PHYSICS 231

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS I

Lecture 6
 Last Lecture:

Gravity
Normal forces
Strings, ropes and Pulleys

Today:

Friction

Work and Kinetic Energy

Potential Energy
Conservation of Energy
 Frictional Forces
RESISTIVE force between object and neighbors
or the medium
Examples:
Sliding a box
Air resistance
Rolling resistance
 Sliding Friction

Parallel to surface,
opposing direction of motion
~ independent of
the area of contact
Depends on the surfaces in contact
Object at rest: Static friction
Object in motion: Kinetic friction
 Static Friction, s

fs m s N

Just enough force to

keep object at rest. f
ms is coefficient of
static friction
N is the normal force

F
 Kinetic
Friction, k

f k mk N

mk ms
f
mk is coefficient of
kinetic friction
Friction force opposes
direction of motion
F
N is the normal force
Coefficients
of Friction

f ms N
f mk N
ms mk
 Example 4.7

The man pushes/pulls with a force of 200 N. The

child and sled combo has a mass of 30 kg and the
coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.15. For each case:
What is the frictional force opposing his efforts?
What is the acceleration of the child?

f=59 N, a=3.80 m/s2 / f=29.1 N, a=4.8 m/s2

 Example 4.8

Given m1 = 10 kg and m2 = 5 kg:

a) What value of ms would stop the block from sliding?
b) If the box is sliding and mk = 0.2, what is the
acceleration?
c) What is the tension of the rope?

a) ms = 0.5 b) a=1.96 m/s2 c) 39.25 N

 Example 4.9

What is the minimum ms required to

prevent a sled from slipping down a
hill of slope 30 degrees?

ms = 0.577
 Chapter 5
Work and Energy
 Forms of Energy

Mechanical
Kinetic, gravitational
Thermal
Microscopic mechanical
Electromagnetic
Nuclear

Energy is conserved!
 Work
Relates force to change in energy
r r r
W F ( x f xi )
Fx cos

Scalar quantity
Independent of time
 Units of Work and Energy

W Fx

SI unit = Joule
1 J = 1 Nm = 1 kgm2/s2
 Example 5.0

A man holds a 50 lb box at waist level for 10

minutes. Has he done any work during this time?

120 m
 Work can be positive or negative

Man does positive work

lifting box
Man does negative work
lowering box

Gravity does positive

work when box lowers
Gravity does negative
work when box is raised
 Work and friction
A block is pulled a distance x
N
by constant force F.
fk
F

mg

Work of F> 0
Work of N = 0
Work of mg = 0
Work of fk < 0

Work of (kinetic) frictional force is always < 0.

-> It removes mechanical energy from system.
 Kinetic Energy
1 2
KE mv Same units as work
2
Remember the Eq. of motion
v 2f vi2
ax
2 2
Multiply both sides by m,
1
2 mv 2f 12 mvi2 max
KE f KE i Fnetx

KE f KE i W net Work-Energy Theorem

 Example 5.1

A skater of mass 60 kg has an initial velocity of 12

m/s. He slides on ice where the frictional force is 36
N. How far will the skater slide before he stops?

120 m
 Potential Energy
If force depends on distance, we can define
Potential Energy
This must be independent of Path
-> Conservative Force
PE Fx

For gravity (near Earths surface)

PE mgh
 Conservation of Energy

PE f KE f PEi KEi
KE PE

Conservative forces:
Gravity, electrical,

Non-conservative forces:
Friction, air resistance

Non-conservative forces still conserve energy!

Energy just transfers to thermal energy (heat)
 Example 5.2
A diver of mass m drops from
a board 10.0 m above the
water surface, as in the
Figure. Find his speed 5.00 m
above the water surface.
Neglect air resistance.

9.9 m/s
 Example 5.3
A skier slides down the frictionless slope as shown.
What is the skiers speed at the bottom?

start

H=40 m
finish

L=250 m
28.0 m/s
 Example 5.4
Three identical balls are
thrown from the top of a
building with the same initial
speed. Initially,
Ball 1 moves horizontally.
Ball 2 moves upward.
Ball 3 moves downward.

Neglecting air resistance,

which ball has the fastest
speed when it hits the ground?
A) Ball 1
B) Ball 2
C) Ball 3
D) All have the same speed.
 Example 5.5
Two blocks, A and B (mA=50 kg and mB=100 kg), are
connected by a string as shown. If the blocks begin
at rest, what will their speeds be after A has slid
a distance s = 0.25 m? Assume the pulley and
incline are frictionless.

1.51 m/s s
 Example 5.6
Tarzan swings from a vine whose
length is 12 m. If Tarzan starts at an
angle of 30 degrees with respect to
the vertical and has no initial speed,
what is his speed at the bottom of
the arc?

5.61 m/s