt
r r other at the point of contact is called force of contact.
(Linear momentum p = mv ) These two bodies will move with same acceleration
r
For constant mass system F = mar
a.
(i) When the force F acts on the body with mass m1 as
shown in figure (i) : F = (m1 + m2)a
Momentum a
It is the product of the mass and velocity of a body F
r r m1
i.e. momentum p = mv m2

• SI Unit : kg m s–1
Fig.(1) : When the force F acts on mass m1
• Dimensions : [M L T–1]
 If the force exerted by m2 on m1 is f1 (force of contact) Let m1 > m2 now for mass m1, m1 g – T = m1a
then for body m1: (F – f1) = m1a
for mass m2,T – m2 g = m2 a
a
a (m1 - m2 ) net pulling force
Acceleration = a = g=
F (m1 + m2 ) total mass to be pulled
m1 f1 f1
m2
2m1 m2 2 ´ Pr oduct of masses
Tension = T = g= g
Fig. 1(a) : F.B.D. representation of action and reaction forces. (m1 + m2 ) Sum of two masses
Reaction at the suspension of pulley :
For body m2 :
4m1 m2 g
m2 F R = 2T =
f1=m2a Þ action of m1 on m2: f1 = (m1 + m2 )
m1 + m2
Case – II
Pulley system a

For mass m1 : m1
A single fixed pulley changes the direction of force T

only and in general, assumed to be massless and T = m1 a

frictionless. For mass m2 : m2g – T = m2 a
SOME CASES OF PULLEY Acceleration: m2 a

Case – I : m2 g m1 m2
a= and T = g
(m1 + m2 ) (m1 + m2 )
T
T
m2 a
a m1

FRAME OF REFERENCE
• Inertial frames of reference : A reference frame which is either at rest or in uniform motion along the straight
line. A non–accelerating frame of reference is called an inertial frame of reference.
All the fundamental laws of physics have been formulated in respect of inertial frame of reference.
• Non–inertial frame of reference : An accelerating frame of reference is called a non–inertial frame of reference.
Newton's laws of motion are not directly applicable in such frames, before application we must add pseudo force.

Pseudo force:
The force on a body due to acceleration of non–inertial frame is called fictitious or apparent or pseudo force and
r r r
is given by F = - ma0 , where a0 is acceleration of non–inertial frame with respect to an inertial frame and m
is mass of the particle or body. The direction of pseudo force must be opposite to the direction of acceleration
of the non–inertial frame.
When we draw the free body diagram of a mass, with respect to an inertial frame of reference we apply only
the real forces (forces which are actually acting on the mass). But when the free body diagram is drawn from a non–
r r
inertial frame of reference a pseudo force (in addition to all real forces) has to be applied to make the equation F = ma
to be valid in this frame also.
r r r r r
åF real + Fpseudo = ma (where ar is acceleration of object in non inertial reference frame) & Fpseudo = -ma a
r
(where a 0 is acceleration of non inertial reference frame).
Man in a Lift Graph between applied force and force of
(a) If the lift moving with constant velocity v upwards friction
or downwards. In this case there is no accelerated
motion hence no pseudo force experienced by observer f block applied
force
inside the lift. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

So apparent weight W´=Mg=Actual weight. Friction force (f)

Limiting friction
(b) If the lift is accelerated upward with constant
f=fL
acceleration a. Then forces acting on the man
w.r.t. observed inside the lift are Kinetic friction

n
(i) Weight W=Mg downward

io
ct
fri
(ii) Fictitious force F0=Ma downward.

ic
at
St
So apparent weight W´=W+F0=Mg+Ma=M(g+a)
(c) If the lift is accelerated downward with acceleration 45° Applied force F
a<g. F=fL = µ SN
Then w.r.t. observer inside the lift fictitious force F0=Ma
acts upward while weight of man W = Mg always • Static friction coefficient
acts downward.
So apparent weight
(f )
s max
r r
ms = , 0 £ fs £ m s N , fs = - Fapplied
N
W´ = W – F0 = Mg – Ma = M(g–a)
Special Case : ( fs ) max = m s N = limiting friction
If a=g then W´=0 (condition of weightlessness). • Kinetic friction coefficient
Thus, in a freely falling lift the man will experience fk r
weightlessness. mk = , f = - ( m k N ) vˆ rel
N k
(d) If lift accelerates downward with acceleration
w Angle of Friction (l)
a > g . Then as in Case (c).
Apparent weight W´ =M(g–a) is negative, i.e., the N
man will be accelerated upward and will stay at
the ceiling of the lift.
Re f an
of
su d N

l
lta

FRICTION
nt

Applied
Friction is the force of two surfaces in contact, or f force
the force of a medium acting on a moving object.
(i.e. air on aircraft.) W
Fr ictional fo rces ar ise due t o molecular
fS m s N
interactions. In some cases friction acts as a tan l = = = mS
N N
supporting force and in some cases it acts as
w Angle of repose : The maximum angle of an
opposing force.
inclined plane for which a block remains
w Cause of Friction: Friction arises on account of stationary on the plane.
strong atomic or molecular forces of attraction between
the two surfaces at the point of actual contact. N
w Types of friction
fs
Friction

q Mgcosq
si n
Mg q Mg
Static friction Kinetic friction R

(No relative motion (There is relative motion tanq R=m s

between objects) between objects)
Dependent Motion of Connected Bodies Normal constraint : displacements, velocities &
Method I : Method of constraint equations accelerations of both objects should be same along C.N.

v2
dx d2 x
å x i = constant Þ å dti = 0 Þ å dt2 i = 0 v1
a2 a1
q
r For n moving bodies we have x1, x2,...xn
r No. of constraint equations = no. of strings e.g. a2 = a1 tan q & v2 = v1 tan q
KEY POINTS
Method II : Method of virtual work : • Aeroplanes always fly at low altitudes because
The sum of scalar products of tension forces applied according to Newton's III law of motion as aeroplane
displaces air & at low altitude density of air is high.
by connecting links of constant length and displacement
of corresponding contact points equal to zero. • Rockets move by pushing the exhaust gases out so
r r r r r r they can fly at low & high altitude.
åT × x = 0 Þ åT × v =0 Þ åT ×a =0 • Pulling (figure I) is easier than pushing (figure II) on
a rough horizontal surface because normal reaction
is less in pulling than in pushing.
F
F
m q q m
T m m
x1 x2 Here 2a2 = a1
T Fig. I Fig. II
T
• While walking on ice, one should take small steps
to avoid slipping. This is because smaller step
2T
increases the normal reaction and that ensure smaller
1 a1 2 a2
friction.