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The Physics Classroom » Physics Tutorial » Newton's Laws » Force Types

Newton's Laws - Lesson 2 - Force and Its Representation

 Types of Forces
 Meaning of Force
 Force Types
 Drawing Free-Body Diagrams
 Meaning of Net Force
A force is a push or pull acting upon an object as a result of its interaction with another
object. There are a variety of types of forces. Previously in this lesson, a variety of force
types were placed into two broad category headings on the basis of whether the force
resulted from the contact or non-contact of the two interacting objects.
 
Contact Forces Action-at-a-Distance Forces
Frictional Force Gravitational Force
Tension Force Electrical Force
Normal Force Magnetic Force
Air Resistance Force  
Applied Force  
Spring Force  

 
These types of individual forces will now be discussed in

more detail. To read about each force listed above, continue scrolling through this
page. Or to read about an individual force, click on its name from the list below.
 Applied Force
 Gravitational Force
 Normal Force
 Frictional Force
 Air Resistance Force
 Tension Force
 Spring Force

 
  

Type of Force Description of

Force
(and Symbol)
 An applied force
  is a force that is
Applied Force applied to an
object by a person
  or another object.
If a person is
Fapp pushing a desk
across the room,
then there is an
applied force
acting upon the
object. The
applied force is
the force exerted
on the desk by the
person.
Return to Top
 The force of
  gravity is the
Gravity Force force with which
the earth, moon,
  or other massively
large object
(also known as Weight) attracts another
object towards
  itself. By
Fgrav definition, this is
the weight of the
object. All objects
upon earth
experience a force
of gravity that is
directed
"downward"
towards the center
of the earth. The
force of gravity on
earth is always
equal to the
weight of the
object as found by
the equation:
Fgrav = m * g

where g = 9.8 N/kg

(on Earth)

and m = mass (in

kg)
(Caution: do not
confuse weight
with mass.)
Return to Top

Normal Force The normal force

is the support
  force exerted upon
an object that is in
Fnorm
contact with
another stable
object. For
example, if a book
 is resting upon a
surface, then the
surface is exerting
an upward force
upon the book in
order to support
the weight of the
book. On
occasions, a
normal force is
exerted
horizontally
between two
objects that are in
contact with each
other. For
instance, if a
person leans
against a wall, the
wall pushes
horizontally on
the person.
Return to Top

Friction Force The friction force

is the force
  exerted by a
surface as an
Ffrict
object moves
across it or makes
an effort to move
across it. There
are at least two
types of friction
force - sliding and
static friction.
Though it is not
always the case,
the friction force
often opposes the
motion of an
object. For
example, if a book
slides across the
surface of a desk,
 then the desk
exerts a friction
force in the
opposite direction
of its motion.
Friction results
from the two
surfaces being
pressed together
closely, causing
intermolecular
attractive forces
between
molecules of
different surfaces.
As such, friction
depends upon the
nature of the two
surfaces and upon
the degree to
which they are
pressed together.
The maximum
amount of friction
force that a
surface can exert
upon an object
can be calculated
using the formula
below:
Ffrict = µ • Fnorm
The friction force
is discussed in
more detail later
on this page.
Return to Top

Air Resistance Force The air resistance

is a special type of
  frictional force
that acts upon
Fair
objects as they
travel through the
air. The force of
 air resistance is
often observed to
oppose the motion
of an object. This
force will
frequently be
neglected due to
its negligible
magnitude (and
due to the fact that
it is
mathematically
difficult to predict
its value). It is
most noticeable
for objects that
travel at high
speeds (e.g., a
skydiver or a
downhill skier) or
for objects with
large surface
areas. Air
resistance will be
discussed in more
detail in Lesson 3.
Return to Top

Tension Force The tension force

is the force that is
  transmitted
through a string,
Ftens
rope, cable or wire
when it is pulled
tight by forces
acting from
opposite ends.
The tension force
is directed along
the length of the
wire and pulls
equally on the
objects on the
opposite ends of
the wire.
 Return to Top

