Forces, Centre of Gravity, Equilibrium, and Moment

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and definitions related to the topics of forces, equilibrium, centre of gravity, and moments as discussed in the lecture.

Force

A push or pull on an object resulting from its interaction with another object; it is a vector quantity defined by the equation Force = mass × acceleration.

Equilibrium

A state where an object has no net force acting on it, meaning all forces are balanced and there is no change in its motion.

Contact Forces

Forces that arise only when two objects are physically touching, such as friction, normal force, and tension.

Non-Contact Forces

Forces that can exert influence without physical touch, acting through force fields, such as gravitational, magnetic, and electrostatic forces.

Centre of Gravity

The point on an object where all its weight appears to act; it is the balance point around which the object will balance.

Moment of a Force

The product of the force and the perpendicular distance from the point to the line of action of the force, indicating a turning effect.

Stable Equilibrium

An object's state where it returns to its original position after a slight disturbance, with a restoring force acting to pull it back.

Unstable Equilibrium

An object's state where it moves away from its original position after a slight disturbance, with potential energy at a maximum.

Neutral Equilibrium

An object's state where it remains in its new position after a slight disturbance, with constant potential energy.

Principle of Moments

States that the sum of clockwise moments about a point must equal the sum of anticlockwise moments about the same point.