1

KINEMATICS AND DYNAMICS FOR RECTILINEAR

ACCELERATED MOVEMENTS

INTRODUCTION
Now we will focus on the physics of rectilinear motion with changing velocity. Once again
as you learn the principles and laws which describe and explain the motion of objects, your
efforts should centre on internalizing the meaning of the information. Avoid memorizing
the information; and avoid abstracting the information from the physical world which it
describes and explains. Rather, contemplate the information, thinking about its meaning
and its applications.

REVISITING ACCELERATION

Calculating Acceleration

We have already learned about acceleration in the previous

chapter. Let us look a little closer to this physical entity.

The acceleration of any object is calculated using the equation:

Acceleration values are expressed in units of velocity per time. Typical acceleration units
include the following:
m/s2
km/hr.s
km/hr.min

The reason for the units becomes obvious upon examination of the acceleration equation.
Since acceleration is a velocity change over a time interval, the units for acceleration are
velocity units divided by time units – thus (m/s)/s or (km/hr)/s.

Direction of the Acceleration Vector

Acceleration is a vector quantity so it will always have a direction associated with it. The
direction of the acceleration vector is the same as the direction of the change in
velocity.
From now on we will consider that both velocity and acceleration act along the same line.
Were it not the case, motion will not be along a straight line (1-D) but on a plane.
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Ticker Tape Diagrams

You have s this kind of diagrams for uniform movement. You should recall that he distance
between dots on a ticker tape represents the object's position change during that time
interval. A large distance between dots indicates that the object was moving fast during that
time interval. The analysis of a ticker tape diagram will also reveal if the object is moving
with a constant velocity or with a changing velocity (accelerating). A changing distance
between dots indicates a changing velocity and thus acceleration. Ticker tapes for objects
moving with a constant velocity and an accelerated motion are shown below.

Ticker tape diagrams are sometimes referred to as

oil drop diagrams. Imagine a car with a leaky engine
that drips oil at a regular rate. As the car travels
through town, it would leave a trace of oil on the
street. That trace would reveal information about the
motion of the car.

Vector Diagrams

Vector diagrams are diagrams which use vector

arrows to depict the direction and relative
magnitude of a vector quantity. In a vector
diagram, the magnitude of the vector is
represented by the size of the vector arrow. The
diagrams depict the velocity of a car during its
motion. In the top diagram, the size of the velocity vector is constant, so the diagram is
depicting a motion of constant velocity. In the bottom diagram, the size of the velocity
vector is increasing, so the diagram is depicting a motion with increasing velocity – i.e., an
accelerated motion.

Vector diagrams can be used to represent any vector quantity. In future studies, vector
diagrams will be used to represent a variety of physical quantities such as acceleration,
force, and momentum. Be familiar with the concept of using a vector arrow to represent the
direction and relative size of a quantity. It will become a very important representation of
an object's motion as you proceed further in your studies of the physics of motion.

DESCRIBING MOTION WITH GRAPHS

The Meaning of Shape for a p-t Graph

The specific features of the motion of objects are demonstrated by the shape and the slope
of the lines on a position vs. time graph. Consider a car moving with a changing, rightward
(+) velocity – that is, a car that is moving rightward and speeding up or accelerating.
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If the position-time data for such a car were graphed, the resulting graph would look like
the graph at the right. Note that a motion with changing, positive velocity results in a line of
changing and positive slope when plotted as a position-time graph.

The slope for a p–t graph

You should recall that the slope of the line on a position-time graph is equal to the
velocity of the object. In the previous chapter it was stated that "As the slope goes, so goes
the velocity."
Whatever characteristics the velocity has, the slope will exhibit the same (and vice versa).
If the velocity is changing, then the slope is changing (i.e., a curved line). If the velocity is
positive, then the slope is positive (i.e., moving upwards and to the right). A small slope
means a small velocity too. This can be extended to any motion conceivable. Now what is
the slope on a curve? The slope at a point P is calculated as
the tangent of the angle formed between the x axis and the
straight line touching the curve at that point (the tangent
line to the curve at P). This is an example of a very
important concept of higher maths (calculus) called the
derivative of the function at P. But forget about it: it will be
studied further in Maths (3 P)

Slope (velocity) = tg α being α the angle formed between the x axis and the plot.

