Forces Flashcards
what is the definition for a scalar quantity?
a force that has only magnitude but no direction
examples of a scalar quantity
- distance
- mass
- temperature
- time
- energy
- speed
what is a vector quantity?
a force that has magnitude and direction
examples of a vector quantity
- acceleration
- momentum
- force
- weight
- displacement
- velocity
what does the length of the arrow represent?
it represents the magnitude
-and the direction of the arrow represents the direction of the vector
what is force?
force is a push or pull that acts on an object
what is the force measured in?
Newtons (N)
what do all forces have
magnitude (size) and direction. They are a vector quantity
what is a contact force?
-physically toughing
-e.g friction, air resistance, normal contact force
normal contact forces -have to be in direct contact
what is a non-contat force?
- two objects that are physically separate
- e.g gravitational,electrostatic
what is the definition of mass?
how much matter the unit has in it(kg)
- scalar quantity
- e.g elephant has a mass of 500 kg on earth, the elephant has a mass of 500kg in space
what is the definition of weight?
the force acting on a unit due to its gravity (N)
-weight depends on where it is
what is the equation to find weight?
weight(N)=mass(kg) x gravitational strength(N/kg)
what is the relationship between weight and mass?
weight of an object is directly proportional to the mass of an object
what object can we use to find the weight of an object?
calibrated spring -balance (aka Newtonmeter)
what is the definition of gravitational field strength?
the measure of the force of gravity in a particular location
what is the centre of mass
when the weight of an object acts on a single point
