Forces and Energy
What do you need to know?
Lesson 1
● Introduction to forces & Newton’s Laws of Motion
○ What is a force?
○ Newton’s First Law of Motion
○ Newton’s Second Law of Motion (F = ma)
○ Vector addition and subtraction
○ Vector resolution
○ Newton’s Third Law of Motion
What do you need to know?
Lesson 2
● Introduction to forces & Newton’s Laws of Motion
○ Types of forces: contact forces and non-contact forces
● Frictional forces
○ Static and kinetic friction
● Turning effect of forces (M = Fd)
● Force diagram
● Mass, weight, and density (m = ρV, W = mg)
● Pressure (p = F/A)
○ Applications of pressure: pressure in daily objects, atmospheric pressure, pressure due
to liquids
What do you need to know?
Lesson 3
● Introduction to energy
○ What is energy?
○ Principle of conservation of energy
○ Work done and its formula, W = Fd
■ Useful and wasteful work done
■ Energy efficiency
○ Types of energy
■ Kinetic energy and its formula, KE = ½mv2
■ Gravitational potential energy and its formula, GPE = mgh
○ Describing conversion of energy
● Sources of energy
○ Renewable energy and non-renewable energy
Forces and Energy (1)
1 January 2025
What do you need to know?
Lesson 1
● Introduction to forces & Newton’s Laws of Motion
○ What is a force?
○ Newton’s First Law of Motion
○ Newton’s Second Law of Motion (F = ma)
○ Vector addition and subtraction
○ Vector resolution
○ Newton’s Third Law of Motion
Quick crash course: vector vs scalar quantities
● What is a vector and scalar quantity?
○ vector quantity: magnitude and direction e.g. displacement, velocity
○ scalar quantity: only magnitude, no direction e.g. distance, speed
distance = 5 m + 7 m = 12 m let movement to the right be positive
5m displacement
If ball took 6 seconds for this
7m motion, displacement = 5 m + (-7) m = -2 m
average speed = 12 m / 6 s = If ball took 6 seconds for this motion,
Try yourself! 2 m/s
● temperature average velocity = -2 m / 6 s = -1/3 m/s
● time
● density
● force
Introduction to forces Is the absence
of motion an
absence of
force?
● What is a force? Symbol for forces: F
○ A push or pull in a specific direction. SI unit: N (newton)
● Effects of a force
○ produces motion: cause an object to start moving
○ changes motion: change in speed, change in direction or cause an object to stop
moving
○ causes a distortion to the body which the force is applied to: change in shape or size
● Measuring forces
Spring balance/ force meter/ newton meter
Newton’s First Law of Motion
● Newton’s First Law of Motion states that an object will remain at rest or travel at a constant
velocity unless a resultant force is exerted on that object.
○ i.e. if force = 0 N → stationary object will not move OR moving object will keep moving
in the same direction with the same speed
Pulling force
Frictional force
Newton’s Second Law of Motion
● Newton’s Second Law of Motion states that the resultant force exerted on an object is the
product of its mass and acceleration.
Acceleration is the rate of change of
○ i.e. F = ma
velocity, ∴ a = (v1 - v2) / (t1 - t2)
Symbol for acceleration: a
SI unit: m/s2 (metres per squared
second)
Pulling force = 5 N F = ma
0.5 kg 5 N - 3 N = 2 N = (0.5 kg)(a)
a = 2/0.5 = 4 m/s2
Frictional force = 3 N
∴ acceleration of the box is 4 m/s2 to the right
Vector addition and subtraction
● Same direction: add Directly opposite: subtract
Balanced forces
5N resultant force
=5N-5N
=0N
5N
Unbalanced forces
5N resultant force
=5N+5N
= 10 N
5N
Newton’s Third Law of Motion
● Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every force, there is always a reaction force with
the same magnitude acting in the opposite direction.
○ i.e. action-reaction pair
Balanced forces normal contact force
gravitational force
Newton’s Third Law of Motion
Unbalanced forces
normal contact force
gravitational force
Identify the
● action-reaction pair
Vector resolution ● resultant force
Unbalanced forces
Forces and Energy (2)
4 January 2025
Quick recap
Lesson 1
● What is a force?
○ A force is a push or pull in a specific direction.
● Newton’s First Law of Motion: when resultant force = 0 N
○ Objects at rest remain at rest
○ Objects moving continues moving at the same velocity (same speed and direction)
● Newton’s Second Law of Motion: when resultant force =/= 0 N
○ Effects of forces are observed
■ start moving, stop moving, change in speed, change in direction, change in shape
or size
● Newton’s Third Law of Motion: every force has a reactionary force of the same magnitude but
opposite direction
○ action-reaction pairs
What do you need to know?
Lesson 2
● Introduction to forces & Newton’s Laws of Motion
○ Types of forces: contact forces and non-contact forces
● Frictional forces
○ Static and kinetic friction
● Turning effect of forces (M = Fd)
● Force diagram
● Mass, weight, and density (m = ρV, W = mg)
● Pressure (p = F/A)
○ Applications of pressure: pressure in daily objects, atmospheric pressure, pressure due
to liquids
Newton’s Third Law of Motion: misconception 1
If every force has an equal but opposite force, how do we produce a resultant force? Wouldn’t
every force cancel each other out?
normal contact force
exerted by table on box force exerted by man on
box
normal contact force
exerted by box on man
gravitational
force exerted by
Earth on box
friction
Ans: depends on which object the action-reaction pair is exerted on, if same, then they will cancel
each other out
Newton’s Third Law of Motion: misconception 2
The reaction force does not have to be a force by itself, it can be a component of a force that
resolves to give the equal magnitude but opposite direction force.
