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Balanced and Unbalanced Forces

Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025
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balancedforces and unbalanced_forces

Forces are required to move, turn, shift, release, shut, drive, drag, and so on. When you throw a ball, you are exerting energy on it to propel it through the air. A push or pull is referred to as a force. Forces can cause objects to move, and they can also slow, stop, or change the direction in which they move. e.g. the force of gravity that draws all things toward the Earth's centre.

  • A force has both magnitude and direction, making it a vector quantity. 
  • It is measured in the SI unit of Newtons (N) and represented by the symbol 'F'. 

Mathematically, the force can be defined as:

F = m × a

Here, 'F' is the force acting, m ' is the mass, and 'a ' is the acceleration of a body.

Types of Force

On the basis of action of the force applied on a body, the force is classified into two as:

  1. Balanced Force: When an equal amount of force is applied to the body but in opposite direction then this type of force is termed as Balanced Force. When balanced force is applied to a body then the body doesn't motion instead, distortion of the body can happen.
  2. Unbalanced Force: When an unequal amount of force is applied to the body, in the same or opposite direction then this type of force is termed as Unbalanced Force. When unbalanced force is applied to a body then the body does motion and in the direction of applied greater force.

Balanced Force

A Balanced Force is a force that occurs when two equivalent forces work in opposite directions on a body. A body in balanced Force maintains its position, i.e., it must continue to move at the same rate and in the same direction, or it may remain stationary.

Balanced Force

If there are no forces acting on an object or balanced forces acting on it, this may happen:

  • A stationary object stays at rest.
  • A moving object continues to move at the same speed and in the same direction.

⇒Keep in mind that an object will move even though no forces are acting on it.

⇒When the sum of all the forces acting on a body equals zero, the forces are referred to as balanced forces.

On the basis of the direction of the force applied on the body, the balanced forces are categorized into two as:

1. Internal balanced force: The type of balanced force in which the force acts in such a way that it pushes the object inwards is called the internal balanced force.

Internal balanced forces
Internal balanced forcez

2. External balanced force: The type of balanced force in which the force acts in such a way that it pushes the object outwards is called the external balanced force.
 

External balanced forces

Examples of Balanced force:

  • In arm wrestling, where there is no winner, each individual exerts similar force but pushes in opposite directions. The net force (resultant force) is 0.
Example of balanced force
Wrestling


  • A car parked on a flat road experiences gravity pulling it downward, while the ground exerts an equal upward normal force. These balanced forces keep the car stationary.
 Example of Balanced forces
A car parked on a flat road

Unbalanced Force

Unbalanced force is a force that occurs when two forces acting in opposite directions on a body are not equal in magnitude and size. A body changes its position in an unbalanced force, i.e., we can see a moving object change its direction, either increasing or reducing its speed, and a body at rest begins to move, and vice versa.

When the forces on a body are unbalanced, this may happen:

  • A stationary object starts to move in the direction of the resultant force.
  • A moving object changes speed and direction in the direction of the resultant force.

⇒When the sum of all the forces acting on a body is not zero, the forces are referred to as unbalanced forces.

In the example below, the resultant force is the difference between the two forces:

Unblanced force

Examples of Unbalanced force:

  • If a person applies a force to a box that is greater than the frictional force between the box and the ground, the box will move, indicating unbalanced forces are at work.
 Example of Unbalanced forces
A person applies a force to a box
  • When a person pull a tree by rope in the same direction at the same time, the object's applied force is the result of his combined forces.
 Example of Unbalanced forces
A person pull a tree by rope

Differences Between Balanced and Unbalanced Forces

Balanced Forces

Unbalanced Forces

Forces that cancel each other out, resulting in no movement

Forces that do not cancel each other out, causing a change in motion.

Resultant Force is zero (no net force).

Non-zero resultant force (there is a net force).

No motion or constant velocity (object remains stationary or moves at a constant speed).

Causes the object to accelerate or change direction.

Solved Examples

Example 1: If a force of 20 N is applied to the body on the right side while a force of 20N is applied to the body on the left side and initially body is at rest. What is the behavior of the motion of the body?

Solution:

Since, the net force on the body is 0N, so there is no change in the state of motion of the body, so the body 
is at rest! 

Example 2: If a force of 50N is applied to the body on the right side while a force of 20N is applied to the body on the left side and initially body is at rest. What is the behavior of the motion of the body?

Solution: 

As the net force on the body is 30N on the right side, so there change in the state of motion of the body on the right side, so the body starts moving towards the right! 

Example 3: If a force of 50N is applied to the body on the right side while a force of 120N is applied to the body on the left side and initially body is at rest. Calculate the net force on the body and the direction of the net force.

Solution:

Solved Example

    Net Force = Force on left side - Force on right side

           = 120N - 50N

           = 70N 

     Direction Of Force -->  Left (As Larger Amount Of Force Is Applied On The Left Side Of The Body)

Example 4: If the forces acting upon an object are balanced, then what happened to the object.

Solution:


If the forces acting on an object are balanced, the object will not accelerate. It could either be at rest and remain at rest, or it could be in motion at a constant velocity. In both cases, the object is not accelerating. 

Example 5: What will be the net force acting on the box shown below:


Solved Examples

Solution:

As equal forces are applied in the opposite direction so the net force is 0.

Conclusion

Balanced forces are two forces of equal strength that act in opposite directions, resulting in no change in motion. These forces cancel each other out, keeping the object stationary or moving at a constant velocity. In contrast, unbalanced forces are forces that differ in either strength or direction, causing a change in the object's motion, such as acceleration or a change in direction. Unbalanced forces lead to the object speeding up, slowing down, or changing its path

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