Stuff you asked about:

Derek

DEREK TRUCKS RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A student riding in a train looks up and sees Einstein sitting next to him. Excited he asks, "Excuse
me, professor. Does Boston stop at this train?
I liked it when the guy said "It is what it has to be to do what it does". O rly? Also, I really like
how you guys pick out certain comments to shown the class. Yes, they're funny, but they also
show you're listening to the voice of the people even when you have so many students.
A closer overview of the accelerating elevator problems would do fairly well, otherwise
everything seems in check. Hope you have a wonderful day.
I have always been terrifyingly horrible at questions involving tension. Can we please go over
how other forces interact with it?
Dearest instructor, on the second day of physics you won our love and admiration by shooting a
monkey in the face with a dart gun. Since that spectacular event, you have carried out multiple
demonstrations, but none have yet been as strikingly awe-inspiring as that first great spectacle. I
hope that we can look forward to even greater performances in the future.
So I can write anything here, and it might appear on the big screen on Tuesday?
Every thing seems to make sense...which can be a good thing or a really bad thing.
If one things for sure, it's that you must discuss the superiority that physics
holds over the other sciences.
Please clarify whether the "earth-moon" distance is the distance between
their centers or surfaces

Physics 211
Lecture 5

Todays Concepts:
a) Free Body Diagrams
b) Force due to strings
c) Force due to springs
d) Force due to gravity

Classical Mechanics
I would like more free body diagram examples please.

Free Body Diagrams

1)Choose system (object or group)
2)Draw forces acting on object
-Gravity
-Things touching (contact)

T
m
mg

Free Body Diagrams

Free Body Diagrams

Free Body Diagrams

Tension Force
Direction: Parallel to rope, always pulling.
Magnitude: As much or little as needed for Fnet=ma

T
m
mg

Checkpoint
BOX IN THE ELEVATOR
A box of mass m is hung with a string
from the ceiling of an elevator that is
accelerating upward. Which of the
following best describes the tension T
in the string:
A) T < mg
B) T = mg
C) T > mg

The magnitude of the tension force must be greater than

the magnitude of the weight force because the net force
must be in the positive y direction if an acceleration exists
in that direction.

Watch out for subtle mistakes

Many people got the right answer with

explanations like this one:
The downward force caused by gravity
(with a negative acceleration) is added to
the force caused by the upward
acceleration.

T
m

mg

Remember: Net force causes acceleration

Tension Clicker Question

A block weighing 4 lbs is hung from a rope attached to a scale. The
scale is then attached to a wall and reads 4 lbs. What will the scale
read when it is instead attached to another block weighing 4 lbs?
?

A) 0 lbs.

B) 4 lbs.

C) 8 lbs.

Normal Force
Normal force is the force perpendicular to the surface that
prevents the objects from passing through each other.
1) Direction: Perpendicular to surface and out
2) Magnitude: As much or little required keep objects separate.

"It is what it has to be to do what it does." This statement

confused the hell out of me.

Checkpoint
A block sits at rest on a horizontal frictionless surface. Which of the
following sketches most closely resembles the correct free body
diagram for all forces acting on the block? Each arrow represents a
force.

The force of gravity on the box by the earth, and the

normal force on the box by the floor.
There are always forces on objects with mass, so C is not
correct. The box is in equilibrium, so B is not correct and
there are no forces to the right or left, so D is not correct.

Clicker Question
A block accelerates down a frictionless inclined plane. Which of the
following sketches most closely resembles the correct free body
diagram for all forces acting on the block? Each arrow represents a
force.

- Gravity is down.
- Normal is perpendicular to surface.

Spring Force
Direction: Parallel to spring: Push or pull
Magnitude:F=-kx

Springs Example
help with springs plzzzzzzzz

A 5 kg mass is suspended from a

spring with spring constant 25 N/m.
How far is the spring stretched from
its equilibrium position?

ma

kx Mg 0
Mg
5*9.8
x

k
25

A) 0.5 m

B) 2 m

C) 5 m

Checkpoint
A box of mass m is hung by a spring
from the ceiling of an elevator.
When the elevator is at rest the
length of the spring is L = 1 m. If the
elevator accelerates upward the
length of the spring will be:
A) L = 1 m
B) L < 1 m
C) L > 1 m

L
m

As the elevator accelerates

upward, the spring's tension
will be larger than the weight
of the box, so the length of
the spring is greater than 1m.
Am I allowed to say common sense?

Accelerating reference frames can confuse

The elevator accelerates upward and causes
a force downward on the box (relative to the
elevator). This means the spring will displace
the box from equilibrium to a lower position
relative to the elevator.
the elevator is accelerating upward, that
means that the mass of the object will get
increasingly heavier (weight) because of the
reactant force.

L
m

The box will have an additional force, ma,

pulling it downward. This will expand the
spring and cause its length to increase.

Remember: Net force causes acceleration

Clicker Question
You are traveling on an elevator
up the Sears tower. As you near
the top floor and are slowing
down, your acceleration
A) is upward
B) is downward
C) is zero

a
mg

Clicker Question
You are traveling on an
elevator up the Sears tower,
and you are standing on a
bathroom scale.
As you near the top floor and
are slowing down, the scale
reads
A) More than your usual
weight
B) Less than your usual
weight
C) Your usual weight

a
mg

Clicker Question
A cart with mass m2 is connected to a mass m1 using a
string that passes over a frictionless pulley, as shown
below. The cart is held motionless.
m2

The tension in the string is

A) m1g
B) m2g
C) 0

m1

Clicker Question
A cart with mass m2 is connected to a mass m1 using a string
that passes over a frictionless pulley, as shown below.
Initially, the cart is held motionless, but is then released and
starts to accelerate.
a
m2
After the cart is released, the tension in the string is
A) = m1g
B) > m1g
C) < m1g

m1

Universal Gravitation
the slide about the earth+moon and the universal constant of gravity
was confusing

Direction: Toward other object (down near earth surface)

Magnitude:F=GMm/r2
(mg near earth surface)
Mm
F G 2
r
Near surface of earth r=Rearth
F G

Mearth m
2
Rearth

6.67 1011 m3 / kg s2

9.8 m / s2 m

5.97 1024 kg

6.4 10 m
6

The slide in the pre-lecture talking about the value G was

very confusing since it used so many equations and
variables. I understand the general concept that any two
objects always exert some kind of gravitational force on
each other, but do not know how Newton came up with the
specific values to fit the equations.
So I guess this Newton guy knew his stuff..
There were a lot of equations shown in this lecture and
I was wondering if you could discuss which ones we are
going to be most focusing on. For example, will we need
to combine the law of Universal gravitation with circular
motion in order to solve for acceleration due to gravity?

Mm
FGravity G 2 r
r
Careful - r is measured from the center of Mars!

Fnet ma

Mm
v2
G 2 m
r
r
v GM / r
USE ALGEBRA!

r
d
t
v
2r
t
GM / r
3

r
t 2
GM

Careful, check units. Asks for time in

hours, not seconds!

r
v GM / r

r3
t 2
GM
3
1

r
2
t1
GM

3
t0
r0
2
GM

3/ 2

t1 r1

t0 r0
2/3
t1
r1 r0
t0