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Which statement is true about drawing free-body diagrams?

  1. Drawing a free-body diagram should be the last step in solving a problem about forces.
  2. Drawing a free-body diagram helps you compare forces quantitatively.
  3. The forces in a free-body diagram should always balance.
  4. Drawing a free-body diagram can help you determine the net force.

(d)

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Section summary

  • To solve problems involving Newton’s laws of motion, follow the procedure described:
    1. Draw a sketch of the problem.
    2. Identify known and unknown quantities, and identify the system of interest. Draw a free-body diagram, which is a sketch showing all of the forces acting on an object. The object is represented by a dot, and the forces are represented by vectors extending in different directions from the dot. If vectors act in directions that are not horizontal or vertical, resolve the vectors into horizontal and vertical components and draw them on the free-body diagram.
    3. Write Newton’s second law in the horizontal and vertical directions and add the forces acting on the object. If the object does not accelerate in a particular direction (for example, the x size 12{x} {} -direction) then F net x = 0 size 12{F rSub { size 8{"net x"} } =0} {} . If the object does accelerate in that direction, F net x = ma size 12{F rSub { size 8{"net x"} } = ital "ma"} {} .
    4. Check your answer. Is the answer reasonable? Are the units correct?

Problem exercises

A 5 . 00 × 10 5 -kg size 12{5 "." "00" times "10" rSup { size 8{5} } "- kg"} {} rocket is accelerating straight up. Its engines produce 1 . 250 × 10 7 N size 12{1 "." "250" times "10" rSup { size 8{7} } " N"} {} of thrust, and air resistance is 4 . 50 × 10 6 N size 12{4 "." "50" times "10" rSup { size 8{6} } " N"} {} . What is the rocket’s acceleration? Explicitly show how you follow the steps in the Problem-Solving Strategy for Newton’s laws of motion.

An object of mass m is shown. Three forces acting on it are tension T, shown by an arrow acting vertically upward, and friction f and gravity m g, shown by two arrows acting vertically downward.

Using the free-body diagram:

F net = T f m g = ma size 12{F rSub { size 8{"net"} } =T - f= ital "ma"} {} ,

so that

a = T f mg m = 1 . 250 × 10 7 N 4.50 × 10 6 N ( 5.00 × 10 5 kg ) ( 9. 80 m/s 2 ) 5.00 × 10 5 kg = 6.20 m/s 2 size 12{a= { {T` - `f` - ` ital "mg"} over {m} } = { {1 "." "250" times "10" rSup { size 8{7} } " N" - 4 "." "50" times "10" rSup { size 8{"6 "} } N - \( 5 "." "00" times "10" rSup { size 8{5} } " kg" \) \( 9 "." "80 m/s" rSup { size 8{2} } \) } over {5 "." "00" times "10" rSup { size 8{5} } " kg"} } ="6" "." 20" m/s" rSup { size 8{2} } } {} .

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The wheels of a midsize car exert a force of 2100 N backward on the road to accelerate the car in the forward direction. If the force of friction including air resistance is 250 N and the acceleration of the car is 1 . 80 m/s 2 size 12{1 "." "80 m/s" rSup { size 8{2} } } {} , what is the mass of the car plus its occupants? Explicitly show how you follow the steps in the Problem-Solving Strategy for Newton’s laws of motion. For this situation, draw a free-body diagram and write the net force equation.

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Calculate the force a 70.0-kg high jumper must exert on the ground to produce an upward acceleration 4.00 times the acceleration due to gravity. Explicitly show how you follow the steps in the Problem-Solving Strategy for Newton’s laws of motion.

  1. Use Newton’s laws of motion.
    Two forces are acting on an object of mass m: F, shown by an arrow pointing upward, and its weight w, shown by an arrow pointing downward. Acceleration a is represented by a vector arrow pointing upward. The figure depicts the forces acting on a high jumper.
  2. Given : a = 4.00 g = ( 4.00 ) ( 9. 80 m/s 2 ) = 39.2 m/s 2 ; size 12{a=4 "." "00" g= \( 4 "." "00" \) \( 9 "." "80 m/s" rSup { size 8{2} } \) ="39" "." 2" m/s" rSup { size 8{2} } " ; "} {} m = 70 . 0 kg size 12{m="70" "." "0 kg"} {} ,

    Find: F size 12{F} .

  3. {} {} F =+ F w = ma , size 12{ Sum {F"=+"F - w= ital "ma"" ,"} } {} so that F = ma + w = ma + mg = m ( a + g ) size 12{F= ital "ma"+w= ital "ma"+ ital "mg"=m \( a+g \) } {} .

    F = ( 70.0 kg ) [ ( 39 . 2 m/s 2 ) + ( 9 . 80 m/s 2 ) ] size 12{F= \( "70" "." 0" kg" \) \[ \( "39" "." "2 m/s" rSup { size 8{2} } \) + \( 9 "." "80 m/s" rSup { size 8{2} } \) \] } {} = 3. 43 × 10 3 N size 12{ {}= {underline {`3 "." "43" times "10" rSup { size 8{3} } " N"}} } {} . The force exerted by the high-jumper is actually down on the ground, but F size 12{F} is up from the ground and makes him jump.

  4. This result is reasonable, since it is quite possible for a person to exert a force of the magnitude of 10 3 N size 12{"10" rSup { size 8{3} } " N"} {} .
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When landing after a spectacular somersault, a 40.0-kg gymnast decelerates by pushing straight down on the mat. Calculate the force she must exert if her deceleration is 7.00 times the acceleration due to gravity. Explicitly show how you follow the steps in the Problem-Solving Strategy for Newton’s laws of motion.

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Source:  OpenStax, College physics for ap® courses. OpenStax CNX. Nov 04, 2016 Download for free at https://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11844/1.14
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