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Physics IGCSE > Topic 4 - Forces > Flashcards

Topic 4 - Forces Flashcards

1
Q

What is a force?

A

A push or a pull that acts on an object due to the interaction with another object.

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2
Q

What can forces change in an object?

A

Forces can change an object’s speed, direction, shape, and size.

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3
Q

What is a thrust force?

A

A thrust force can cause a car to speed up.

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4
Q

What effect does gravitational force have on a comet?

A

A gravitational force can cause a comet to change direction.

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5
Q

What do compression forces do to a spring?

A

Compression forces can cause a spring to change shape.

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6
Q

What is a resultant force?

A

A resultant force is a single force that describes all of the forces operating on a body.

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7
Q

What does the resultant force determine?

A

The resultant force determines the direction in which the object will move and the magnitude of the net force experienced by the object.

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8
Q

What are balanced forces?

A

Forces are balanced if multiple forces act in opposing directions with equal magnitude, canceling out the effects.

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9
Q

What are unbalanced forces?

A

Forces are unbalanced if the effects do not cancel out, resulting in a resultant force.

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10
Q

What is an example of balanced forces?

A

A book resting on a table is an example of balanced forces.

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11
Q

How do you calculate resultant force?

A

When adding forces, assign positive and negative values to show direction. For example, a 5 N force right and a 5 N force left results in a resultant force of 0 N.

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12
Q

What happens when two people push a box with equal force from opposite sides?

A

The box doesn’t move.

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13
Q

What is the resultant force when two people push a box in the same direction with different forces?

A

The forces will add together. For example, a 3 N force and a 7 N force results in a resultant force of 10 N.

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14
Q

What is the resultant force when two people push a box in opposite directions?

A

If one pushes with 7 N to the left and another with 3 N to the right, the resultant force is -4 N, and the box moves to the left.

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15
Q

What does Newton’s second law of motion state?

A

The acceleration of an object is proportional to the resultant force acting on it and inversely proportional to the object’s mass.

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16
Q

What happens when a non-zero resultant force acts on an object?

A

It causes a change in the object’s motion.

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17
Q

What is a resultant force?

A

A resultant force occurs when the forces acting on an object are not balanced.

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18
Q

What are the possible changes in motion due to a resultant force?

A

Speeding up, slowing down, or changing direction.

19
Q

In which direction does an object accelerate when a resultant force is applied?

A

The object will accelerate in the direction of the resultant force.

20
Q

How does the size of the resultant force affect acceleration?

A

The bigger the resultant force, the larger the acceleration.

21
Q

How does an object’s mass affect its acceleration for a given force?

A

The greater the object’s mass, the smaller the acceleration experienced.

22
Q

What is the equation for Newton’s second law?

A

F = ma

Where F = resultant force (N), m = mass (kg), a = acceleration (m/s²).

23
Q

What direction does acceleration occur in relation to the resultant force?

A

The acceleration occurs in the same direction as the resultant force.

24
Q

What is a formula triangle used for?

A

To calculate the unknown quantity by covering it up and revealing the structure of the equation.

25
Q

What is the aim of the experiment?

A

The aim of this experiment is to investigate the relationship between force and extension for a spring.

26
Q

What equipment is needed for investigating the extension of a spring?

A

A clamp stand, a ruler, a spring, and mass hangers.

27
Q

How can measurement errors be reduced?

A

Fixing the ruler to the clamp stand will reduce movement in the ruler and, therefore, reduce errors in measurement.

28
Q

What is the first step in the method?

A

Align the marker to a value on the ruler with no mass added to the spring, and record this initial length of the spring.

29
Q

What should be done after adding the 100 g mass hanger?

A

Record the mass (in kg) and position (in cm) from the ruler now that the spring has extended.

30
Q

What is the process repeated until all masses have been added?

A

Add another 100 g to the mass hanger, record the new mass and position, and repeat until all masses have been added.

31
Q

How many times should the entire process be repeated?

A

The entire process should be repeated a total of three times, and an average length is calculated.

32
Q

What must a suitable results table contain?

A

A suitable table of results must contain space for the calculations of force and extension.

33
Q

How is the weight of the mass calculated?

A

The weight is calculated using the equation: W = m * g, where W is weight in newtons, m is mass in kilograms, and g is gravitational field strength.

34
Q

What is the value of gravitational field strength used in calculations?

A

g = 9.8 N/kg.

35
Q

How is the extension of the spring calculated?

A

Extension = final length - original length.

36
Q

What should be plotted to analyze the results?

A

Plot a graph of the force against extension.

37
Q

What indicates that the force is proportional to the extension?

A

If the graph has a linear region (is a straight line), then the force is proportional to the extension in this region.

38
Q

What does a straight line graph through the origin indicate?

A

It shows that the extension of the spring is directly proportional to the force applied (Hooke’s Law).

39
Q

What is a systematic error to avoid?

A

Make sure the measurements on the ruler are taken at eye level to avoid parallax error.

40
Q

How can random errors be minimized?

A

Use a pointer at the bottom of the spring and wait a few seconds for the mass to become stationary before taking readings.

41
Q

What should be checked regarding the spring’s limit?

A

Check that the spring has not gone past its limit of proportionality.

42
Q

What safety considerations should be taken during the experiment?

A

Wear goggles, stand up while carrying out the experiment, and place a mat below the masses.

43
Q

How should the clamp stand be secured?

A

Use a G clamp to secure the clamp stand to the desk.

44
Q

What should be done when placing masses on the hanger?

A

Place each mass carefully on the hanger and do not pull the spring too hard.

Physics IGCSE (17 decks)

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