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Class Notes

The class notes cover Newton's three laws of motion and basic kinematics, emphasizing their application in solving physics problems. Key concepts include the law of inertia, the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration, and the principles of action-reaction forces. The notes also provide practice questions and study tips, along with essential formulas for understanding motion under constant acceleration.

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4 views2 pages

Class Notes

The class notes cover Newton's three laws of motion and basic kinematics, emphasizing their application in solving physics problems. Key concepts include the law of inertia, the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration, and the principles of action-reaction forces. The notes also provide practice questions and study tips, along with essential formulas for understanding motion under constant acceleration.

Uploaded by

Fefe Fefe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as TXT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CLASS NOTES – INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICS: NEWTON'S LAWS & BASIC KINEMATICS

Course: General Physics I


Instructor: Prof. [Nome do Professor]
Date: 13/09/2025
Learning Objectives:
- Understand and apply Newton's three laws of motion.
- Solve basic kinematics problems involving constant acceleration.
- Connect conceptual physics to real-world examples and experiments.

1. Newton's First Law (Law of Inertia)


- Statement: A body remains at rest or in uniform straight-line motion unless acted
upon by a net external force.
- Key idea: No net force ⇒ constant velocity (including zero).
- Classroom demonstration: Hockey puck on low-friction surface; add friction to
observe deceleration.
- Concept check: Why does a passenger lurch forward when a car stops suddenly?

2. Newton's Second Law (F = m · a)


- Vector form: ΣF = m · a
- Units: Force (N) = kg·m/s²
- Worked example:
Problem: A 5 kg block is pushed on a frictionless surface with a 10 N horizontal
force. Find acceleration.
Solution: a = F/m = 10 / 5 = 2 m/s².
- Discussion: If friction exists, include frictional force as part of ΣF.

3. Newton's Third Law (Action–Reaction)


- Statement: For every action force, there is an equal and opposite reaction force
acting on a different object.
- Example: Rocket propulsion — exhaust gases push backward; rocket accelerates
forward.
- Misconception: Action and reaction do not cancel each other because they act on
different bodies.

4. Basic Kinematics (One-Dimensional, Constant Acceleration)


- Definitions: displacement (x), velocity (v), acceleration (a), time (t).
- Key equations (constant a):
v = v0 + a·t
x = x0 + v0·t + 0.5·a·t²
v² = v0² + 2·a·(x − x0)
- Example problem:
A car accelerates from rest at 3 m/s² for 5 s. Find final velocity and
displacement.
v = 0 + 3·5 = 15 m/s
x = 0 + 0 + 0.5·3·25 = 37.5 m

5. Practice Questions (for homework or review)


- Q1: A 2 kg object experiences a net force of 6 N. What is its acceleration?
- Q2: A ball thrown upward with initial speed 20 m/s. (neglect air resistance) Find
maximum height and time to return.
- Q3: Explain why astronauts feel "weightless" in orbit despite Earth's gravity.

6. Study Tips & Experiment Suggestions


- Draw free-body diagrams before applying ΣF = m·a.
- Check units at every step.
- Lab: Measure acceleration of a cart using a motion sensor; compare experimental
and theoretical values.
7. Key Formulas Summary
- F = m · a
- v = v0 + a·t
- x = x0 + v0·t + ½ a·t²
- v² = v0² + 2a(x − x0)

Further Reading:
- Halliday, Resnick & Walker. Fundamentals of Physics.
- Tipler, P. A., & Mosca, G. Physics for Scientists and Engineers.

Instructor's Notes:
- Emphasize problem setup and free-body diagrams in next class.
- Bring calculators and motion-sensor data files for lab.

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