Person in a bus (accelerating system)

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The discussion revolves around understanding Newton's third law in the context of a person in an accelerating bus. As the bus accelerates due to a force from friction with the ground, a friction force acts on the bus from the person, resulting in equal and opposite forces on both the bus and the person. The calculation of the forces involves determining the resultant force on the bus and how friction between the person and the bus affects their motion. Clarifications are sought on visualizing these forces from an external observer's perspective, particularly when the friction is insufficient to prevent the person from sliding. The conversation emphasizes the relationship between the forces acting on the bus and the person, highlighting the complexities of analyzing motion in such scenarios.
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I'm having some issues about the Newtons third law.

The image should represent a person in a bus with and the forces acting on them.
The bus and the person are observed from outside the bus. The bus starts accelerating because of the force F_{BUS MOVING}. This force represent the resultant force of the friction between the bus and the ground, and the buses starting force.


As a result, friction force F_{P-BUS} occurs and it acts on the bus because of the mass of the person.
As a reaction, a force of the same size but opposite direction acts on the person F_{BUS-P}

What is the sum of the forces on the bus?
F_{BUS MOVING}-F_{P-BUS} ?

How would one calculate F_{P-BUS} by knowing the mass of the person and \mu?

Is this the solution?
F_{BUS MOVING}-F_{P-BUS}=F_{BUS-P}

Since in this case, the bus and the person have the same value and orientation. That is what a observer from the street would see, right?

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Welcome to PF!

Hi pinsky! Welcome to PF! :smile:

(try using the X2 tag just above the Reply box :wink:)

FP-BUS always equals (minus) FBUS-P.

If you regard the friction as an internal force, then you ignore it, and F = (MBUS + m)a.

If you regard the friction as an external force, then you include it, and F - FP-BUS = MBUSa. :wink:
 
Thanks for the welcome.

I didn't understand your explanation though.

Could you perhaps draw all the forces in a situation where the bus is starting, and the friction between the bus and the person in the bus isn't enough to prevent the person from gently sliding. So in that case we can't observe the bus and the person as a single object.
Draw the forces as they appear from the point of view of a person standing still outside the bus.

I made you a template to spare the time :)
 

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I'm not drawing it, but if the force on the bus is F, and the friction force is G, then

F - G = MBUSaBUS,

G = mPaP :smile:
 
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