Forces

Introduction
Scalars:

Certain physical quantities are completely described by a numerical

Value alone ( with units specified)

Ex: Mass, speed, distance, temperature, time etc

If two bodies having a mass 5 kg and 2 kg respectively

Total mass of the system becomes … 5kg + 2 kg = 7 kg

These are callled scalars

Scalars……. Only magnitude but no direction

Vectors:

Certain physical quantities requires a numerical value ( with units

Specified) aswellas a direction

Ex: Velocity, acceleration, Force, momentum

1 m/s
3 m/s

2 m/s

Vectors - they have magnitude and Direction

What is force:

Force is a push or pull on an object that is caused by it

interacting with something
Push means the object moving away from yourself

Pull means the object moving towards you

Types of force:

1. Contact forces
2. Non-contact forces
Contact forces:

When two objects have to be touching for a force to act

Ex: Friction, air-resistance, tension in ropes, normal contact force

Non – contact forces:

If the two object do not need to be touching for the force to act

Ex: magnetic force, gravitational force, electrostatic force

Newton’s third law:

If a body A exerts a force F on another body B, then B exerts a

force – F on A,

Then two forces acting along the line joining the bodies.

These pair of forces are called action and reaction pair

Anyone may be called action and the other reaction

Difference between Mass and weight

Mass: The amount of stuff in an object

Mass of the object will be same anywhere in the universe

Weight: The force acting on the object due to gravity

Which causes this force

Gravity:

The force of attraction exerted by the earth on the other objects

Gravitational field:

The region around the earth

The force between two objects is seen to be two step process

1. First step: Assume the body A creates a gravitational field

in the space around it

The field has its own existence and has energy and
momentum

It has definite direction

2. Second Step: When a body B is placed in gravitational field,
this field exerts a force on it.
Mass is measured in Kg

Weight is measured in Newton

Weight ( Newtons) = Mass X gravitational field

strength

W= Mx g If m = 1 kg

g = 9.8 N/kg ( on the earth) Weight = 1 kg x 9.8

= 9.8 Newtons
 g = 9.8 N/kg ( on the earth)

g = 1/6 part of g = 9.8/6 = 1.6 N/kg ( on the moon)

Calculate the weight in newtons of the following masses

a) On the earth b) on the moon

1. 3 kg

2. 5 kg

3. 15 kg

4. 100 kg
Resultant Force:

If number of forces acting on the object , the resultant force can be calculated by

Vector addition.
 Work done
W = Force x distance

When a force moves an object through a distance, energy is

transferred To the body.. Then the work is done on the object

Work done = Joule (J)

Force = Newtons ( N) 1 J = 1 Nm

Distance = Meter (m)

Problem:
A force of 20 N pushes an object 20 cm. calculate the work done on
the object W=F xs

W = 20 x 20 x 10-2

W = 4J
 How do you calculate a force ?
A man is on an electric bicycle that has a driving force of 4 N
north. However, the wind produces a force of 3 N east.

Find the magnitude and direction of the resultant force.

N 3

W E
Resultant
4 force
5N
S

U can also use scale drawings

1 cm = 1 N
 Do the object in equilibrium – when?

If the number of forces acting on the object combine

to give a resultant force of zero
then an object is in equilibrium

F1

F3

F2

F1 F2

F3
 Force can split into two components

Horizontal component
rce
t fo
n Vertical component
Vertical component lta
s u
Re

Horizontal component

Velocity, energy, acceleration etc also can be splitted

into horizontal and vertical component
 Force and Elasticity
Applying force may cause – deformation ( streching, compressing,
bending)
Deformations are classified as

1. Elastic deformation
2. In elastic deformation

Elastic deformation:

•If a material returns to its original size and shape when you
remove the forces stretching or deforming it (reversible
deformation), we say that the material is demonstrating
elastic behaviour.
•If you apply too big a force a material will lose its elasticity.
 Force and Elasticity
Inelastic deformation
•Inelastic ( plastic) material is one that stays deformed after
you have taken the force away.

•If deformation remains (irreversible deformation) after the

forces are removed then it is a sign of plastic behaviour.

When forces to cause streching – work is done ?

If a work is done ---to where the energy can be transferred??

Ans: potential energy of the object

 Force and Elasticity
Hooke’s Law

The amount a spring stretches is proportional to the

amount of force applied to it.
F=ke
Where:
•F is the applied force (in newtons, N),
•eis the extension (in metres, m) and
•k is the spring constant (in N/m).
•The extension e is sometimes written ∆x

Extension (e) = stretched length – original length

The spring constant measures how stiff the spring is.
The larger the spring constant the stiffer the spring.
 Hooke’s law:

F=ke
Where:
F is the applied force (in newtons, N),
e is the extension (in metres, m) and
k is the spring constant (in N/m).
The extension e is sometimes written ∆x

Extension (e) = stretched length – original length

Limit of proportionality:

The limit of proportionality of a

spring where extension is no longer
proportional to the applied force.