Thus the shape of the line on the graph (straight, curving, steeply sloped, mildly sloped,
etc.) is descriptive of the object's motion.

The Meaning of Shape for a v-t Graph

Now consider a car moving with a rightwards (+), changing velocity – that is, a car that is
moving rightwards and speeding up or accelerating. Since the car is moving in the positive
direction and speeding up, it is said to have a positive acceleration.

If the velocity-time data for such a car were graphed, the

resulting graph would look like the graph at the right. Note that
a motion with changing, positive velocity results in a diagonal
line when plotted as a velocity-time graph. The slope of this
line is positive, corresponding to the positive acceleration.

Positive Velocity or Negative Velocity?

Since the graph is a velocity-time graph, the velocity is positive whenever the line lies in
the positive region (positive y-values, i.e. above the x-axis) of the graph. Similarly, the
velocity is negative whenever the line lies in the negative region (negative y-values, i.e.
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below the x-axis) of the graph. As you learned, a positive velocity means the object is
moving in the positive direction; and a negative velocity means the object is moving in the
negative direction. So if an object is moving in the positive direction, the line is located in
the positive region of the velocity-time graph (regardless if it is sloping up or sloping
down). Likewise, an object is moving in the negative direction if the line is located in the
negative region of the velocity-time graph (regardless if it is sloping up or sloping down).
Finally, if a line crosses the x-axis from the positive region to the negative region of the
graph (or vice versa), the object has changed directions.

Acceleration or Deceleration?

How can you tell if the object is speeding up (acceleration) or slowing down (deceleration)?
An object is speeding up if the line on a velocity-time graph is changing from a location
near the 0-velocity point to a location further away from the 0-velocity point. That is, if the
line is moving away from the x-axis (the 0-velocity point), then the object is speeding up.
Conversely, if the line is moving towards the x-axis, the object is slowing down.

The Meaning of Slope for a v-t Graph

The shapes of the velocity vs. time graph for changing velocity motion (i.e., accelerated
motion) – shows that the slope of the line on a velocity-time graph reveals useful
information about the acceleration of the object. Whatever characteristics the acceleration
has, the slope will exhibit the same (and vice versa).
If the acceleration is zero, then the slope is zero (i.e., a horizontal line). If the acceleration is
positive, then the slope is positive (i.e., an upward sloping line). If the acceleration is
negative, then the slope is negative (i.e., a downward sloping line).
Let us examine how the actual value of the slope of any straight line on a velocity-time
graph corresponds to the acceleration of the object.

Consider a car moving with a changing velocity. A car which moves with a changing
velocity has an acceleration.
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The velocity-time data for this motion shows that the car has an acceleration of +10 m/s 2. A
graph of this velocity-time data would look like the graph below. Note that the line on the
graph is diagonal — that is, it has a slope. The slope of this line, when calculated, is 10
m/s2. Once again, the slope of the line (10 m/s2) is the same as the acceleration (10 m/s2) of
the car.
Time (s) Velocity (m/s)
0 0
1 10
2 20
3 30
4 40
5 50

The slope of the line on a velocity-time graph is equal to the acceleration of the object.
Slope = tg α being α the angle formed between the x axis and the plot.
As in p-t graphs slope gives the rate of change of position, in v-t graphs the slope gives
the rate of change of velocity.

This can be used for all velocity-time graphs in order to determine the numerical value of
the acceleration.

Relating the Shape to the Motion

We will show two examples of how the above ideas apply to a variety of motions. In each
diagram below, a short verbal description of a motion is given (e.g., "constant, rightward
velocity") and an accompanying ticker tape diagram is shown. Next, the corresponding
velocity-time graph is sketched and an explanation is given.
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Determining the Slope on a v-t Graph.

Let's begin by considering the velocity vs. time graph below.