Types of forces
Contact forces Non-contact forces
- application of force requires - application of force does not
contact between the source of require contact between the
force and the object which the source of force and the object
force is exerted on which the force is exerted on
Frictional force Electrostatic force
Types of forces
Contact forces Non-contact forces
Tension
Gravitational force
Air resistance
Magnetic force Normal contact/
Thrust reaction force
Types of forces
Contact forces Non-contact forces
Tension
Air resistance
Gravitational force
Thrust Normal contact/
reaction force Magnetic force
Types of forces (non-contact)
● Non-contact forces
Weakest
○ Gravitational force
○ Electromagnetic force (electrostatic and magnetic force)
○ Weak nuclear force (not in syllabus)
○ Strong nuclear force (not in syllabus) Strongest
● All other types of forces are contact forces
Types of forces (contact)
Frictional force
Static frictional force Kinetic frictional force
- friction force exerted by rough surface on - friction force exerted by rough surface on
a stationary object that prevents a moving object that results decrease
something from moving; desirable magnitude of acceleration; undesirable
Frictional force
● Friction as a nuisance
○ More energy needed to overcome friction
○ Work done against friction converted to thermal energy
■ Less useful energy output
■ Systems need to be designed to cool down and lose this excess heat
○ Wear and tear
● How to reduce friction
○ Lubricant
○ Streamlined design
○ Using wheels/ball bearings
○ Introducing an air cushion between surfaces in contact (eliminates friction between
surfaces)
Turning effects of force Symbol for moments: M
SI unit: N m (newton metre)
● What is moments?
○ When a force causes an object to turn, it is called a moment.
○ moments = force ✕ perpendicular distance between force and pivot point (M = Fd)
● Pivot: point at which the turn occurs
force (F)
perpendicular
distance (d)
pivot
Turning effects of force Symbol for moments: M
SI unit: N m (newton metre)
● Identify the perpendicular distance
force (F)
pivot
Turning effects of force
● Why is it harder to turn something when the force is exerted nearer to the pivot?
Amount of moments needed to rotate an object
with a fixed mass about a pivot is constant.
● M = Fd
● Closer to pivot → perpendicular distance
between force and pivot increases → larger
amount of force needed to achieve the same
amount of moments
pivot
Force diagram
● Used to show the forces acting on an object (only ONE object)
tension tension
weight
Force diagram normal reaction
force
tension tension
weight
Force diagram
Try yourself!
Force diagram
normal reaction
force
pushing force
frictional force weight
Force diagram
normal reaction
force
frictional force weight
Mass, weight, and density
● What is mass? Symbol for mass: m
○ Measurement of the amount of matter SI unit: kg
● What is weight?
○ Measurement of the amount of gravitational force Symbol for weight: W
exerted on an object SI unit: N
○ weight, W = mass, m ✕ gravitational acceleration, g
○ g of Earth ≈ 10 m/s2
● What is density? Symbol for density: ρ (rho)
○ Measurement of the amount of matter per unit SI unit: kg/m3
volume
○ ρ = m/V
○ More dense: float, less dense: sink
Pressure Symbol for pressure: p
SI unit: Pa (pascal)
● What is pressure
Pa = N/m2
○ The amount of force exerted per unit area
○ p = F/A
Large fo
rce
area = A + small
LO
PRESS T OF
URE
Forces and Energy (3)
11 January 2025
What do you need to know?
Lesson 3
● Introduction to energy
○ What is energy?
○ Principle of conservation of energy
○ Work done and its formula, W = Fd
■ Useful and wasteful work done
■ Energy efficiency
○ Types of energy
■ Kinetic energy and its formula, KE = ½mv2
■ Gravitational potential energy and its formula, GPE = mgh
○ Describing conversion of energy
● Sources of energy
○ Renewable energy and non-renewable energy
Introduction to energy
● What is energy? Symbol for energy: E
○ Energy is the capacity to do work. SI unit: J (joules)
● What is work done?
○ Work done is defined as the product of the force and the distance moved in the direction
of the force.
● Principle of conservation of energy
○ The principle of conservation of energy states that the total energy of an isolated system
is constant. Energy can be converted or transferred but cannot be destroyed or created.
Work done
● What is work done?
○ Work done is defined as the product of the force and the distance moved in the direction
of the force.
○ W = Fd Symbol for work done: W
SI unit: J (joules)
Work done against friction
=3✕5
= 15 J
Work done against gravity
= 1 ✕ 10 ✕ 3
= 30 J
Work done
● What is work done?
○ Work done is defined as the product of the force and the distance moved in the direction
of the force.
○ W = Fd Symbol for work done: W
SI unit: J (joules)
Work done against friction
=3✕5
5m
= 15 J
3N Work done against gravity
= 1 ✕ 10 ✕ 0
=0J
Work done
● Useful work done and wasteful work done
○ Useful work done refers to the work done to achieve the intended outcome
○ Wasteful work done refers work done that does not achieve the intended outcome
Useful work done: work done to move
train forward
Wasteful work done: work done that
generates heat and sound
Work done
● Energy efficiency = useful work done / total energy input
energy efficiency
work done to move train forward
=
energy generated by coal
Types of energy