Spring Force The spring force

is the force
  exerted by a
compressed or
Fspring
stretched spring
upon any object
that is attached to
it. An object that
compresses or
stretches a spring
is always acted
upon by a force
that restores the
object to its rest or
equilibrium
position. For most
springs
(specifically, for
those that are said
to obey "Hooke's
Law"), the
magnitude of the
force is directly
proportional to the
amount of stretch
or compression of
the spring.
Return to Top

 
 

Confusion of Mass and Weight

A few further comments should be added about the

single force that is a source of much confusion to many students of physics - the force
of gravity. As mentioned above, the force of gravity acting upon an object is sometimes
referred to as the weight of the object. Many students of physics confuse weight with
mass. The mass of an object refers to the amount of matter that is contained by the
object; the weight of an object is the force of gravity acting upon that object. Mass is
related to how much stuff is there and weight is related to the pull of the Earth (or any
other planet) upon that stuff. The mass of an object (measured in kg) will be the same
no matter where in the universe that object is located. Mass is never altered by
location, the pull of gravity, speed or even the existence of other forces. For example, a
2-kg object will have a mass of 2 kg whether it is located on Earth, the moon, or
Jupiter; its mass will be 2 kg whether it is moving or not (at least for purposes of our
study); and its mass will be 2 kg whether it is being pushed upon or not.
On the other hand, the weight of an object (measured in Newton) will vary according to
where in the universe the object is. Weight depends upon which planet is exerting the
force and the distance the object is from the planet. Weight, being equivalent to the
force of gravity, is dependent upon the value of g - the gravitational field strength. On
earth's surface g is 9.8 N/kg (often approximated as 10 N/kg). On the moon's
surface, g is 1.7 N/kg. Go to another planet, and there will be another g value.
Furthermore, the g value is inversely proportional to the distance from the center of the
planet. So if we were to measure g at a distance of 400 km above the earth's surface,
then we would find the g value to be less than 9.8 N/kg. (The nature of the force of
gravity will be discussed in more detail in a later unit of The Physics Classroom.) Always
be cautious of the distinction between mass and weight. It is the source of much
confusion for many students of physics.
 

Flickr Physics Photo

A 1.0-kg mass is suspended from a spring scale in an effort to determine its weight. The scale
reads just short of 10.0 N - close enough to call it 9.8 N. Mass refers to how much stuff is
present in the object. Weight refers to the force with which gravity pulls upon the object.
 
 

Investigate!
Even on the surface of the Earth, there are local variations in the value of g that have very
small effects upon an object's weight. These variations are due to latitude, altitude and the local
geological structure of the region. Use the Gravitational Fields widget below to investigate
how location affects the value of g.

 
Sliding versus Static Friction
As mentioned above, the friction force is the force

exerted by a surface as an object moves across it or makes an effort to move across it.
For the purpose of our study of physics at The Physics Classroom, there are two types
of friction force - static friction and sliding friction. Sliding friction results when an
object slides across a surface. As an example, consider pushing a box across a floor.
The floor surface offers resistance to the movement of the box. We often say that the
floor exerts a friction force upon the box. This is an example of a sliding friction force
since it results from the sliding motion of the box. If a car slams on its brakes and skids
to a stop (without antilock brakes), there is a sliding friction force exerted upon the car
tires by the roadway surface. This friction force is also a sliding friction force because
the car is sliding across the road surface. Sliding friction forces can be calculated from
knowledge of the coefficient of friction and the normal force exerted upon the object by
the surface it is sliding across. The formula is:
Ffrict-sliding = μfrict-sliding • Fnorm

