What is a force?

A force is a push or pull upon an object resulting from its interaction with another object.

Unit of force Effects of forces

Forces work in pairs
Newton (N)

Named after Sir For every action force there is an

Change in shape
Isaac Newton equal and opposite reaction force.

Action and reaction forces are Squeeze

equal in magnitude but opposite in
Stretch
direction.
Measuring force
The action and reaction forces are on
Change in motion
Measured using a spring different objects.
balance. Start
The action and reaction forces can’t
Meter has a spring that cancel each other out. Stop
stretches when a force is
EXAMPLE: Speed up
applied.
When you push on a wall, the wall
pushes back on you with an equal force Slow down
The amount of ‘stretch’ is
proportional to the size of Change direction
the force.

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 Types of forces

Contact forces Non-contact or field forces

These are forces that occur when objects are physically These are forces that can occur over a distance. They occur in a
touching each other. region (field) surrounding a particular object.

Frictional force Gravitational force

Occurs when two Magnetic force The force of attraction between
surfaces slide or try to two objects with mass.
slide across each other. The force of attraction
Tension force or repulsion due to A gravitational field is the
Opposes the motion of interacting magnetic region around a mass where
A pulling force acting
the objects. fields. another mass experiences a
through a string, rope,
gravitational force.
cable, or wire when it is Opposite poles attract
Normal force each other, while like
pulled tight.
The support force poles repel each other. Electrostatic force
exerted by a surface Applied force Like charges repel each other,
Magnets attract
perpendicular to the and opposite charges attract
A force that is applied ferromagnetic materials
object resting on it. each other
to an object by a like steel, iron, nickel,
person or another and cobalt.
Air resistance A charged object can attract
object. a neutral object.
The force that acts on
objects as they move An electric field is the region around
through the air. a charged particle or object.
 Representing forces

Force diagram Free body diagram

Shows an object with all the forces acting on it. Shows the object as a dot with all the forces acting on it.

Object can be simplified as a block. Object is represented by a dot.

Arrows are used to represent each force. Arrows are used to represent each force.

The length of the arrow is indicative of the size of the force. The length of the arrow is indicative of the size of the force.

The arrow points in the direction of the force. The arrow points in the direction of the force.

The arrow starts at the position where the force is exerted. All arrows start at the dot and points away from the dot.

The arrow must touch the block. The arrow must touch the dot.

The arrow should be clearly labelled with the name of the force. The arrow should be clearly labelled with the name of the force.

normal force normal force

scenario

applied force
frictional force applied force
frictional force

gravitational force (weight) gravitational force (weight)

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 Resultant or net force
The single force that will have the same effect as all the original forces acting on an object.

Net force = 0 Net force = 0

Balanced forces Unbalanced forces

The effects of each force are cancelled out by another. The effects of the forces are not cancelled out by other forces.

When forces are balanced an object is in equilibrium. Results in a change in the motion of the object.

Static equilibrium: Object remains at rest. The object can start moving, stop moving, change
direction, speed up, or slow down.
Dynamic equilibrium: Object continues to move at
constant velocity. EXAMPLE:
A soccer ball being kicked, where the applied force from
Constant velocity: The object’s speed and direction the kick overcomes the forces of friction and gravity,
remains the same. causing it to accelerate.

EXAMPLE:
A book resting on a table experiences balanced forces.
The gravitational force pulling it down is balanced by the
normal force pushing it up.

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 Contact forces
These are forces that occur when objects are physically touching each other.

Frictional force Applied force

A force that is applied to an object by a

friction) often in physics.

You will use these (with
person or another object.
Occurs when two surfaces slide or
The support force exerted by a surface
try to slide across each other. Normal force perpendicular to the object resting on it.
Opposes the motion of the objects
A pulling force acting through a string,
and acts parallel to the surface Tension force rope, cable, or wire when it is pulled tight.

The force that acts on objects as

Air resistance they move through the air.
Static friction Kinetic friction
The force that keeps The force that slows Compression, torsion, and shear forces are different types of forces that can
an object from down an object that act on objects, changing their shape or structure.
moving when you try is already moving.
to push it. This force pushes or squeezes an object,
Acts when the object Compression force making it shorter or thicker.
Acts when the object is sliding. It is weaker
is not moving. It than static friction.
This force causes parts of an object to slide
needs to be Shear force past each other in different directions.
overcome to start
the motion.
Torsion force This is a turning or twisting force.

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 Magnetic force
A non-contact force that can act at a distance due to the magnetic field produced by the magnets.

Ferromagnetic materials Types of forces Magnetic field

Iron (Fe) Unlike poles attract. The region around a magnet
where magnetic forces can be felt.
Nickel (Ni) Like poles repel.
Magnetic field lines represent
Cobalt (Co) A magnet will attract a non- the direction and strength of a
magnetised ferromagnetic material magnetic field.
Alloys containg iron, nickel, or
cabalt (e.g, steel) regardless of the pole because the
Field lines go from north to south
magnet's magnetic field induces a
on the outside of a magnet.
temporary alignment of magnetic
domains in the material, creating a Closer lines show a stronger
Magnet polarity temporary north and south pole that magnetic field.
is attracted to the magnet.
Magnets have two poles. Field lines never cross.

North pole (N): The end of the

magnet that points towards
Magnetic field diagrams
the Earth's northern magnetic Around a single bar magnet Between two like poles Between two opposite poles
pole when freely suspended.

South pole (S): The end of the

magnet that points towards
the Earth's southern magnetic
pole when freely suspended.
 Gravitational force
The attractive non-contact force that acts between any two objects with mass.

Dependends on... Comparing...

mass distance Mass Weight

The gravitational The gravitational force Gravitational force exerted on an object
force between two decreases as the The amount of matter in an by a large celestial body (like Earth) on or
objects increases distance between the object. near its surface.
with the mass of centres of the objects
the objects. increases.
Symbol > m Symbol > W or Fg

Gravitational acceleration Measured in kilograms (kg). Measured in Newtons (N).

The acceleration of an object due to the

gravitational pull of a massive body like Earth. Weight depends on the gravitational
Mass is constant and does not
acceleration of the location and
On Earth, the gravitational acceleration is change with location.
therefore can change with location.
approximately 9,8 m.s-2 .

Weight is a vector quantity (has both

Calculating weight Mass is a scalar quantity (has
magnitude and direction).
magnitude but no direction).
E.g. 20 N, towards Earth

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 Electrostatic force
The attractive or repulsive non-contact force that acts between charged particles or objects.

Types of forces Discharge

The release of built-up static
Attractive force Repulsive force electricity between two objects
with different electric potentials.
Between oppositely charged objects. Between like-charged objects.

Between a charged object and a

neutral object Law of conservation of charge
Electric charge cannot be created or
Charging methods destroyed; it can only be transferred from one
object to another.
friction
induction
Rubbing different materials Polarisation
together results in electron A charged object close
transfer. to a neutral object. It occurs when the electric field
conduction of a charged object causes the
Material that gains electrons The charged object's charges within a nearby neutral
becomes negative. A charged object comes electric field causes object to rearrange, creating
Material that loses into direct contact with a polarisation in the regions of positive and negative
electrons becomes neutral object. neutral object. charge within the neutral object.
positive.
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