The line slopes upwards to the right. But mathematically, by how much does it slope
upwards along the vertical (velocity) axis per 1 second along the horizontal (time) axis? To
answer this question, use the slope equation above. The slope equation says that the slope
of a line is found by dividing the amount of rise of the line between any two points by the
amount of run of the line between the same two points. In other words:
1. Pick two points on the line and determine their coordinates.
2. Determine the difference in y-coordinates of these two points (rise).
3. Determine the difference in x-coordinates of these two points (run).
4. Divide the difference in y-coordinates (rise) by the difference in x-coordinates (run).
5. Slope = rise/run.

The Meaning of the Area on a v-t Graph

A plot of velocity vs. time can be used to determine the acceleration of an object (slope =
acceleration). I addition, a plot of velocity vs. time can also be used to determine the
distance travelled by an object.
For velocity vs. time graphs, the area bounded by the line and the axes represents the
distance travelled.
The diagram below shows three different velocity-time graphs; the shaded regions between
the line and the axes represent the distance travelled during the stated time interval.
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The shaded area is representative of the distance travelled by the object

during the time interval from 0 seconds to 4 seconds. This representation
of the distance travelled takes on the shape of a triangle whose area can be
calculated using the appropriate equation.

The shaded area is representative of the distance travelled by the object

during the time interval from 2 seconds to 5 seconds. This representation
of the distance travelled takes on the shape of a trapezoid whose area can
be calculated using the appropriate equation.

Determining the area in v - t graphs

The method used to find the area under a line on a velocity-time graph depends on whether
the section bounded by the line and the axes is a rectangle, a triangle or a trapezoid. Area
formulae for each shape are given below.

Alternative Method for Calculating the Area of a Trapezoid

An alternative method of determining the area of a trapezoid involves breaking the

trapezoid into a triangle and a rectangle. The areas of the triangle and rectangle are
computed individually; the area of the trapezoid is then the sum of the areas of the triangle
and the rectangle. This method is illustrated
below.
Triangle: Area = (0.5) * (2 s) * (20 m/s) = 20 m
Rectangle: Area = (2 s) * (10 m/s) = 20 m
Trapezoid: Area = 20 m + 20 m = 40 m

DESCRIBING MOTION WITH EQUATIONS

The Kinematic Equations

I this section we will investigate the use of equations to describe and represent the motion
of objects. Such equations are known as kinematic equations.
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There are a variety of quantities associated with the motion of objects – displacement (and
distance), velocity (and speed), acceleration, and time. Knowledge of each of these
quantities provides descriptive information about an object's motion. For example, if a car
is known to move with a constant velocity of 22.0 m/s, North for 12.0 seconds for a
northward displacement of 264 meters, then the motion of that car is fully described. The
figures provide a complete description of the motion of the object. However, such
completeness is not always known. It is often the case that only a few parameters of an
object's motion are known. In an instance such as this, the unknown parameters must be
determined using physics principles and mathematical equations – the kinematic equations.

Using the Kinematic Equations

The kinematic equations are a set of four equations which can be utilized to determine
unknown information about an object's motion if other details are known. The equations
can be used for any motion described as being either a constant velocity motion (uniform
motion) or a constant acceleration motion (uniformly changing motion). They can never be
used for any time period during which the acceleration is changing (these equations are
derived from more general (but yet inaccessible to you) equations).
Each of the kinematic equations includes four variables; if the values of three variables are
known, then the value of the fourth variable can be calculated. In this manner, the
kinematic equations provide a useful means of predicting information about an object's
motion if other parameters of the motion are known. The four kinematic equations which
describe an object's motion are:

There are a variety of symbols used in the above equations and each symbol has a specific
meaning.
d – the displacement of the object.
t – the time for which the object moved.
a – the acceleration of the object.
vi – the initial velocity of the object.
vf – the final velocity of the object.

