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Newton's Laws and Forces

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Newton's Laws and Forces

A small cart is released from rest on a ramp. Use Newton’s laws and the force information in each question to explain or predict its motion. Take g = 9.8 N/kg unless a question gives a different value.

Read the forces

Forces are measured in newtons (N). A net force is the vector sum of all forces on an object.

1.The cart is initially at rest on the ramp. In what direction does the cart’s weight act?

2.A cart continues moving at a steady velocity along a straight, level track. According to Newton’s first law, what is the net force on the cart? Explain briefly.

3.The cart has a mass of 0.60 kg. Calculate its weight using g = 9.8 N/kg. Show the equation and include the unit.

4.On a level track, the cart’s engine pushes it forwards with 4.2 N while friction acts backwards with 1.8 N. Find the net force and state its direction.

5.The net force on a 0.60 kg cart is 2.4 N forwards. Calculate its acceleration using Newton’s second law. Show your working.

6.Two identical carts experience the same net force. Cart A has mass 0.50 kg and cart B has mass 1.0 kg. Which cart has the greater acceleration, and how does its acceleration compare with the other cart’s?

Cart A; its acceleration is twice cart B’s.
Cart B; its acceleration is twice cart A’s.
Both carts have the same acceleration.
Cart A; its acceleration is half cart B’s.

7.A cart rolls down a ramp angled at 30° to the horizontal. Ignoring friction, calculate the component of its weight acting parallel to the ramp if its weight is 5.88 N. Use F∥ = W sin θ.

8.For the 5.88 N cart on the 30° ramp, the downhill component of weight is 2.94 N. Friction acts up the ramp with a force of 0.84 N. Calculate the net force along the ramp.

9.A student investigates how ramp angle affects a cart’s acceleration. They release the same cart from the same marked starting point at ramp angles of 10°, 20°, 30° and 40°, then measure its acceleration. Identify the independent variable, dependent variable and one control variable.

10.During the ramp investigation, the cart’s acceleration increases when the angle is made steeper. Explain this result using the components of gravity and Newton’s second law.

11.A cart pushes backwards on a track with a force of 12 N. State the Newton’s third-law force paired with this force, including the object it acts on and its direction.