Mass & Gravity Class Exercises

Physics
1. a) You measure a bag of apples as weighing 85 N on a scale. How massive is the bag of apples?
Weight is another word for the strength of the force of gravity.
Fg = 85 N
g = 9.8 N/kg (assuming were on earth)
Rearrange the gravitational force equation to solve for mass
mg = Fg
m=
m=
m = 8.67 kg
b) If you were to carry the bag of apples to the surface of the moon, where the gravitational field is only
1.67 N/kg, how much would the apples weigh?
Solving for the weight means we want to know the force of gravity
Fg = mg
We need to know the objects mass (g) and the strength of the gravitational field that it is in (g).
m = 8.67 kg (an objects mass always stays the same)
g = 1.67 N/kg
Fg = mg
Fg = (8.67 kg)(1.67 N/kg)
Fg = 14.48 N
= 14.48 N, down
2. a) You weigh yourself on a scale. What does the scale read in Newtons (1 lb = 4.45 N)?

[Answers will vary, depending on your weight. As an example 180 lbs = 801 N]
b) How much mass do you have?

[for the 180 lb person, m = 81.73 kg]

c) If you went to the moon, how much would you weigh?

[for the person who is 180 lb on earth, Fg = 136.49 N or 30.7 lbs. = 14.48 N, down]
3. An 80 kg person on top of Mt. Everest would weigh only 781.6 N. How strong is the Earths
gravitational field on top of Mt. Everest?

We know the mass, which is measured in kilograms and the weight, which is also know as the force
of gravity
m = 80 kg
Fg = 781.6 N
We want to solve for the strength of the gravitational field, so we rearrange the equation
mg = Fg
g=
g=
m = 9.77 kg

4. On a trip to Mars, you pick up an alien life form that weighs 90 N there. When you bring it back to
Earth, you find that it weighs 238 N on Earth.
a) How much mass does the alien have?

[m = 24.29 kg]
b) How strong is the gravitational field on the surface of Mars?

[g = 3.71 N/kg]

[Friction Material Starts on Next Page]

Friction Class Exercises

Physics

1. Elliott is arranging wooden furniture on his concrete patio. He tries to slide a 35 kg sofa across the
patio. How hard will he have to push to make the sofa move?
As Elliott pushes the furniture horizontally, the friction between
the wooden sofa and the concrete will try to keep the sofa from
sliding. To make the furniture move, Elliot will have to push
harder than friction can. The amount of friction depends on only
two things: the coefficient of friction () and the normal force the
patio exerts on the sofa (FN).
Ff = FN
The coefficient of friction is a number that tells us how well the bumps on the two objects (the sofa
and the patio) mesh together. Since the size and shape of the bumps depend on the material, we look
up wood and concrete on our table of coefficients of friction.
= 0.62
Because the sofa is not moving up or down, we know that the vertical forces cancel out:
(up is positive)
m = 35 kg
g = 9.8 N/kg (we assume the problem takes place on earth)
Fg = mg = (35 kg)(9.8 m/s/s) = 343 N
= 343 N, down
+=0
+ 343 N, D = 0
+ (343 N) = 0
= +343 N
= 343 N, U
Now we are ready to calculate the force of friction:
Ff = FN
Ff = 0.62 343 N
Ff = 212.7 N
= 212.7 N, left (in my picture)
2. Amanda runs out onto her wooden deck to save the 20 kg wooden coffee table from the rain. How
hard will she have to pull to slide the table across the deck?

[Ff = 39.2 N; = 212.7 N, left or = 212.7 N, right (depending on picture)]

3. Cam accidentally locks himself out of his car while it is park in the middle of the asphalt street
(youll have to ask him how that happened ). He decides to push the 1200 kg car out of the street for
safety, even though the wheels are locked. How hard can he push before the car will start to move?

[Ff = 11760 N; = 11760 N, left or = 11760 N, right (depending on picture)]

4. After creating a 50 kg ceramic sculpture, Blake needs to drag it across the concrete floor to the corner
of the room. He finds that he needs to pull with more than 220 N of force to get it to slide. What is the
coefficient of friction between the ceramic and concrete?
To find the coefficient of friction, we
rearrange the friction equation to solve for .
Ff = FN
=
If Blake needs to pull with more than 220 N to
make the sculpture move, that means he is
fighting against friction that can be as much as
220 N in strength (or magnitude)
Ff = 220 N

In this situation, the normal force is only

fighting gravity, which depends on the mass
and the gravitational field
m = 50 kg
g = 9.8 N/kg (assume were on earth)
FN = Fg = mg = (50 kg)(9.8 N/kg) = 490 N
= 490 N, up

Now were ready to find the coefficient of friction between

ceramic and concrete
Ff = FN
=
=
= 0.45
5. A band of Viking warriors drags their 1500 kg boat across the
beach
to set out to sea. They find that they have to push with more than
8800
N of force to slide it across the beach. What is the coefficient of friction between the boat and the sand?

[ = 0.60]