Each of the four equations appropriately describes the mathematical relationship between
the parameters of an object's motion. In case you are dealing with a uniform motion a = 0,
and vi = vf (so call it v). They take the same form we have already seen when studying
uniform motion
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DYNAMICS FOR ACCELERATED MOTION

Newton's Second Law

Newton's first law of motion predicts the behaviour of objects for

which all existing forces are balanced. The first law states that if the
forces acting upon an object are balanced, then the acceleration of
that object will be 0 m/s2. Objects at equilibrium (the condition in
which all forces balance) will not accelerate. According to Newton,
an object will only accelerate if there is a net or unbalanced force
acting upon it. The presence of an unbalanced force will accelerate an object –
changing its speed, its direction, or both its speed and direction.

Newton's second law of motion pertains to the behaviour of

objects for which all existing forces are not balanced. The
second law states that the acceleration of an object is
dependent upon two variables – the net force acting upon the
object and the mass of the object. The acceleration of an
object depends directly upon the net force acting upon the
object, and inversely upon the mass of the object. As the net
force increases, so will the object's acceleration. However, as
the mass of the object increases, its acceleration will
decrease.

Newton's second law of motion can be formally stated as follows:

The acceleration of an object as produced by a net force is directly proportional to the

magnitude of the net force, in the same direction as the net force, and inversely
proportional to the mass of the object.

In terms of an equation, the net force is equal to the product of the object's mass and its
acceleration.

Fnet = m. a

The acceleration is directly proportional to the "net force;" the "net force" equals mass
times acceleration; the acceleration is in the same direction as the "net force;" an
acceleration is produced by a "net force." It is important to remember this. Do not use the
value of "any force" in the above equation; it is the net force, not any of the individual
forces, which is related to acceleration. If you use one of the forces, then that “a” would be
the acceleration that the object would have in case that force were acting alone

The above equation also indicates that a unit of force is equal to a unit of mass multiplied
by a unit of acceleration. By substituting standard metric units for force, mass, and
acceleration into the above equation, the following unit equivalency can be written:
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Thus, the definition of the standard metric unit of force is given by the above equation.
One Newton is defined as the amount of force required to give a 1-kg mass an acceleration
of 1 m/s2.
The equation Fnet = m. a can be used as a guide when thinking about how a variation in one
quantity might affect another quantity. Whatever change is made of the net force, the same
change will occur in the acceleration. As stated above, the direction of the net force is the
same as the direction of the acceleration. Thus, if the direction of the acceleration is known,
then so is the direction of the net force.

FREE FALL AND THE ACCELERATION OF GRAVITY

Introduction to Free Fall

A free-falling object is an object which is falling under the sole influence of

gravity. Thus, any object which is moving and being acted upon only by the
force of gravity is said to be "in a state of free fall." This definition of free
fall leads to two important characteristics about a free-falling object:

• Free-falling objects do not encounter air resistance.

• All free-falling objects (on Earth) accelerate downwards at a rate of approximately
10 m/s2 (to be exact, 9.8 m/s2).

The Acceleration of Gravity

According to Newton’s second law, we can tell the acceleration of

an object if we know its mass and the net force acting on it. In free
fall the only force is the weight or gravitational pull that depends
on the mass of the object and the gravitational field at the object’s
location. Mathematically this is written:

m. g (the force) = m. a g = a !!

If mass is cancelled out we find that the acceleration of free fall equals the local
gravitational field. That is why it is the same for all objects near the Earth’s surface and
numerically equal to gravity. Units are also the same. Gravity has field units (N / kg) but if
we display the dimensions of the newton, the “kgs” cancel and on both members the unit
reads m / s2. Nevertheless, conceptually, both magnitudes (acceleration and gravitational
field) are different. The striking point is: why should weight (attractive force of the planet
on an object) increase as inertia (unwillingness to change movement of the object) does?
This remarkable fact led Einstein to the General Theory of Relativity
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The Big Misconception

