AP Physics I - Problem Set #3 - Dynamics NAME___________________________DATE__________ 

 
Newton’s Laws and Free-Body Diagrams 
1) A 20.0-kg box rests on a table. 
a) What is the weight of the box, and the normal force acting on it? 
 
 
b) A 10.0-kg box is placed on top of the 20.0-kg box. Determine the normal force ​FN​​ that the table 
exerts on the 20.0-kg box, and the normal force F​ ​N​ ​that the 20.0-kg box exerts on the 10.0-kg box. 
[​Hint: draw a free body diagram (FBD) first and work through each force, remembering that the boxes are 
at rest​.] 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2) What average force is required to stop a 1050-kg car in 9.0 s if the car is travelling at 95 km/hr? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3)  
a) What is the acceleration of two falling sky divers (total mass = 142 kg including parachute) when 
the upward force of air resistance is equal to one-fourth of their weight? 
 
 
 
 
 
b) After opening the parachute, the divers descend leisurely to the ground at constant speed. What 
now is the force or air resistance on the divers and their parachute? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4) A 13.0-kg bucket is lowered vertically by a rope in which there is 165 N of tension at a given instant. What 
is the acceleration of a bucket? Is it up or down? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Friction and Inclined Planes 
5) A force of 48.0 N is required to start a 5.0-kg box moving across a horizontal concrete floor. 
a) What is the coefficient of static friction between the box and the floor? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 b) If the 48.0-N force continues, the box accelerates at 0.70 m/s​2​. What is the coefficient of 
kinetic friction? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6) Suppose that you are standing on a train accelerating at 0.20​g.​ What minimum coefficient of 
static friction must exist between your feet and the floor if you are not to slide? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7) The coefficient of static friction between hard rubber and normal street pavement is about 0.8. 
On how steep a hill (maximum angle) can you leave a car parked without using the hand brake? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8) A 15.0-kg box is released on a 32​o​ incline and accelerates down the incline at 0.30 m/s​2​. Find the 
friction force impeding its motion. What is the coefficient of kinetic friction? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Atwood Machines 
 
 
9) What is the acceleration of the system in the picture to the right? 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10) In the diagram shown, the acceleration of the system is 4.6 m/s​2​. What is the force of friction 
acting on the 6.0 kg mass? 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 11) Two masses are connected by a massless string over a frictionless pulley. If the blocks accelerate 
at 3.0 m/s​2​ in the direction shown, what is the tension in the connecting string? 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12) A 200.0 g mass (m​1​) and a 50.0 g mass (m​2​) are connected by a string. The string is stretched over 
a pulley. Determine the acceleration of the masses and the tension in the string. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
13) A 20.0 N force is applied to a 2.0 kg mass at 30.0​o​ to the horizontal as shown in the diagram 
below. If friction is negligible, what is the tension in the string? 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14) What is the acceleration of the system of masses shown on the frictionless incline below? 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
15) The coefficient of kinetic friction for a 22-kg bobsled on a track is 0.10. What force is required to 
push it down a 6.0​o​ incline and achieve a speed of 60 km/hr after travelling a distance of 75 m?