Forces and Motion
Learning Objectives
• I can recognize forces that affect the motion of
matter.
• I can compare balanced and unbalanced forces.
• I can determine the net force on an object.
What is a force?
• A force is a push or pull that causes an object to move, stop, or
change direction
• In physics a force is anything that makes an object accelerate
• If an object is stationary, it won’t start moving without a force.
Force
• Forces come in pairs
• Forces have a magnitude and a direction
• Force is a vector quantity
Magnitude: 5N
5N, north (up)
Direction: north (up)
Force Measurement and Units
• SI unit for force is the Newton
• A Newton is a force that causes a 1kg mass to accelerate
at a rate of 1m/s/s.
• 1 N (Newton) = 1 kg * m/s/s
• We use a spring scale to measure force.
There are two types of force, namely:
Contact forces – forces where objects touch or contact with
each other.
Examples of contact forces:
1. Applied – a force given to a person or object by another
person or object. Its symbol is F depending on who or what
applies force to the object. If a boy
applies a force to a wall, we denote it with FBOY. Refer to the
figure below.
2. Friction – is the force acting against or opposite an object in
contact with which makes the movement of the object slow
down. Friction always opposes the motion of an object. Its
symbol is written as Ff. Air resistance denoted by FAIR is an
example of frictional force of the air against a flying kite,
airplanes, parachutes or those in skydiving sports. For free-
falling objects,
this force is always considered negligible, meaning the
magnitude is unnoticeable.
3. Normal – is the force that acts perpendicular to the surface of
the object incontact with. Its symbol is FN.
4. Tension – is the force applied to string, rope, chain or cable.
Its symbol is T.
Non-contact forces – forces where objects do not touch or
contact with each other.
These forces act over a zone or area called field. Examples of
non-contact forces: 1. Gravitational (Fg) – is the force of
attraction between two objects. In the case of the Earth, this
gravitational force causes objects to fall down to the ground. It
makes satellites and smaller objects stay in orbit near the
moremassive planets. Mass and distance of the two objects
affect the gravitational force that holds them. The bigger the
masses of the objects are, the bigger is the gravitational force
between them. The closer the objects are, the greater is the
gravitational force between them.
2. Magnetic– are forces exerted on a field of attraction or
repulsion as in the case of magnets and other magnetic materials.
Magnets and magnetic materials have two poles – the north and
south poles. Attraction may occur when two poles are not the
same, a positive and a negative while repulsion takes place with
the same poles, positive-positive and negative-negative.
Combining Forces
• Net Force – The overall force acting on an object after all
forces are combined.
- Forces in the same direction we add them.
10N 10N Net Force = 20N
+ =
- Forces in opposite directions you subtract them.
10N 7N Net Force = 3N
- =
Forces in the Same Direction
• When forces are applied in the
same direction, they are added to
determine the size of the net force.
Forces in Different Directions
• When two forces act in opposite directions, you
subtract the smaller force from the larger force to
determine the net force.
• The net force will be in the same direction as the
larger force.
Combining Forces at Right Angles
• Use the Pythagorean Theorem.
- a2 + b2 = c2.
- Can only use if adding only 2 vectors that make a
right angle.
hy
po c
ten
b us
e
a
Combining Forces at Right Angles
• Use the Pythagorean Theorem - a2 + b2 = c2.
- ex. What is the resultant force if you have a force 3N
South and another force 4N West and show the diagram.
a2 + b 2 = c 2
4N West c2 = 4 2 + 3 2
c2 = 16 + 9
3N c2 = 25
South =
5N
South c = 5 N SW
West
Balanced and Unbalanced Forces
• Forces occur in pairs and they can be either balanced or
unbalanced
Balanced Forces: The forces in each direction
are “equal”.
If more than one force is present, it does
not have to cause an acceleration on an
object.
If another force “balances” the first out,
there will be no acceleration at all.
Think: If both guys (who weight the same)
pull on a rope in opposite directions, with
an equal amount of force, how much will they move?
Balanced Forces
• Balanced forces do not cause a change in motion
• They are equal in size and opposite in direction
• The net force is 0
Example:
Ground pushes up
Gravity pulls down
Gravity pulls down on you…
The ground pushes back up…
If these football players push
THIS KEEPS YOU WHERE YOU ARE! on each other equally as hard,
will either one move?