The symbol μfrict-sliding represents the coefficient of sliding friction between the two

surfaces. The coefficient value is dependent primarily upon the nature of the surfaces
that are in contact with each other. For most surface combinations, the friction
coefficients show little dependence upon other variables such as area of contact,
temperature, etc. Values of μsliding have been experimentally determined for a variety of
surface combinations and are often tabulated in technical manuals and handbooks. The
values of μ provide a measure of the relative amount of adhesion or attraction of the
two surfaces for each other. The more that surface molecules tend to adhere to each
other, the greater the coefficient values and the greater the friction force.
Friction forces can also exist when the two surfaces are not sliding across each other.
Such friction forces are referred to as static friction. Static friction results when the
surfaces of two objects are at rest relative to one another and a force exists on one of
the objects to set it into motion relative to the other object. Suppose you were to push
with 5-Newton of force on a large box to move it across the floor. The box might
remain in place. A static friction force exists between the surfaces of the floor and the
box to prevent the box from being set into motion. The static friction force balances the
force that you exert on the box such that the stationary box remains at rest. When
exerting 5 Newton of applied force on the box, the static friction force has a magnitude
of 5 Newton. Suppose that you were to push with 25 Newton of force on the large box
and the box were to still remain in place. Static friction now has a magnitude of 25
Newton. Then suppose that you were to increase the force to 26 Newton and the box
finally budged from its resting position and was set into motion across the floor. The
box-floor surfaces were able to provide up to 25 Newton of static friction force to match
your applied force. Yet the two surfaces were not able to provide 26 Newton of static
friction force. The amount of static friction resulting from the adhesion of any two
surfaces has an upper limit. In this case, the static friction force spans the range from 0
Newton (if there is no force upon the box) to 25 Newton (if you push on the box with
25 Newton of force). This relationship is often expressed as follows:
Ffrict-static ≤ μfrict-static• Fnorm

The symbol μfrict-static represents the coefficient of static friction between the two

surfaces. Like the coefficient of sliding friction, this coefficient is dependent upon the
types of surfaces that are attempting to move across each other. In general, values of
static friction coefficients are greater than the values of sliding friction coefficients for
the same two surfaces. Thus, it typically takes more force to budge an object into
motion than it does to maintain the motion once it has been started.
 
The meaning of each of these forces listed in the table above will have to be thoroughly
understood to be successful during this unit. Ultimately, you must be able to read a
verbal description of a physical situation and know enough about these forces to
recognize their presence (or absence) and to construct a free-body diagram that
illustrates their relative magnitude and direction.
 
 

We Would Like to Suggest ...

Sometimes it isn't enough to just read about it. You have to

interact with it! And that's exactly what you do when you use one of The Physics Classroom's
Interactives. We would like to suggest that you combine the reading of this page with the use
of our Free-Body Diagram Interactive. You can find it in the Physics Interactives section of our
website. The Free-Body Diagram Interactive allows a learner to practice identifying the forces
that act upon an object and to express such an understanding by the construction of a free-
body diagram.
 Visit:  Free-Body Diagram

Check Your Understanding

 
1. Complete the following table showing the relationship between mass and weight.

     
Object Mass (kg) Weight (N)
Melon 1 kg See Answer
Apple See Answer 0.98 N
Pat
25 kg See Answer
Eatladee
Fred See Answer 980 N

 
2. Different masses are hung on a spring scale calibrated in Newtons.
1. The force exerted by gravity on 1 kg = 9.8 N.
2. The force exerted by gravity on 5 kg = ______ N.
3. The force exerted by gravity on _______ kg = 98 N.
4. The force exerted by gravity on 70 kg = ________ N.
See Answer
 

 
 
3. When a person diets, is their goal to lose mass or to lose weight? Explain.
See Answer
  

Next Section: 

 Drawing Free-Body Diagrams

Jump To Next Lesson: 

 Newton's Second Law

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The Physics Classroom » Physics Tutorial » Newton's Laws » Meaning of Force

Newton's Laws - Lesson 2 - Force and Its Representation

The Meaning of Force

 Meaning of Force
 Force Types
 Drawing Free-Body Diagrams
 Meaning of Net Force
A force is a push or pull upon an object resulting from

the object's interaction with another object. Whenever there is an interaction between

two objects, there is a force upon each of the objects. When the interaction ceases, the
two objects no longer experience the force. Forces only exist as a result of an
interaction.

