Physics Topic 5 - Forces 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 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?
1-contact forces
2-non-contact forces
Give 3 examples of contact forces
-friction
-air resistance
-tension
Give 3 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
1- velocity
2-displacement
3-force
Give some 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?
-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
What is the name given to the single force that is equivalent to all the other forces acting on a given object?
The resultant force
What does it mean if a force is said to do ‘work’?
The force causes an object to be displaced through a distance
What distance must be used when calculating work done?
It must be the distance that is moved along the line of action of the force
Under what circumstances is 1 joule of work done?
When a force of 1 newton causes a displacement of 1 metre
What occurs when work is done against frictional forces?
-a rise in temperature of the object occurs
-kinetic energy is converted to heat
Why does air resistance slow down a projectile?
-the objects does work against the air resistance
-kinetic energy is converted in to heat, slowing down the object
Explain the relationship between the force applied and the extension of an elastic object
The extension is directly proportional to the force applied, provided that the limit of proportionality is not exceeded
What is meant by an ineleastic deformation?
- a deformation which results in the objects being permanently stretched
-the object doesn’t return to its original shape when force is removed
What type of energy is stored in string when it is stretched?
Elastic potential energy
What can extension be replaced with in the equation for spring force?
Compression
What is an alternative name for the turning effect of a force?
A moment
What distance measurement is used when calculating a moment?
The perpendicular distance form the pivot to the line of action of the force
If an object is in equilibrium, what can be said about the moments acting on the object
The clockwise moments are equal to the anticlockwise moments