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Physics 206 Example Problems Newton's Laws of Motion

Physics 206 Example Problems Newton's Laws of Motion

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Problem 4. Consider a box <strong>of</strong> mass 1 0 kg being lifted upward by a person standing on the surface <strong>of</strong> the<br />

earth. At a given instant the box is being accelerated upwards with an acceleration <strong>of</strong> size 5 m/s 2 . Find<br />

the force that the person exerts on the box at this instant. You must use each step in the formal<br />

routine given below in your solution to this problem!<br />

Force <strong>Problems</strong> Routine<br />

1 . Draw a schematic <strong>of</strong> the situation. List the given quantities and the desired unknowns.<br />

2. Choose the object to which you will apply Newton’ s Second Law.<br />

3. Draw a free body diagram in which the forces acting on the object are drawn coming out<br />

<strong>of</strong> the object. Include an indication <strong>of</strong> your choice <strong>of</strong> coordinate systems on the diagram.<br />

Establish notation for each <strong>of</strong> the forces acting on the object.<br />

4. Write each force in unit vector notation ( or in component form) using the established<br />

coordinate system. Do this symbolically.<br />

5. Apply Newton’ s Second Law in each useful coordinate direction.<br />

6. Symbolically solve for the unknown( s) in the equations <strong>of</strong> step 5.<br />

7. Plug in numbers ( if required) to obtain a numerical value for the unknowns and/or answer<br />

any qualitative questions related to the problem. Make sure that the answer obtained<br />

makes sense.<br />

1 . See the figure below. We are given that the mass <strong>of</strong> the object is m = 1 0 kg and that the object is<br />

being accelerated upwards at the rate 5 m/s 2 . We are to find the force exerted by the person on the<br />

box.<br />

+y<br />

Person<br />

m<br />

2. I”ll apply the second law to the box.<br />

3. The free body diagram is shown above. I’ ve chosen to to call the lifting force <strong>of</strong> the person F<br />

P and<br />

the gravitational pull <strong>of</strong> the earth F<br />

G.<br />

4. In the chosen coordinate system:<br />

5. Applying the 2nd law in the y-direction:<br />

6. Solving for the y-component <strong>of</strong> the lifting force:<br />

FP<br />

= Fpy yˆ<br />

FG<br />

= − m gE yˆ<br />

Fnet, y = m a y<br />

m<br />

Fpy − m gE = m a y<br />

Fpy = m ay + m gE<br />

2<br />

FP<br />

FG

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