We stated that the acceleration of a free-falling object on Earth is 10 m/s2. This value
(known as the acceleration of gravity) is the same for all free-falling objects regardless of
how long they have been falling, or whether they were initially dropped from rest or thrown
up into the air. Yet the question is often asked "Doesn't a massive object accelerate at a
greater rate than a less massive object?" This question is a reasonable inquiry that is
probably based upon personal observations made of falling objects in the physical world.
After all, nearly everyone has observed the difference in rate of fall of a single piece of
paper (or similar object) and a textbook. The two objects clearly travel to the ground at
different rates – with the massive book falling faster.
The answer to the question is . . . absolutely not! That is, absolutely not, if you are
considering the specific type of falling motion known as free-fall. Free-fall is the motion
of objects under the sole influence of gravity; free-falling objects do not encounter air
resistance. Massive objects will only fall faster than less massive objects if there is an
appreciable amount of air resistance present.
The explanation of why all objects accelerate at the same rate involves the concepts of
force and mass. The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the force acting on
it. Increasing force tends to increase acceleration while increasing mass tends to decrease
acceleration. Thus, the greater force on massive objects is offset by the inverse influence of
greater mass. So all objects, regardless of their mass, free-fall at the same rate of
acceleration.

Kinematic Equations and Free Fall

Like any moving object, the motion of an object in free fall can be described by the four
kinematic equations. The application of these four equations to the motion of an object in
free fall can be aided by a proper understanding of the conceptual characteristics of free fall
motion. These concepts are as follows:

• An object in free fall experiences an acceleration of 9.8 (10) m/s 2. The sign of the
acceleration is the same as the sign of the velocity (usually considered to be positive
for simplicity)
• If an object is dropped (as opposed to being thrown) from an elevated height to the
ground below, the initial velocity of the object is 0 m/s.
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• If an object is projected upwards it will experience a deceleration of 9.8 (10) m/s 2.

The sign of the deceleration will be opposite to the sign of the velocity (usually
positive so that g gets negative in this case)
• If an object is projected upwards in a vertical direction, it will slow down as it rises
upward. The instant at which it reaches the peak of its trajectory, its velocity is 0
m/s.
• If an object is projected upwards in a vertical direction, then the velocity at which it
is projected is equal in magnitude and opposite in sign to the velocity it has when it
returns to the same height. That is, a ball projected vertically with an upward
velocity of +30 m/s will have a downward velocity of –30 m/s when it returns to
that same height

The Big Misconception II

So what's the big deal? Many people have known Newton's first law since the 8th grade (or
earlier); and if prompted with the first few lines could probably recite the law word for
word. And what is so terribly difficult about remembering that F = ma? It seems to be
merely a simple algebraic statement for solving story problems. The big deal, however, is
not the ability to recite the first law or to use the second law to solve problems; but rather
the ability to understand their meaning and to believe their implications. While most people
know what Newton's laws say, many people do not know what they mean (or simply do not
believe what they mean).
Cognitive scientists (scientists who study how people learn) have shown that physics
students come into physics class with a set of beliefs which they are
unwilling (or not easily willing) to discard despite evidence to the
contrary. These beliefs about motion (known as misconceptions) hinder
further learning. The task of overcoming misconceptions involves
becoming aware of the misconceptions, considering alternative
conceptions or explanations, making a personal evaluation of the two
competing ideas and adopting the new conception as more reasonable
than the previously held misconception. This process involves self-reflection (to ponder
your own belief systems), critical thinking (to analyze the reasonableness of two competing
ideas), and evaluation (to select the more reasonable and harmonious model which explains
the world of motion).
The most common misconception about motion is one which dates back for ages; it is the
idea that sustaining motion requires a continued force. This misconception has been
mentioned earlier, and will now be discussed in detail. The misconception rears its ugly
head in a number of different ways (and at a number of different times). As you read
through the following discussion, pay careful attention to your own belief systems. View
physics as a system of thinking about the world rather than as
information that can be dumped into your brain without evaluating its
consistency with your own belief systems.
Newton's laws declare loudly that a net force (an unbalanced force)
causes an acceleration and the acceleration is in the same direction as the
net force. To test your own belief system, consider the following
question and its answer.
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Are You Infected with the Misconception?

Slide a book across a table and watch it slide to a stop. The book in motion on the table top
does not come to a stop because of the absence of a force; rather it is the presence of a force
– the force of friction – which brings the book to rest. In the absence of friction, the book
would continue in motion with the same speed and in the same direction – forever! (Or at
least to the end of the table top.) A force is not required to keep a moving book in motion; a
force is not required to keep a moving sled in motion; and a force is not required to keep
any horizontally moving object in motion.

