Forces Flashcards
What do scalar quantities have?
Magnitude
What do vector quantities have?
Magnitude and direction
How are vectors represented?
To scale with an arrow:
- specific length representing magnitude
- head representing the direction
Give examples of scalar quantities:
distance, speed, mass, time, temperature, energy
Give examples of vector quantities:
displacement, velocity, acceleration, weight, momentum
What do combined vectors give?
A single resultant
What are the steps to find the resultant vector of two vectors at right angles?
1) choose scale for drawing
2) draw the two given vectors carefully, measuring the angle between them
3) complete the rectangle/parallelogram
4) draw the diagonal
5) measure the length and angle of the diagonal
What can a resultant vector be turned into?
Its vertical and horizontal components
How do planes keep on their desired course despite the wind?
The pilot has to adjust the velocity vector of the plane to compensate -they would have to determine a velocity relative to the wind speed and direction to ensure travel on the desired course
What is a contact force?
A force which requires physical contact for interaction (ie. to do work)
What is a non-contact force?
A force which requires no physical contact for interaction/ to do work
What are examples of contact forces?
friction, tension, air resistance, normal contact force
What are examples of non-contact forces?
- gravitational attraction or weight
- magnetism
- electrostatic force
What is the principle of a gravitational force?
A massive body will cause another massive body to accelerate ie. a body’s speed and/or direction will change when the body is in a gravitational field
What is weight?
The result of the acceleration due to gravity
How do we calculate weight?
weight = mass x acceleration due to gravity W = mg
What is the unit for weight?
Newtons
What value has the units N/Kg?
Gravitational field strength
What value has m/s^2?
Acceleration due to gravity
What is the relationship between weight and mass?
they are directly proportional
What type of quantity is mass? what does this mean?
- an invariant quantity which means it is not dependent on the location of the body
What type of quantity is weight? what does this mean?
- a variable quantity which means it is dependent on the acceleration due to gravity at the location of the body
What do we use to measure weight?
a calibrated spring balance (Newtonmeter)
What is the centre of mass/gravity?
the point associated with a body through which its weight appears to act
Where is the centre of mass for a regular lamina?
At the geometric centre of it
How would you find the centre of mass for an irregular lamina?
- freely suspend the lamina and a plumb line from three different points on the lamina
- the plumb line will hang along a vertical line that contains the lamina’s centre of mass
- where the three lines cross, is the location of the lamin’a centre of mass
What is work done?
the energy transferred by a force changing the displacement of a body
What is the equation for work?
W = Fs
What is the equivalent of 1J of work?
1 Nm
What is the work-energy theorem?
When work is done that causes a change in a body’s velocirt, there is a corresponding change in the body’s kinetic energy
What is the equation for the work-energy theorem?
Fs = Δ(0.5 x m x v^2)
What does the work energy theorem assume?
No energy is dissipated as thermal energy to the surroundings increasing their internal energy
What is Hooke’s law?
The extension of a material is directly proportional to the force applied to it
What is the equation linked to Hooke’s law?
F = ke
What types of objects above Hooke’s law?
Those which behave elastically
What does behaving elastically mean?
That the material returns to its original, undeformed dimensions when the force is removed
What is the term used to describe something which behaves oppositely to something elastically?
Plastic
What is a machine?
A system that uses force to do work
What is a moment?
The result of a turning force acting at a perpendicular distance from a pivot point