Forces and Motion

Flashcards for key concepts from lecture notes on forces and motion, covering vectors, forces, gravity, weight, work, and equilibrium.

What is a vector quantity?

A physical quantity that has both magnitude and direction.

What are the two different types of forces

Non contact and contact forces

Name two examples of vector quantities.

Force and velocity.

What is a scalar quantity?

A physical quantity that has only magnitude and no direction.

Provide two examples of scalar quantities.

Mass and temperature.

Define contact force.

A force that requires two objects to be touching for it to act.

Give an example of a non-contact force.

Gravitational force.

What is gravitational force?

The force of attraction between masses.

How do weight and mass differ?

Mass is the amount of matter in an object, while weight is the force acting on that object due to gravity.

What is the formula for calculating weight?

Weight (N) = Mass (kg) x Gravitational Field Strength (N/kg).

How can work be defined in physics?

Work is done when a force moves an object through a distance.

What is a resultant force?

The overall force acting on an object when multiple forces are applied.

What does it mean when forces are in equilibrium?

The forces acting on an object combine to give a resultant force of zero.

What is the relationship between weight and mass?

Weight is directly proportional to mass.

What does a free body diagram represent?

All the forces acting on an isolated object or system.

What happens when a resultant force is applied to an object?

Work is done on the object, transferring energy.

How can forces be resolved into components?

By splitting them into two perpendicular components, typically horizontal and vertical.