Forces do not cause motion; forces cause accelerations.

Drawing Free-Body Diagrams

Free-body diagrams are diagrams used to show the relative magnitude and direction of all
forces acting upon an object in a given situation. The size of the
arrow in a free-body diagram is reflective of the magnitude of the
force. The direction of the arrow reveals the direction in which the
force acts. Each force arrow in the diagram is labelled to indicate the
type of force. It is customary in a free-body diagram to represent the
object by a box and to draw the force arrow from the centre of the
box outward in the direction in which the force is acting. One
example of a free-body diagram is shown above right.
The free-body diagram above depicts four forces acting upon the object. Objects do not
always have four forces acting upon them. There will be cases in which the number of
forces depicted by a free-body diagram will be one, two, or three. There is no hard and fast
rule about the number of forces which must be drawn in a free-body diagram. The only rule
for drawing free-body diagrams is to depict all the forces which exist for that object in the
given situation. Thus, to construct free-body diagrams, it is extremely important to know
the types of forces.

Types of forces

If given a description of a physical situation, begin by using your understanding of the force
types to identify which forces are present. Then determine the direction in which each force
is acting. Finally, draw a box and add arrows for each existing force in the appropriate
direction; label each force arrow according to its type.

Contact Forces Action-at-a-Distance Forces

Frictional Force F f = µ . F nor Gravitational Force W , Fgr = m . g
Tensional Force F ten Electrical Force F el
Normal Force F nor Magnetic Force F mg
Air Resistance Force F air
Applied Force F , F1 , F2 , Fapp
Spring Force F spr
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Finding Acceleration

As you learned earlier, the net force is the vector sum of all the individual forces. You also
learned how to determine the net force if the magnitudes of all the individual forces are
known. Now you will learn how to determine the acceleration if the magnitudes of all the
individual forces are known.
The three major equations which will be useful are:
– the equation for net force (Fnet = m * a),
– the equation for gravitational force (Fgrav = m * g), and
– the equation for frictional force (Ffrict = µ * Fnorm). µ is a coefficient (no units) that is
determined experimentally and relates friction forces to the force pushing an object against
a surface (usually its weight)

The process of determining the acceleration of an object demands that the mass and the net
force are known. If mass (m) and net force (Fnet) are known, then the acceleration is
determined by the equation:

Thus, the task involves using the above equations, the given information, and your
understanding of Newton's laws to determine the acceleration.

A Word of Caution

Avoid forcing a problem into the form of a previously solved problem.

Problems in physics will seldom look the same. Instead of solving problems by
rote or by mimicry, utilize your conceptual understanding of Newton's laws to
work towards the solution. Use your understanding of weight and mass to find the m or the
Fgrav in a problem. Use your conceptual understanding of net force (vector sum of all the
forces) to find the value of Fnet or the value of an individual force. Do not divorce the
solving of physics problems from your understanding of physics concepts. If you are
unable to solve physics problems like the ones above, it is unlikely that you are having a
math difficulty; rather it is more likely that you are having a physics difficulty.

PROBLEMS ON ACCELERATED MOVEMENTS

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1- The velocity-time graph of a body is as shown:

Over what time interval is the body not accelerating?

a- What is the acceleration between t = 0 and t = 5?

