Physics: P8- Forces in Balance

What is a force?

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

What is distance?

The length of the space between two points

What is displacement?

Displacement is the direct length between any two points when measured along the minimum path between them

What is the difference between distance and displacement?

Displacement is a vector so it has both magnitude and direction but distance is scalar so it only had magnitude

Scalar

Only has magnitude

Vector

Has magnitude and direction

What can forces do?

Change the motion of an object

How are forces measured?

Newtons

What is a contact force?

Any force that occurs as a result of two objects making contact with each other

What is a resultant force?

A single force which replaces several other forces

What would happen if the resultant force was 0?

The object would remain stationary

How to you calculate the resultant force when the two forces are opposite?

Subtract the smaller force from the larger force

What is the centre of mass of an object?

The average position of all the parts of the system weighted according to their masses

How do you calculate the centre of mass on a shape?

\-Hang a shape from two different points (one at a time)

\-Draw a line straight down from each point

\-The center of mass is where those lines intersect

How does centre of mass affect balance?

\-The lower center of mass the better stability

What is the parallelogram of forces used for?

A method for solving the results of applying two forces to an object.

Equilibrium

When all external forces are balanced

Newton’s Third law of Motion

Every action there is an equal and opposite reaction