Beyond point p – the Hooke’s law does not obey

Means if elastic material is streched beyond p,

the material does not come back to original shape.

 1. A spring is fixed at one end and a force of 1 N is
applied to the other end, causing it to strech. The
spring by 2 cm. Calculate the spring constant of
the spring.
2. A weight of 8.7 N is attached to a spring that has a
spring constant of 190 N/m. How much will the
spring stretch?

3. K = 25 N/m, calculate the extension if 5 N force is

applied.
 Moment
(Turning effect of a force)
A force or several forces can cause to rotate an object

Moment of force (N-m) = Force x Distance ( perpendicular

distance from the pivot to force)
M = F . d
The force on the spanner causes a turning effect or moment on the nut ( which
Acts as pivot).
Larger force gives larger moment

Maximum moment occurs at ---- force at right angles ( perpendicular)

Smaller moment - any angle other than 900

Total anticlockwise moment = clockwise moment … Then the object is

balanced and Wont turn
Problem:

A 6m long steel girder weighing 1000 N rests horizontally on a pole 1 m from

One end. What is the tension in a supporting cable attached vertically to the
Other end

T = force due to tension

in the cable Center of mass

3m 2m 1m
Weight = 1000 N pivot

Force in anticlock wise = clockwise

1000X 2 = T x 5

T = 2000/5 = 400 N
 Levers can increase the distance to
apply less force
Gears are circular discks will produce rotational effects

1.. Gears teach interlock so that turning one causes another to turn,
in the opposite direction.

2. They are used to transmit the rotational effect of a force from one
place to another.
3. A force transmitted to larger gear will cause a bigger moment, as
the distance
to the pivot is greater
 Fluid Pressure
Pressure = Force / Area or P = F/A
Why fluids will flow?

The particles in the fluid will be able to move in all directions

During this movement, particles can collide with surfaces and

other particles

The particles have mass, so they exert a force on a object they

collide.

Fluid pressure:
A force is exerted normal ( at right angles) to any surface in
contact with the fluid
Is pressure depends on any parameter?
Pressure = h ρ g
h = hight of the liquid column ( in depth m)
ρ= density of the liquid (kg/m3) ( greek word ‘rho’)
g = gravitational field strength (m/s2)
Problem: 1. Calculate the change in pressure between
a point 25 m below the surface of water and a point 45
m below the surface. The density of water is 1000 kg/m3

2. Calculate the force exerted on a 10m2 area by a pressure of

200k Pa.
3. At a point 5 cm below the surface of a jug of olive oil, the
pressure due to the oil is 450 Pa. Calculate the density of
olive oil. The gravitational field strength of Earth
is 9.8 N/kg
Distance:
How far an object has moved
It is a scalar quantity
Does not depend on direction
Displacement:
•It is a vector quantity
•It measures the distance and direction in a straight line from
an object’s initial position to final position.
Speed:
Distance travelled by an object in unit time with no regard
to the direction
Distance travelled (m) = speed (m/s) x time (s)
S=v t
Velocity:
Displacement travelled by an object in unit time in a
given direction
Displacement (m) = Velocity (m/s) x time (s)
 Few typical everyday speeds
A person walking – 1.5m/s Car - 25 m/s
A person running – 3 m/s Train – 55 m/s
A person cycling – 6 m/s Plane – 250 m/s

Problem: A sprinter runs 200 m in 20 s, calculate his speed

Marie walks her dog after school. She takes a route of 1500 m
that starts and returns to her house

(a)Distance she travels

(b) her displacement

 Acceleration

Change in velocity in certain amount of time

acceleration (m/s2) = change in velocity / time

a = ∆V/t

Deceleration : Negative acceleration is called

deceleration or change in velocity can be negative

Problem: A car is travelling along a road. When it collides

with a tree and comes to stop. Estimate the deceleration of
the car. Typical speed of car is 25 m/s and time to stop 1 s.
 Unifrom acceleration or constant acceleration
Acceleration due to gravity is uniform for freely falling body.
 Uniform acceleration

v2 - u2 = 2 a s

V = final velocity u = intial velocity, a = acceleration s = distance

Problem:

1. A man travelling at 23 m/s starts decelerating uniformly

at 2 m/s2 as it heads towards a built up area 112 m away.
What will its speed be when it reaches the built-up area.

2. A ball is dropped from a height, h above the ground.

The speed of the ball just before it it’s the ground is 7 m/s .
Calculate the height the ball is dropped from. ( g = 9.8 m/s2)
 Distance – time graph

decelerating

Distance (m)
stopped
Accelerating

Steady speed

Time (s)

Object moves in a straight line .

 Velocity – time Graph

Gradient = acceleration