Unit 2: Forces Flashcards
(93 cards)
Force (F)
- A push or a pull
- Causes objects to change their motion and/or shape
- Is a vector quantity
Newton (N)
- Derived SI unit
- 1 N = 1 kg x m/s²
4 fundamental forces (in order of strength)
- Gravitational force
- Weak nuclear force
- Electromagnetic force
- Strong nuclear force
Derived Forces
- Any non-fundamental force
- Comes from the 4 fundamental forces (ex: friction and tension)
Gravitational force
- Known as “force of gravity” or “weight”
- Attraction only
- Acts between all objects in the universe
- Weak force but long range
Electromagnetic force [A]
- Caused by electric charges
- Most common force (ex: light, electricity, magnetic attraction)
Electromagnetic force [B]
- Strong force and long range
- Can attract or repulse objects (both tend to cancel each other out)
Strong nuclear force
- Holds protons and neutrons together
- Very short-range force
- Much stronger than electromagnetic force
Weak nuclear force
- Occurs between “elementary” particles of an atom (ex: electron)
- Responsible for radioactive decay
- Strong force but very short range
Free-body diagram (FBD): A simple drawing representing
An object and all external forces acting on it
FBD: Object is shown as
A rectangle or large dot
FBD: Forces are drawn as arrows
Originating from object and pointing away from the center
FBD: Each force is labelled with
Symbol F and an appropriate subscript that indicates the force
Applied force, F(a)
- Results when one object is in contact with another object
- Either pushes or pulls on it
Tension, F(t):
Pulling force exerted on an object by rope or string
Indirect Forces
- Objects don’t have to directly push/pull another object to be considered a type of force
- A car engine used to apply force against wheels, which push against ground, causing motion, can be an considered an applied force.
Normal force, F(n)
- Perpendicular force exerted on an object by the surface with which it is in contact.
- Even if object is at rest, normal force is applied
Friction force, F(f)
- Resists motion or attempted motion of object
- Always acts parallel to surface
Contact forces
Require one object to be in contact with another
Non-contact forces
Do not require one object to be in contact with another
Force of gravity, F(g)
- F(g) = mg
- m is the mass of the object
- g is gravitational acceleration (9.8 m/s²)
Net force, F(net) [meaning]
- AKA: Resultant force
- Vector sum of all the forces acting on an object
Net force, F(net) [formulae]
- F(net) = F₁ + F₂ + …
- F₁,₂… are the individual forces acting on an object
Object at-rest
- Means the acceleration and velocity of an object is 0
- The net force applied to the object is 0