Forces P2 Flashcards
Define distance
How far an object moves, not including direction
Define displacement
Includes both the distance an object moves measured in a straight line and the direction
Define magnitude
The size of a quantity
Define scalar
Physical quantity with no direction but with size/magnitude
Define vector
Physical quantities with direction along with size/magnitude
Give 5 examples of scalars
Distance, speed, time, energy, mass
Give 4 examples of vectors
Displacement, acceleration, velocity, force
What can vectors be represented by?
Arrows :length represents magnitude of quantity and direction of arrow represents direction of quantity
What do you do if 2 vectors are doing in opposite directions?
Subtract
What do you do if two vectors are going in the same direction?
Add them
What do you do if two vectors are perpendicular?
Use Pythagoras theory
How do you work out angle of the direction when the vectors are perpendicular?
Depending on which trigonometry method, divide one side by the other then do the inverse of the trigonometry method you used with the answer you got
What three things so forces do?
Change an objects shape (stretch or squash), change motion (accelerate/decelerate), change state of rest (start moving)
Why is sandpaper difficult to rub together?
Friction
Why does a parachute fall slowly?
Air resistance increases as the parachute opens (slowing down is descent) however gravity is still acting upon it so the parachute still falls
Why do two blue poles of magnets repel?
Due to magnetic force because they are alike
Why do a blue and red pole of a magnet attract?
Due to magnetic force, they are opposites
What can a ruler do when charged and why?
Pick up bits of paper due to electrostatic force
What are two examples of contact forces?
Air resistance, friction. For a force to be a contact force, objects have to be touching for that force to act
What are two examples of non contact forces?
Gravitational, magnetic
What is Newton’s third law?
When two objects interact with eachother they exert equal and opposite forces on eachother for example when you push on a wall there is a normal contact force acting back on you and these two forces are the same size
What is gravity?
A force between two objects with mass trying to pull them toward each other. Only noticeable when one of the masses is really big e.g a planet or star
What is weight measured in?
Newtons
What is earths gravitational field strength?
10
What is the equation for weight?
Mass x gravitational field strength
What is mass?
The amount of matter an object contains
What is mass measured in?
Kg
What is the relationship between weight and mass?
The more mass an object has the greater its weight
Define centre of mass
The mass of an object may be considered to act at a single point referred to as its centre of mass
Where is centre of mass for flat objects that are symmetrical?
Where all lines of symmetry meet
What are the 4 steps to finding the centre of mass for an irregular shape?
Put hole in one corner of shape and suspend from the stand rod, use a plumb like placed by the card shape to draw a vertical line down it, repeat the procedure hanging it from different corners, test to see if the point where the lines intersect is the centre of mass by resting it on a slender flat surface like the flat end of a pencil to see if it’s stable
Define stability
A measure of how likely it is for an object to topple over when pushed or moved
What two things is stability of an object affected by?
Width of base, height of centre of mass
How can an object be made more stable?
Lower it’s centre of mass, widen its base
Why is a double decker bus likely to topple over?
Centre of mass is outside wheelbase because the car is higher up and less wide so will topple so a resultant moment is produced which topples the car
Why is a sports car unlikely to topple over?
Centre of mass is within wheelbase as the car is lower and wider so won’t topple. No resultant force is produced to topple the car
How could a tractor be redesigned to be made more stable?
Place the engine lower as this has a high mass therefore this would lower the objects centre of mass
Define resultant force
A force produced in a certain direction due to a combination of forces
What happens if the resultant force is 0?
The object will remain stationary of move with constant velocity because it is at equilibrium
What happens if the resultant force is not 0?
The object will accelerate
What is Newton’s first law of motion?
When forces are balanced an object will remain at rest or moving with a constant velocity unless acted on by an external force
What is Newton’s second law of motion?
If forces are unbalanced an object will accelerate in the direction of the resultant force. The acceleration will be directly proportional to the resultant force
Equation for force, mass and acceleration
Force = mass x acceleration
When does stretching happen?
When an object is pulled
When does compression happen?
When the material or object is squashed
What happens if you pull or squeeze too hard?
The object may not return to its original size and shape or it may snap -no longer elastic deformation. Until this point hookes law applies
What is hookes law?
The extension of an object is directly proportional to the force applied, providing that its elastic limit has not been reached
What is the relationship between extension and mass/force?
Extension increases as mass/force increases
What is the independent variable in hookes law experiment?
Mass/force
What is the dependant variable in hookes law experiment?
Extensión
What is the control variable in hookes law experiment?
The place you are measuring from
Equation for acceleration
Change in velocity (m/s) divided by time taken
What three things can forces do?
Change the speed, direction or shape of an object
What is acceleration?
Change in velocity measured in m/s^2
What is the acceleration due to gravity?
9.81m/s^2
Why do all objects exert a force when they fall?
They accelerate downward
What is weight?
A force an object exerts due to its mass (directly proportional relationship) and the strength of the gravitational field the object is in. You can think of it as acting from a single point AKA an object’s centre of mass
What is gravity on earth?
9.81N
What is inertia?
The tendency for an object to stay at rest or to continue in uniform motion (constant velocity) Inertial mass refers to the measure of difficulty in changing an objects velocity and can be found by mass = force divided by area
What are the five steps to the Hookes Law experiment?
Use a ruler to measure initial length of spring, attach the spring to the clamp stand and add a 10g mass to the free end, allow the spring to come to a rest and measure the new length, calculate extension by taking the original length from the new length, repeat method from a total mass of up to 100g