P2.3 - Forces In Action Flashcards
What are the three types of forces that change the shape of a body?
- Compression
- Tension
- Bending
What is the difference between elastic and plastic bodies?
Elastic bodies are objects that return to their original shape when the deforming force is removed whereas plastic bodies are objects that do not return to their original shape when the deforming force is removed.
Explain springs?
- Springs are designed to return to their original
shape when the deforming force is removed. - Hence, springs are elastic bodies.
- However, if you apply too great a force and stretch
a spring too far, it will suffer plastic deformation
(will break and not return to its original shape).
What is Hookeโs Law?
โThe extension of a body is directly proportional to the force applied, as long as the limit of proportionality is not exceeded.โ
How can you calculate the spring constant of a spring?
The spring constant, k of a spring/body can be calculated from the gradient of its force-extension graph.
What is the elastic limit?
- The elastic limit, (marked X on a graph) of a body
is the point after which the body is permanently
deformed when the deforming force is removed. - Below the elastic limit, if you remove the force,
the spring returns to its original length. - Above the elastic limit, it does not return to its
original length - it is permanently deformed. - This point comes slightly after the limit of
proportionality.
What is the limit of proportionality?
The point at where a spring stops obeying Hookeโs Law and extension is no longer proportional to force.
What is elastic potential energy?
- EPE is the energy stored by an elastic body,
that has been stretched (or squashed). - The greater the extension (or compression) of a
body, and the stiffer it is, the more EPE it has. - A body that has EPE can do work.
- A stretched rubber band will transfer its EPE to
KE when it is released - Work done is the
transfer of energy - Therefore, a stretched
rubber band does work when it is released.
What is the spring constant of a spring?
- The spring constant, k, is a measure of how stiff a
material is. - The bigger k, the stiffer the material, the more
force it needs to bring about the same extension,
the more EPE it has.
What is a gravitational field?
- A region where a mass experiences an
attractive force. - The force is bigger if, the mass of the object(s)
are bigger or is the distance between them are
smaller. - Gravity is a force field that applies a certain
amount of force on a body, per unit mass.
What is weight?
Weight is the pull force down acting on a body, due to the gravitational field of a planet.
What is gravitational potential energy?
- GPE is the energy stored by a body, whenever it is
raised through a height in a planetโs magnetic
field. - This is because in order to lift a body, a force must
be applied up to counter its weight. - Thus work is done on the body (energy to
transferred to it) where the final energy is in the
form of GPE.
What is the moment of a force?
The moment of a force is a measure of its turning effect, about a pivot.
What is the moment determined by?
The moment, M of a force, F about a pivot is determined by the perpendicular distance,d from the pivot to the line of action of the force.
How can you increase the moment of a force?
- Increasing the size of the force.
- Increasing the perpendicular distance from the
pivot.