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.
Meaning of Force
When two entities come in contact with each other. This interaction causes =
Movement and change in shape.
Example – Ball gets flatten on earth while bouncing on ground.
You know the many different things that force can do. Let us now study the
different kinds of forces.
Types of Forces
Forces can be divided into two types based on how the force is applied.
Contact Force
When objects actually touch each other. Forces which act on a body either directly
or through a connector are called contact forces. Let us look at different types of
contact forces.
Muscular (Applied) Force
The force applied by humans or animals using parts of the body is called muscular
force. Muscular force is a type of contact force. We called this also applied force.
Mechanical Force
The force that is applied using machines is called mechanical force. Mechanical
force is a type of contact force.
Frictional Force
Friction force generally resists the movement of an object due to the no
smoothness floor. The force of friction on a resting object called static friction, and
on moving object, called sliding friction. Magnitude of the frictional force exerted
by the surface depends on the coefficient of friction of the material from which the
surface is made as well as that of object moving along it.
Tension Force
Tie a sting to a fixed object. Pull it on other end, the string pulls back until it
breaks. Force the string exerts is the tension force, which is applied along its
length. It is also depend on the property of materials from which the sting is made
and its diameter.
Air Resistance
Objects moving across Earth’s atmosphere encounter a resistive force created by
the friction generated by air molecules. This force becomes stronger with
increasing speed and increasing surface area perpendicular to the direction of
motion. It is an important factor in the aviation and aerospace industry.
Spring Force
The spring force is the force exerted by a compressed or stretched spring upon any
object that is attached to it. Amount of force required to compress a spring depends
on the materials from which the spring is made, the diameter of wire that forms the
coils and the number of coils. This kind of properties are quantified in a number
characteristic of the spring called the spring constant ‘k’. The force needed to
compress the spring by a distance ‘x’ is given by Hooke’s Law: F = kx.
Non-Contact Force
When objects do not touch each other.
Can you lift a bucket of water without holding it?
No. Generally, to apply a force on an object, your body has to actually touch the
object. The contact may also be with the other objects – like a stick or a piece of
rope.
Gravity Force
The earth pulls everything towards itself. This force is called gravity or
gravitational force. It is because of gravity that any object that is thrown upwards
goes slower and slower, then stops and then start coming down. Example, we give
it a force in the upward direction and so the ball starts moving upwards. The speed
of the ball reduces more and more and slowly becomes zero.
Why does the speed go on reducing?
Because the ball is trying to move up and gravity is trying to pull it down. Gravity
makes the ball slower when it moves up. Gravity is pulling it down. As the ball
starts moving downwards, the speed starts increasing. The more the ball travels
down, the faster it becomes.
What happens if the ball hits the ground?
It bounces. A ball that hits the ground with more speed will bounce higher.
Gravity does not only act on objects that are thrown up. It constantly acts on all
objects around us. That is why you have to apply a force to lift an object. You have
to lift it against the gravitational force. If the object has more mass, more gravity is
acting on it. So objects with greater mass (heavier objects) need more force to be
lifted.
The greater the mass of the object, the greater is the weight. So a heavier object is
pulled down more. Weight of an object is the gravitational force acting on it. So,
gravity is a force that pulls everything towards the center of the earth. Gravity is a
non-contact force.
Magnetic Force
The force that is pulling the pin to magnet is called a magnetic force. Magnets have
different ways in which they can behave. We know that when two like poles of a
magnet come together they repel while two unlike poles attract. It is the magnetic
force that makes them attract or repel. Magnet is useful to separate the iron in
junkyards.
The Maglev train works on the idea of magnetic repulsion – like poles repel.
Magnetic Levitation = Meglev, Levitate means to rise. Magnetic levitation means
rising by using magnetic power. This kind of train was invented in Great Britain
but the fastest speed achieved was 580 km per hour by the Japanese people.
Magnetic force is a non-contact force.
Static Electric Force
The force that is pulling the hair towards the comb is called force of static
electricity. Try to rub a balloon on your hair, you will see the hairs try to stick to
balloon. It is because of the force of static electricity. Now bring that balloon that
you rub on hair close to paper pieces, the pieces of paper try to sticks to balloon.
Static electric force is a very week force. You can’t see it move heavy objects.
Static electricity is created when we rub some objects with certain things. The
force of static electricity is called static electric force. It is also a non-contact force.
Characteristics of Force
1. Force is a vector quantity. Hence it must be specified with direction and its
magnitude.
2. It occurs due to interaction of two objects.
3. Also change the shape of an object and movement.
4. Formula for force is F = ma, where m is mass and a is acceleration.
Unit and Dimension Formula of Force
The product of mass of the body and its acceleration is called force. SI unit of force
is newton (N=kg× m/s2) i.e. F = ma. A force is any influence that causes an object
to undergo a certain a certain change, either concerning its movement, direction
and geometrical structure. Force dimension formula is MLT-2
Solved Examples
Q.1) How much net force is required to accelerate a 1000 kg car at 4.00 m/s2?
Solution:
Given,
a = 4.00 m/s2
m = 1000 kg
Therefore,
F = ma
= 1000 × 4
= 4000 N
Q.2) Aimee has a toy car mass of 2 kg. How much force should she apply to
the car so that it should travel with the acceleration of 8 m/s2?
Solution:
Known,
m (Mass of toy car) = 2 Kg,
a (Acceleration) = 8m/s2,
F is Force to be applied by Aimmee = m × a
= 2 Kg × 8 m/s2 = 16 Kgm/s2 = 16 N.
Q.3) A hammer having a mass of 1 kg going with a speed of 6 m/s hits a wall
and comes to rest in 0.1 sec. Compute the obstacle force that makes the
hammer stop.
Solution:
Given,
Mass of Hammer, m = 1 kg
Initial Velocity, u = 6 m/s
Final Velocity, v = 0 m/s
Time Taken, t = 0.1 s
The acceleration is: a = (v – u)/t
Therefore, a = -60
�/�2
[-ve sign indicates retardation]
Thus, the retarding Force, F = ma = 1 × 60 = 60 N
