Forces and their interactions Flashcards
What is a scalar quantity?
- A quantity that only has a magnitude
- A quantity that isn’t direction dependent
What is a vector quantity?
A quantity that has both a magnitude and an associated direction.
How can a vector quantity be drawn and what does it show?
- As an arrow
- The length of the arrow represents the magnitude
- The arrow points in the associated direction
What is a force?
A push or pull acting on an object due to an interaction with another object.
What are the two categories that all forces can be split into?
- Contact forces (objects touching)
2. Non-contact forces (objects separated)
Give three examples of contact forces.
- Friction
- Air resistance
- Tension
Give three examples of non-contact forces.
- Gravitational forces
- Electrostatic forces
- Magnetic forces
Is force a vector or a scalar quantity?
- Vector
- It has both a magnitude and an associated direction
Give three examples of vector quantities.
- Velocity
- Displacement
- Force
Give examples of scalar quantities.
- Temperature
- Time
- Mass
- Speed
- Distance
- Energy
What is weight?
The force that acts on an object due to gravity and the object’s mass.
What quantities does weight depend on?
Weight = mass x gravitational field strength
- The object’s mass
- The gravitational field strength at the given position in the field
What is the unit used for weight?
The Newton (N)
What is the unit used for gravitational field strength?
N/kg
What is meant by an object’s centre of mass?
The single point where an object’s weight can be considered to act through