b- What is the total displacement covered by the body?
c- What is the average velocity between t = 0 and t = 8?
d- What is the average velocity between t = 0 and t = 10?
2- A body having an initial velocity of 100 ms-1 covers a displacement of 725 m in 10
s. Find its acceleration. [ 5.5 ms-2 ]
3- A stone dropped from a window-sill strikes the ground after 2.4 s. How high is the
window-sill above the ground? Draw the s-t, v-t, and a-t graphs. [ 28.8m ]
4- A body thrown vertically upward rises to a height of 125 m. Find the velocity of
projection. Draw its s-t, v-t, and a-t graphs. [ 50ms-1 ]
5- A body is thrown upwards with a velocity of 8 ms-1. After how long will the
velocity be
a- 1 ms-1 upward?
b- 1 ms-1 downward? [ 0.7s; 0.9s]
6- Find the weight in Jupiter (gravity there is 25 N / kg) of a 2 kg stone. Find the time
it will take it to get to Jupiter’s surface if it falls from 10 m high.
7- A body starts from rest, moves in a straight line with constant acceleration and
covers a distance of 64 m in 4 s.
a- What is the acceleration?
b- What is the final velocity?
c- After what time interval had the body covered half the total distance?
d- What distance had the body covered in half the total time?
e- What was the velocity at half the total distance?
f- What was the velocity at half the total time?
[ 8ms-2 ; 32ms-1 ; 2.8s ; 16m; 22.6ms-1 ; 16ms-1 ]
8- A subway train starts from rest at a station and accelerates at 2 ms-2 for 10 s. It then
runs at constant speed for 30 s, and then slows down at -4 ms-2 until it stops at the
next station. What is the distance between the two stations? [ 750m ]
9- A ball is released from a height of 10 m above the surface of a lake. It penetrates the
lake to depth of 3 m below the water surface. Find the average retardation in water.
[ 33.3ms-2 ]
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10- A balloon is ascending with a uniform vertical velocity of 10 ms-1. When it is at a

height of 600 m above the ground, a stone is dropped from it.
a- How long does the stone take to strike the ground?
b- With what velocity does the stone strike the ground? [ 12s; 110ms-1 ]
11- A man drives a car at 120 km / hr. He suddenly sees a big stone on the pavement
and pulls up the car. If the stone was 100 away from the car when he sees it and his
reaction time is 0,7 seconds: will he bump against it? (Consider that the braking
time is 4,5 seconds). First draw a velocity - time graph starting at the moment he
sees the stone.
12- A concrete block is pushed horizontally along a smooth surface by an unbalanced
300 N force. It accelerates at a rate of 1.5 m/s2
a- Find its mass.
b- Suppose the experiment is carried on Mars: will the block’s mass be the
same?
c- Will its acceleration be the same? Give a reason for your answer.
13- A woman stands on a lift. If her mass is 55 Kg and the lift is at rest
a- find the force that the floor is making on her.
b- If the lift accelerates upwards with a = 0.5 m/s2 find the total force on the
woman and the force made by the floor
c- Recalculate if the acceleration points downwards.
d- What would be your results if the lift were moving at a 1 m/s constant
speed?
14- Two masses (1kg and 3 kg) are leaning on a table with no friction and move
because of a hanging load. Find the mass of the hanging load and the tension of the
rope if the acceleration of the system is 1 m / s2.

1 kg 3 kg a = 1 m / s2

X kg
15- Calculate the friction force if the block slides down with an acceleration equal to 0,1
m / s2

5 kg

α = 30°

16- A 2 Kg mass is pulled by a hanging mass as shown in the diagram. If the hanging
object has a mass of 0.5 Kg: (a) find the acceleration of the block. (b) find the
pulling force on it(suppose there is no friction force)
 17

2 kg

0,5 kg

17- If the system of problem 16 is now moving at a constant speed of 1 m/s because of
friction force: can you find its value?

18- Two blocks interact by some kind of mechanism. One of the blocks has a 3 kg mass
and at the end of the interaction it moves rightwards at 2 ms-1. If the mass of the
other block is 2kg: what will be its speed and velocity at the end of the interaction?
If the interaction lasted for 1/10 of a second calculate the force acting on ach of the
objects

19- Two blocks hang from a pulley. Find the acceleration and the tensional force if their
masses are 9 Kg and 1 Kg respectively

20- Two blocks are tied as shown. Neglect friction and calculate the acceleration and
the tensional force

50 kg
40 kg

α = 30° β = 45°

11- Calculate the missing figures in the table for the four situations

Ff M1 Ft
M1 (kg) M2 (kg) Ft (N) Ff (N) a (m/s2)
M2 5 4 0,1
2 3 0,1
5 3 0,1
5 0,1 0
5 1 0
5 3 -0,1