Fundamental Physics 1: Mechanics

Nguyen Thi Hong Van

INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS, HANOI

Ngày 11 tháng 11 năm 2024

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Nguyen Thi Hong Van
Contents
1 Kinematics : How to describe motions ?
Motions in one dimension
Displacement, trajectory, velocity and acceleration
Motion with constant velocity; Motion with constant acceleration
Graphical analysis of motion
Free fall motion under gravity and effect of air resistance to the free
fall motion
Motions in three dimensions:
Projectile motion
Relative motion in different reference frames
2 Dynamics: From force to motion
Newton’s laws of motion
Everyday forces
How to apply the laws of motion ?
3 Chapter 3: Collisions, Work, Energy and Power
Collisions and Momentum conservation
Kinetic energy, mechanical work, and power
The work-kinetic energy theorem
Potential and mechanical energies
4 Chapter 4: Circular motion
Kinematics of uniform circular motion
Centripetal acceleration 2
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Chapter 3: Collision

A collision is a phenomenon which has these features:

1 it occurs in a short time interval,
2 what happens after the collision differs from what happens before
the collision,
3 the colliding bodies may be assumed to constitute a closed system,
4 momentum and energy are conserved during the collision.
u1 u2 v1 v2
F1 F2
m1 m2 m1 m2 m1 m2
before collision during collision after collision

Vector sum of linear momentum after collision = vector sum of

linear momentum before collision
⇒ Linear momentum is conserved!

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Chapter 3: Collisions in 1-dimension
m1 and m2 collide in
1-dimension
ignore zero net external force
in the direction of moving
Momentum conservation gives
m1 ~vi1 + m2 ~vi2 = m1 ~v1f + m2 ~vf 2 (1)
In 1-dimention: m1 vi1 + m2 vi2 = m1 vf 1 + m2 vf 2
Types of collision
Elastic collision: Total kinetic energy of the two colliding objects is
conserved
1 2 1 2 1 1
m1 vi1 + m2 vi2 = m1 vf21 + m2 vf22
2 2 2 2
Inelastic collision: some fraction of the initial kinetic energy of the
colliding objects is usually converted into some other form of energy.
Totally inelastic collision: two objects stick together after the
collision ⇒ vf 1 = vf 2
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There are many types of collision
Elastic collision: Total kinetic energy of the two colliding objects is
conserved
1 2 1 2 1 1
m1 vi1 + m2 vi2 = m1 vf21 + m2 vf22
2 2 2 2
Inelastic collision: some fraction of the initial kinetic energy of the
colliding objects is usually converted into some other form of energy.
Totally inelastic collision: two objects stick together after the
collision ⇒ vf 1 = vf 2

Newton’s law of restitution

When two bodies collide, relative velocity after collision = -e×
(relative velocity before collision).
e ; (0 ≤ e ≤ 1) is coefficient of restitution
Elastic collision: e = 1
In-elastic collision, 0 < e < 1
Total in-elastic collision, e = 0

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Chapter 3: Elastic collision (1)

Momentum conservation

m1 v1 + m2 v2 = m1 u1 + m2 u2

Using Newton’s law of restitution

v1 − v2 = −e(u1 − u2 )

Results:
2m2 u2 (m1 − m2 )u1
v1 = +
m1 + m2 m1 + m2
2m1 u1 (m2 − m1 )u2
v2 = +
m1 + m2 m1 + m2

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Chapter 3: Elastic collision (2)

2m2 u2 (m1 − m2 )u1

v1 = +
m1 + m2 m1 + m2
2m1 u1 (m2 − m1 )u2
v2 = +
m1 + m2 m1 + m2
We consider 3 following cases:
1 m1 = m2 In an elastic collision between two bodies of the same
mass, the velocities of the bodies interchange after collision
2 m2 >> m1 and m2 at rest
v1 = −u1 and v2 = 0
The small mass m1 rebounces the same speed, whereas the large
mass m2 remains at rest.
3 m1 is very large compared to m2 (m1 >> m2 ) and m2 initially at
rest.
v1 = u1 , and v2 = 2u1

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Chapter 3: Totally inelastic collisions
We have: vf = vf 1 = vf 2
⇒ m1 vi1 + m2 vi2 = m1 vf 1 + m2 vf 2 = (m1 + m2 )vf
m1 vi1 + m2 vi2
⇒ vf = = vcm
m1 + m2
two objects remain stationary in the center of mass velocity frame.
Suppose that vi2 = 0
m1
vf = vi1
m1 + m2
→ The fractional loss in kinetic energy of the system due to the
collision is
2
Ki − Kf m1 vi1 − (m1 + m2 )vf2 m2
f = = 2
=
Ki m1 vi1 m1 + m2

