IGCSE Physics Notes
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Rhea AgrawalIGCSE Physics Notes
Uploaded by
Rhea AgrawalFORCES AND MOTION
Force. (vector)
A force is a push or a pull, exerted by one object on another.
In SI force measured in N or kg.m/s2
It has a direction and a magnitude so it is vector
Force (F) = mass (m) x acceleration (a)
Force depends mass and
Acceleration is directly proportional to force.
Acceleration is inversely proportional to mass.
The results of the same force exerted on objects of different mass.
Free Falling
“Free fall acceleration”
“Acceleration due to gravity”
If you drop a rock and a feather in an air-filled tube, the rock reaches the bottom first, this is due to
the presence of air resistance (the feather is slowed much more by the air).
In an evacuated tube (no air inside), in absence of air resistance, both the rock and the feather have
the same acceleration. They will reach the ground at the same time.
The acceleration due to gravity us denoted by the symbol g. g is a vector.
g = 10 m/s2 = 10 N/kg
Important Notes:-
a- The acceleration of free fall for a body near to the Earth is constant.
b- As we go upwards, leaving the earth’s surface, the value of (g) acceleration due to gravity
decreases, till we reach away space g=zero.
Acceleration due to gravity [g] in going up and down
Speed increases as going down with constant acceleration.
Speed increases 10 m/s each one second so acceleration due to gravity is approximately
g =10 m/s.
Speed decreases as going up with constant acceleration
Speed decreases 10 m/s each one second
So acceleration due to gravity is approximately 10 m/s, but since we are going up, you can use g = -10
m/s2
Mass & Weight
Weight = force of gravity = mass x free fall acceleration = ma = mg
Force = Weight = mg
the acceleration of free fall for a body near to the Earth is constant
Notes:-
10 m/s2 = 10 N/kg
Weight is the force which causes an object to accelerate downwards and has the value mg.
The value of the acceleration caused by weight can be calculated from Newton’s second law, using
the equation F = ma
Weight unit is N (because it is a force)
It is measured by spring balance
The weight of any object on the moon is 1/6 its weight on the earth, so gmoon = 1.67 m/s2.
If the weight of 1kg mass will be 10 N, and since the weight = 10 x mass, so if you measure your
weight on a scale (on earth) and your weight was 600 N, we can write it on the scale as 60 kg.
The acceleration due to gravity is constant at the same place and height, can be taken as …… 10
m/s2.
Free fall acceleration = g = weight / mass = constant (10 m/s2).
Friction forces are opposing forces acting in a direction that is opposite to the direction of the
applied force or to the direction of motion.
The friction force acting on a body when it is still doesn’t move is the static friction force.
If the applied force exceeds the friction force so the body starts to move the friction between the
body and the surface will decrease, the friction force acting on the box during its motion is called
the Dynamic (kinetic) friction force.
Static friction is greater than dynamic (kinetic) force.
The normal force is the support force exerted upon an object that is in contact with another stable
object.
For example; if a book is resting upon a surface, then the surface is exerting an upward force upon
the book in order to support the weight of the book.
On occasions, a normal force is exerted horizontally between two objects that are in contact with
each other. For instance, if a person leans against a wall, the wall pushes horizontally on the person.
We use “N” or “R” as symbol.
Airplanes, cars or any moving body has a friction with air called air resistance.
Birds have streamlining to decrease air resistance, so it doesn’t need so much force to keep its
velocity constant.
Moment of force
The turning effect of force is called moment of force.
The moment of force depends on the following factors.
The size (magnitude) of the force
The perpendicular distance between the line of action of the force and the turning point which is
called the pivot.
We calculate the moment of force by using the following formula
Moment of force = force * perpendicular distance from pivot to the line of action of the force
Moment=F * d
Moment is measured in newton meters(Nm).
One force on its own isn’t much use to us. We normally look at situations where turning effects
are balanced (or not!).
f the system is balanced, the anticlockwise turning effect of force F must equal the clockwise turning
effect:
clockwise moment = anticlockwise moment
Clockwise moment = 5 N × 0·50 m = 2·50 Nm.
Anticlockwise moment = F × 0·25 m = 2·50 Nm
Force F = 2·50 Nm ÷ 0·25 m = 10 N
In order to balance the 5 N force acting at 0·5 m from the pivot, we require 10 N acting in the
opposite direction but at 0·25 m.
Unbalanced Forces
Sometimes moments can easily become unbalanced – even when we don’t want them to!
Sometimes more than one force acts on the same side of the pivot. Their overall turning effect is
easy to work out.
The 2 N force has a moment of 2 × 0·2 m = 0·4 Nm clockwise.
The 5 N force has a moment of 5 × 0·5 m = 2·5 Nm clockwise.
Their combined moment = 0·4 Nm + 2·5 Nm = 2·9 Nm clockwise.
Moments can just be added, but they must act in the same direction.
This is also known as the principle of moments.
The turning effect (or moment) of a force is given by:
moment = force × perpendicular distance from pivot
The normal units used for force and distance are newtons and metres respectively, so the usual unit
for moment is the newton-metre (Nm)
Another name for a pivot is fulcrum.
Moments can either be clockwise or anticlockwise.
When more than one force acts in the same direction, their overall turning effect is just the sum of
their moments.
When forces act in a different direction, yet still balance, the total turning effect in each direction will
be the same:
sum of clockwise moments = sum of anticlockwise moments
