Free Body Diagrams Flashcards
What are vectors?
Vectors are quantities that have both magnitude and direction (e.g. force, displacement, velocity, acceleration).
How are vectors visually represented?
Vectors are represented visually using arrows.
What does the length of a vector arrow represent?
The length of the arrow represents the magnitude of the vector.
How should a 100 N vector arrow be drawn compared to a 50 N vector arrow?
A 100 N vector arrow should be approximately twice the length of a 50 N vector arrow.
What does the direction of a vector arrow indicate?
The direction of the arrow represents the direction of the vector.
How can objects be represented in free body diagrams?
Objects can be represented by a simple shape such as a rectangle or circle.
What should be included when drawing forces in free body diagrams?
Forces should be drawn as arrows with relevant angles.
Where should arrows in free body diagrams come from?
Arrows should come out of the edge of the shape or dot (not point into it).
What should be proportional in free body diagrams?
The lengths of the arrows should be proportional to the magnitudes of the forces.
What should arrows in free body diagrams point towards?
Arrows should point in the correct directions relative to the object and other forces.
What should be included in the labels of forces in free body diagrams?
Include subscripted labels (e.g. F_T, F_N, F_f, F_g, F_a, F_unknown).
What is the normal force?
The normal force is the reaction force exerted on an object by a surface to stop the object from falling through it.
How does the normal force act in relation to a surface?
The normal force always acts perpendicular to the surface.
What is an example of normal force in everyday life?
As you sit on your chair, it is the normal force the chair applies to you that stops you from accelerating through the chair.
Fill in the blank: A free body diagram of a sky diver shortly after jumping from a plane should include _______.
[forces acting on the sky diver such as weight and air resistance]
True or False: A free body diagram can be used to represent forces acting on a sky diver as they reach terminal velocity.
True
What should you do after drawing free body diagrams as practice?
Check your answers for accuracy.
