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Subjects · Leaving Cert Applied Maths

Leaving Cert Applied Maths: Forces & Newton's laws

How often Forces & Newton's laws comes up on the Applied Maths papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 1 of the last 3 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2024.

OL Asked on 3 of the last 3 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

Forces & Newton's laws, Higher Level(8 marks)

Quick ones on Forces & Newton's laws.

(a)Newton's first law: a body stays at rest or moves at constant velocity unless…?
  1. Its mass changes during the motion
  2. A resultant external force acts on it
  3. It moves on to a rough surface
(b)A book rests on a table. By Newton's third law, the partner of the book pushing down on the table is…?
  1. The Earth pulling the table down
  2. The weight of the book
  3. The table pushing up on the book
(c)A 1200 kg car accelerates at 2 m/s² against a resistance of 600 N. Driving force?
  1. 3000 N
  2. 1800 N
  3. 2400 N
Show the answers

(a) A resultant external force acts on it

(b) The table pushing up on the book

(c) 3000 N

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Forces & Newton's laws.

Higher Level

Asked on 1 of the last 3 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2024.

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Not asked
2024Q2
2023Not asked

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Forces & Newton's laws questions

Forces & Newton's laws, 2 marks

Weight of a 65 kg person (g = 9.8)?

  1. 65 N
  2. 6.63 N
  3. 637 N
Show the answer

637 N

Weight is a force: W = mg = 65 × 9.8 = 637 N. Mass (65 kg) is not a force. Dividing by g gives 6.63, which has no meaning here.

Forces & Newton's laws, 3 marks

Forces 4i − 2j N and 3i + 5j N act on a particle. Third force needed to keep it in equilibrium?

  1. −7i + 3j N
  2. −7i − 3j N
  3. 7i + 3j N
Show the answer

−7i − 3j N

The two forces add to 7i + 3j. In equilibrium the resultant is zero, so the third force must be the exact opposite: −7i − 3j N.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 3 of the last 3 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q2
2024Q8
2023Q9

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Forces & Newton's laws questions

Forces & Newton's laws, 2 marks

Newton's first law: a body stays at rest or at constant velocity unless…

  1. Its mass changes over time
  2. It moves on to a slope
  3. A resultant force acts on it
Show the answer

A resultant force acts on it

With no net force there is no acceleration. A moving object keeps moving in a straight line at constant speed until an unbalanced force acts.

Forces & Newton's laws, 3 marks

Forces of 30 N east and 12 N west act on a 3 kg box on smooth ice. Acceleration?

  1. 4 m s⁻² west
  2. 6 m s⁻² east
  3. 14 m s⁻² east
Show the answer

6 m s⁻² east

Resultant = 30 − 12 = 18 N east. a = 18 ÷ 3 = 6 m s⁻² east. 14 adds the forces, but they act in opposite directions.

Forces & Newton's laws, 2 marks

Weight of a 5 kg mass? (g = 9.8 m s⁻²)

  1. 49 N
  2. 5 N
  3. 0.51 N
Show the answer

49 N

W = mg = 5 × 9.8 = 49 N. Mass (kg) and weight (N) are different: weight is the force of gravity on the mass.

Other Applied Maths topics

All of Leaving Cert Applied Maths