More Balanced Forces…
5N 5N
5N 5N
Forces may cancel each other and
produce no movement
=No Acceleration!
“Unbalanced” Forces
If the multiple forces
acting at one time
are not balanced out
(equal), then
acceleration can/will
occur on the object!
Kicking the ball causes it to move
quickly in a different direction
If one side of the scale has more mass,
then gravity will accelerate it down!
Unbalanced Forces
• An unbalanced force always causes a change in motion
• The net force is greater than 0
• When unbalanced forces act in opposite directions you can find
the net force
– Net force
• Magnitude
– The difference between the two forces
• Direction
– Direction of the largest force
Unbalanced Forces
3 N, right – 6 N, left = 3N, left
Unbalanced Forces
4 N, left – 10 N, right = 6N, right
Unbalanced Forces
5 N, right + 10 N, right =15N, right
Multiple forces can combine to move an object
Unbalanced Forces
that has too much inertia for one force alone. The
Cause Acceleration
forces “add together”!
Adding Forces:
What you5Njust
saw was like
two people Random Object
pushing on the
same 5 N
box.
Notice that all the new forces are pointed in the
same direction, and they add together! So,
instead of only 5N of force pushing the object;
now there are 10 N of force pushing!
All by himself, one person might not be able to
push a car. But with extra friends pushing, it
becomes much easier! The forces add together.
Unbalanced Forces
If forces are not equal and are acting in opposite
directions, a negative acceleration can/will occur. The
Cause Acceleration
forces will subtract from each other!
Subtracting Forces:
5N
Object 5N
5N
Notice that the forces are “unequal” and
pointed in the opposite direction. So they are
“unbalanced” and work against each other –
or one partially cancels the other.
The end result is that the forces on the left
are slowed down by the single force on the right
Review Balanced Forces
Balanced No
10N 10N
Push Acceleration Net Force =
i.e. Pushing a or change in 0
Car motion
Balanced No
Acceleration or Net Force =
10N 10N Pull
change in 0
i.e. Tug-o-war motion
Review Un-Balanced Forces
Add Together
Un-Balanced
10N Faster Net Force >
10N Same 0
Acceleration
Direction
Subtract from each
other
Un-Balanced
10N Slower Net Force >
10N
10N Opposite 0
Acceleration
Direction
Balanced and Unbalanced Forces Worksheet
Fill in the blanks with correct word/s. Write your answers on
a sheet of paper.
1. Any push or pull is called ___________.
2. ______ refers to the size or strength of the force
while_______points to where the object goes. The direction of
the arrowhead indicates the direction of the force. The length of
the arrow represents the amount of force (relative magnitude).
3. There are two types of forces, namely _______and
_________.
4. Applied, friction, normal and tensional forces are examples of
_____forces.
5. Gravitational and magnetic forces are examples of
_______forces.
6. ________________ are forces that are equal in magnitude
but opposite in
direction.
7. ________________ are forces that cause a change in the
motion of an object.
8. The sum of all forces acting in an object is called
________________.
9. If the forces in an object are balanced, the net force is
________________.
10. If the forces in an object are unbalanced, the net force is
________________.
Analyze and answer the problems below. Write your
answers on a separate sheet of paper.
1. The wheel barrow at rest containing stones has a force of
1000 N. A man exerted a push of 500 N.
a. Will he able to move the wheel barrow? ____________
b. Suppose another man tried to help him and exerted a force of
500 N. Will they able to move the wheel barrow?_____________
c. Another man saw their struggle in pushing the wheel barrow.
He tried to help them. He exerted a force of 400 N. Will the three
of them move the wheel barrow? _____________
2. A box is at rest and a force of 250 N is applied to it. If the
frictional force is 200 N, determine the net force.
NEWTON’S THREE LAWS OF MOTION
*Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727)
-an English scientist and mathematication famous for his
discovery of the law of gravity also discoverd 3 laws of motion.
1. Law of Inertia
Newton’s first law of motion, the law of inertia, states that, “an
object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion will continue
to move at constant velocity unless acted upon by a net force.”
The tendency of an object to maintain its state of rest or of
uniform velocity in a straight line is called inertia. Mass is a
measure of the inertia of an object. The greater the mass of an
object, the harder it is to move when it is at rest, or difficult to stop
when in motion.