If m2  m1 ⇒ the loss in energy is small

If m2  m1 ⇒ the loss is almost 100 %
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Chapter 3: Collision in 2-dimensions

Suppose vi2 = 0; m1 , m2 , vi1 → known

Collision is NOT head-on
Unknown: vf 1 , vf 2 , θ1 , θ2
⇒ m1 ~vi1 = m1 ~vf 1 + m2 ~vf 2 (1)
(1)/ox:
m1 vi1 = m1 vf 1 cos θ1 + m2 vf 2 cos θ2
(1)/oy: m1 vf 1 sin θ1 = m2 vf 2 sin θ2
Elastic collision:
2
m1 vi1 /2 = m1 vf21 /2 + m2 vf22 /2 ⇒ need
one more condition!

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Chapter 3: Collision in 2-dimensions
Totally inelastic colliding:
Unknown: θf , vf
m1 ~
vi1 + m2 ~
vi2 = (m1 + m2 )~ vf (2)
(2)/ox: m1 vi1 + m2 vi2 cos θi = (m1 + m2 )vf cos θf
(2)/oy: m2 vi2 sin θi = (m1 + m2 )vf sin θf

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Worked example
Two people A and B of masses 70 kg and 50 kg respectively ski with
velocities 6 m/s and 8 m/s along the directions as shown in the figure.
They collides and hug each other after collision. What is:
(a) their velocity after collision?
(b) the fraction loss of kinetic energy?
y

A
6 m/s
x
70 kg
8 m/s

B 50 kg

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Chapter 3: Energy and Energy conversion
Energy
Energy is the capacity to do work and is measured in joules (J).
Different forms of energy: kinetic energy, potential energy, light
energy, thermal energy, electrical energy and nuclear energy.
Kinetic energy is the energy that a body possesses due to its motion
1 2
K= mv
2
Potential energy is energy stored in an object due to its position and
state of shape. Example: chemical, gravitational and elastic potential
energy.

Energy conversion
Energy can be converted from one form to another.
The efficiency of a device used to convert one form of energy into
another:
useful energy output
Efficiency =
total energy input 12
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Chapter 3: Energy conservation under free-fall motion

An example of energy conservation: energy conservation during free-fall

v22 − v12 = 2~ ~ ~
a.S; a=~ g ; S~ = ~h2 − ~h1
2 2
⇒ v2 − v1 − −2~ g .S~

mv22 mv12
⇒ − = −mgh2 + mgh1
2 2
1 1
⇒ mv22 + mgh2 = mv12 + mgh1
2 2
Total energy E of the mass m is conserved: E = mv 2 /2 + mgh
K = mv 2 /2 → kinetic energy
U = mgh → potential energy
E conserved ⇒ ∆K = −∆U

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Chapter 3: Work and kinetic energy
Work
Work done by a constant force

W = F~ .~s = F .s. cos θ

Work of the force varies with position F~ = F~ (~r )

N
X N
X ZB
W = F~i .∆~ri = limN→∞ F~i .∆~ri = F~ (~r ).d~r
i=1 i=1 A

RB
The object is acted by many forces: Wi = F~i (~r ).d~r
A

B
X XZ
W = Wi = f~i (~r ).d~r
i i A

Work-Energy theorem: ?? prove:

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Chapter: Work - kinetic theorem

The kinetic energy K is the energy of a body due to its motion.

Work-kinetic energy theorem: Work done by the net force F is
changed into the kinetic energy of the body

W = ∆K
RxB
Work performed by a 1-dimensional force: From W = f (x)dx,
xA
prove: W = ∆K ?

ZxB ZtB ZtB " 2 #

d 2x d 2x d 2 x dx

d m dx
f =m 2 ⇒W = m 2 .dx = m 2 . .dt =
dt dt dt dt dt 2 dt
xA tA tA

dx dx
x(tA ) = xA , x(tB ) = xB , vA = , vB =
dt t=tA dt t=tB

1 1
⇒W = m.vB2 − mvA2 = ∆K
2 2
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Chapter 3: Potential energy and conservation law
potential energy is the energy associated with a system of objects
(consists of two or more objects that exert forces on one another).

