Forces and their Interactions Flashcards
Topic 5 - Forces
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 botha 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
- Non-Contact forces
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 as it has both a magnitude and an associated direction
Give three examples of vector quantities
- Velocity
- Displacement
- Force
Give three examples of scalar quantities
- Temperature
- Time
- Mass
(4. 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 * gravitational field strength
- The object’s mass
- The gravitational field strength 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 objects’s weight can be considered to act through
