Forces Flashcards
(90 cards)
What is a force?
A force is a push or pull
What is the scalar force? give 3 examples
A scalar force has magnitude only. For example:
- speed
- distance
- time
What is a vector force? give 3 examples
A vector force has magnitude and direction
For example:
- velocity
- displacement
- acceleration
How do you show forces?
Using arrows on a diagram
What is tension? how is it represented?
Tension is always a pulling force and never a pushing force it is represented by a ’T’
What is friction? How is it represented?
Friction is the force opposing the motion, it is always parallel to the contact surface. It is represented by ‘Ff’
What is normal reaction force? how was it represented?
The force is perpendicular to the contact surface. Represented by ‘R’
What is weight?
The force acting downwards on an object
What diagram do you use to represent arrows?
A free-body diagram
What assumption can we always make with forces?
There is no friction unless told otherwise in the question
Where should the weight arrow be drawn?
Underneath the object, from its centre
A rubber duck is floating on water. What forces are present and what can be said about them?
The forces present:
- Upthrust
- Weight
They are equal forces so the duck stays afloat
What is Newton’s first law?
A body in motion stays in motion at constant velocity and a body at rest stays at rest unless acted on by a net external force
What is Newton’s first law commonly referred to as?
The law of inertia
What would the free-body diagram look like for a girl hanging motionless on a rope?
Tension in the up direction and the weight in the down direction at equal lengths
What would the free-body diagram look like for a car parked on a sloped street?
- Normal force perpendicular to the -contact surface
- weight downwards
- friction going up the slope
What would the free-body diagram look like for a car moving to the right and slowing down?
- Normal force down
- Weight up
- Friction to the left
What would the free-body diagram look like for a ball rising in a parabolic trajectory, do not neglect friction and air resistance
- weight down
- air resistance opposing the ball’s direction
What is a scale vector diagram?
When the lines of a free body diagram are joined together from tip to tail
What does it mean if the lines of a free body diagram match up to form a closed polygon?
That means the object is in equilibrium and has a resultant force of 0
How can a force be split?
vertically and horizontally
How can you find the component of the force in the direction required?
Fcostheta
e.g. 8cos20
what is newtons second law?
A body accelerates when acted on by an external force. the rate of change of momentum is proportional to the resultant force (Fnet=ma)
what are the 5 steps to solve 2nd law problems
- draw free body diagrams
- set up 2nd law equations in each dimension (x and y direction)
- identify numerical given data in each direction
- plug in numbers
- solve