Gravitational Potential Energy

Gravitational potential energy is the potential energy of the
object - Earth system.
gravitational potential energy is defined as the product of the
magnitude of the gravitational force mg acting on an object and the
height y of the object
Ug = mgh
The work done on any object by the gravitational force is equal to
the negative of the change in the system’s gravitational potential
energy:
Wg = Ui − Uf = −∆Ug
only the difference in the gravitational potential energy at the initial
and final locations that matters
Horizontal motion does not affect the value of Wg
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Chapter 3: Potential energy and conservation law

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Chapter 3: Conservative and non-conservative force-field

A non-uniform force-field f~(~r )

acts upon an object which moves
along curved trajectory (from
point A to point B) labeled by
“path 1” and “path 2”.

path1
Work W1 performed by f~(~r ) along path 1: W1 = f~.d~r
R
A→B
path2
Work W1 performed by f~(~r ) along path 2: W2 = f~.d~r
R
A→B

If W1 = W2 ⇒ f~(~r ) is a conservative force-field: the line-integral doesn’t

depend on the path taken between the end points; Ex: gravitational force.
If W1 6= W2 ⇒ f~(~r ) is a non-conservative force-field: the line-integral
depends both on the end points A, B and the path taken between them;
Ex: frictional force.
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Chapter 3: Conservative and non-conservative force-field

Consequences of conservative and non-conservative force-field

Work done around a close loop for:
Conservative force-field:
Z Z
∆W = f~.d~r + f~.d~r = W1 − W2 = 0
A→B B→A

Non-conservative force-field:

∆W = W1 − W2 6= 0

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Chapter 3: Elastic Potential Energy

Consider a system consisting of a block plus a spring

Force: f = −kx
RxB RxB
Work: W = f (x)dx = −k x.dx = −[kxB2 /2 − kxA2 /2]
xA xA
RxB
Potential energy: U(xB ) − U(xA ) = − f (x).dx = kxB2 /2 − kxA2 /2
xA
⇒ U(x) = kx 2 /2
dU
⇒f =−
dx
In three-dimensional;
 
∂U ∂U ∂U
f~ = − , ,
∂x ∂y ∂z

Example in gravitational force-field: U = mgz

⇒ f~ = (0, 0, −mg )
Total energy of the mass: E = K + U
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Chapter 3: Conservation of mechanical energy

The total mechanical energy of a system remains constant in any

isolated system of objects that interact only through conservative
forces.
Ki + Ui = Kf + Uf

If there are more than one conservative force acting on an object

within a system (sum over all conservative forces present):
X X
Ki + Ui = Kf + Uf

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Chapter 3: Work done by non-conservative force
If there are some of the forces acting on objects within the system
are not conservative, the total mechanical energy of the system
does not remain constant. The change in mechanical energy is equal
the total work done by non-conservative forces present.

Work done by an applied force

Work-kinetic energy theorem: Wapp + Wg = ∆K
Gravitational force is conservative → Wg = −∆U
⇒ Wapp = ∆K + ∆U
⇒ an applied force can transfer energy into or out of the system.

Work done by kinetic friction

Kinetic friction makes total mechanical energy of the system
dissipated (as heat, e.g):

∆E = ∆K + ∆U = F~f .S~ < 0

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Worked example

A block of mass m = 3 kg starts at rest at a height of h = 43 cm on a

plane that has an angle of inclination of θ = 35◦ with respect to the
horizontal. The block slides down the plane, and, upon reaching the
bottom, then slides along a horizontal surface. The coefficient of kinetic
friction of the block on both surfaces is µ = 0.25. Using the work-kinetic
energy theorem, determine how far does the block slide along the
horizontal surface before coming to rest?

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Chapter 3: Power

Work done
Average power =
Time interval
⇒ Power = F~ .~v

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Worked example

A 1000 kg motorcar travels at a constant speed of 30 m/s along a road

with a frictional force of 100 N. What is the power generated by the
motorcar? (g = 10 m/s2 )
A 3000 W
B 4500 W
C 300 000 W
D 450 000 W

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Worked example

A car of weight 3000 N possesses an engine whose maximum power

output is 160 kW . The maximum speed of this car on a level road is
35 m/s. Assuming that the resistive force (due to a combination of
friction and air resistance) remains constant, what is the car’s maximum
speed on an incline of 1 in 20 (i.e., if θ is the angle of the incline with
respect to the horizontal, then sin θ = 1/20)?

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