force notes

Contact Forces

• Contact Forces: Forces that occur due to the interaction of two objects in contact. Examples include:

  • Friction: Resists the relative motion between surfaces.

  • Tension: Force transmitted through a string, rope, or cable when it is pulled.

  • Normal: The support force exerted upon an object that is in contact with another stable object.

  • Applied: A force that is applied to an object by a person or another object.

  • Air resistance: A type of friction that acts against the movement of objects through the air.

Non-Contact Forces

• Non-Contact Forces: Forces that act at a distance without physical contact. These include:

  • Gravity: An attractive force that pulls objects toward the center of the Earth.

  • Electrical: Forces that exist between charged particles.

  • Magnetic: Forces that act at a distance between magnets.

Balanced & Unbalanced Forces

• Balanced Forces: Occur when two forces acting on an object are equal in size and opposite in direction. The object remains in a state of rest or continues to move at the same speed and direction.

• Unbalanced Forces: Occur when two forces acting on an object are not equal in size or opposite in direction, causing a change in the object's motion, including changes in position, direction, or speed.

Net Forces

• Net Force: The overall force acting on an object, calculated by combining all the individual forces. It determines the object's acceleration and motion.

Newton’s Laws of Motion

• First Law: An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by a net external force.

• Second Law: The acceleration of an object depends on the mass of the object and the amount of force applied (F = ma).

• Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.