Personal Assistant for Learning
Applying Newton's laws
| These PAL tutorials help students learn how to apply Newton's laws systematically by analyzing the motion and interactions of each relevant object. Accordingly the tutorials specify a method for describing (in the form of a "system diagram") the motion of each such object and all the forces on this object. They also specify a method for expressing Newton's motion law in the form of equations relating motion and forces. Students get consistent practice in applying these methods systematically in diverse cases -- and also in indicating the qualitative implications of the equations expressing Newton's laws. |
Instructions: Click on the underlined title of the tutorial that you wish to try. (The tutorials are listed in the recommended order.)
| One body problems |
 |
| 1. Sled Sliding down a hill (I) | |
| 2. Mountaineer suspended at rest (I) | |
| 3. Mountaineer released from rest (C) | |
| 4. Hiker on horizontal rope (P) | |
| 5. Crate pulled up a rough ramp (C) | |
| 6. Box sliding down a rough ramp (P) | |
| 7. Car moving around banked curve (I) | |
| 8. Conical pendulum (P) | |
| 9. Mountaineer swinging from rope (P) | |
| 10. Amusement ride in rotating drum (C) | |
| 11.
Coin on
merry-go-round (P) |
|
| Two body problems | |
| 12. System diagrams: Touching blocks (I) | |
| 13. System diagrams: Linked blocks (P) | |
| 14. Block pulling cart along smooth ramp (I) | |
| 15. Block pulling basket along rough ramp (P) | |
| 16. Snowmobile pulling sleds along hill (P) | |
| 17. Box on accelerating pulled cart (C) | |
| 18. Measured weight of ramp with sliding crate (P) |