Contact versus Action-at-a-Distance Forces

For simplicity sake, all forces (interactions) between objects can be placed into two
broad categories:
 contact forces, and
 forces resulting from action-at-a-distance

Contact forces are those types of forces that result when the two interacting objects
are perceived to be physically contacting each other. Examples of contact forces include
frictional forces, tensional forces, normal forces, air resistance forces, and applied
forces. These specific forces will be discussed in more detail later in Lesson 2 as well as
in other lessons.

Action-at-a-distance forces are those types of forces that result even when the two
interacting objects are not in physical contact with each other, yet are able to exert a
push or pull despite their physical separation. Examples of action-at-a-distance forces
include gravitational forces. For example, the sun and planets exert a gravitational
pull on each other despite their large spatial separation. Even when your feet leave the
earth and you are no longer in physical contact with the earth, there is a gravitational
pull between you and the Earth. Electric forces are action-at-a-distance forces. For
example, the protons in the nucleus of an atom and the electrons outside the nucleus
experience an electrical pull towards each other despite their small spatial separation.
And magnetic forces are action-at-a-distance forces. For example, two magnets can
exert a magnetic pull on each other even when separated by a distance of a few
centimeters. These specific forces will be discussed in more detail later in Lesson 2 as
well as in other lessons.
Examples of contact and action-at-distance forces are listed in the table below.
Contact Forces Action-at-a-Distance Forces
Frictional Force Gravitational Force
Tension Force Electrical Force
Normal Force Magnetic Force
Air Resistance Force  
Applied Force  
Spring Force  

The Newton
Force is a quantity that is measured using the standard metric unit known as
the Newton. A Newton is abbreviated by an "N." To say "10.0 N" means 10.0 Newton
of force. One Newton is the amount of force required to give a 1-kg mass an
acceleration of 1 m/s/s. Thus, the following unit equivalency can be stated:
 1 Newton = 1 kg • m/s
2

Force is a Vector Quantity

A force is a vector quantity. As learned in an earlier unit, a vector quantity is a quantity
that has both magnitude and direction. To fully describe the force acting upon an
object, you must describe both the magnitude (size or numerical value) and the
direction. Thus, 10 Newton is not a full description of the force acting upon an object.
In contrast, 10 Newton, downward is a complete description of the force acting upon an
object; both the magnitude (10 Newton) and the direction (downward) are given.
Because a force is a vector that has a direction, it is common to
represent forces using diagrams in which a force is represented
by an arrow. Such vector diagrams were introduced in an earlier
unit and are used throughout the study of physics. The size of
the arrow is reflective of the magnitude of the force and the
direction of the arrow reveals the direction that the force is
acting. (Such diagrams are known as free-body diagrams and
are discussed later in this lesson.) Furthermore, because forces
are vectors, the effect of an individual force upon an object is
often canceled by the effect of another force. For example, the effect of a 20-Newton
upward force acting upon a book is canceled by the effect of a 20-Newton downward
force acting upon the book. In such instances, it is said that the two individual
forces balance each other; there would be no unbalanced force acting upon the book.
 
Other situations could be imagined in which two of the
individual vector forces cancel each other ("balance"), yet a
third individual force exists that is not balanced by another
force. For example, imagine a book sliding across the rough
surface of a table from left to right. The downward force of
gravity and the upward force of the table supporting the
book act in opposite directions and thus balance each other.
However, the force of friction acts leftwards, and there is no
rightward force to balance it. In this case, an unbalanced
force acts upon the book to change its state of motion.
 
The exact details of drawing free-body diagrams are discussed later. For now, the
emphasis is upon the fact that a force is a vector quantity that has a direction. The
importance of this fact will become clear as we analyze the individual forces acting upon
an object later in this lesson.
  
Next Section: 

 Force Types
Jump To Next Lesson: 

 Newton's Second Law

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