P5 – Forces

CAN YOU SORT THESE QUANTITIES INTO SCALAR

AND VECTOR?
Scalar Vector
Magnetic field
Pressure
Density
Displacement
Potential difference (v)
Power
Velocity
Acceleration
Temperature
Wavelength
Force
Frequency
Current
Momentum
SCALAR

Scalar Magnitude
A SCALAR is ANY quantity in physics Example
that has MAGNITUDE, but NOT a Speed 20 m/s
direction associated with it.
Magnitude – A numerical value with Distance 10 m
units.
Age 15 years

Heat 1000
calories
SCALAR
Can be added and subtracted just like ordinary numbers. Eg 6.2kg, 4.3 kg and
3.9kg = 14.4kg.

Must be the same units

Multiplying, dividing, adding and subtracting always produce scalar quantities.

Multiply different units together, as well as the numbers!

VECTOR
A VECTOR is ANY quantity in physics Vector Magnitude
that has BOTH MAGNITUDE and & Direction
DIRECTION. Velocity 20 m/s, N
Acceleration 10 m/s/s, E
Force 5 N, West

Vectors are typically illustrated by

drawing an ARROW above the symbol.
The arrow is used to convey direction
and magnitude.
APPLICATIONS OF
VECTORS

VECTOR ADDITION – If 2 similar vectors point in the SAME direction, add

them.

Example: A man walks 54.5 meters east, then another 30 meters east.
Calculate his displacement relative to where he started?

54.5 m, E + 30 m, E Notice that the SIZE of

the arrow conveys
MAGNITUDE and the
84.5 m, E way it was drawn
conveys DIRECTION.
APPLICATIONS OF
VECTORS

VECTOR SUBTRACTION - If 2 vectors are going in opposite

directions, you SUBTRACT.

Example: A man walks 54.5 meters east, then 30 meters west.

Calculate his displacement relative to where he started?

54.5 m, E
-
30 m, W

24.5 m, E
BUT……WHAT
ABOUT THE
DIRECTION?
In the previous example, DISPLACEMENT was asked for and since
it is a VECTOR we should include a DIRECTION on our final
answer.
N

W of N E of N
N of E
N of W
W E
N of E S of W S of E

NOTE: When drawing a right triangle that

conveys some type of motion, you MUST W of S E of S
draw your components HEAD TO TOE. S
 Contact vs no-contact
A force is something that when applied
will change the motion/shape of an object
◼ It could change the speed
◼ Change the direction
◼ Change the shape
Weight
upward force exerted on an object in a
fluid
Upthrust resistive force due to moving through
air

Friction resistive force due to 2 objects in

contact
force that uses motion to make an
Air Resistance object rise up
downwards force due to gravity
Lift
13/06/2018

Resultant forces

Often many different forces will be acting on an object.

More than one force acting on an object can be replaced by a single overall force.
This is called the Resultant Force.

Reaction
Resultant Force = 10 -10 = 0 10 N

Gravity 10 N
Resultant forces

6N 3N 40N
10N 20N 65N 50N

5N 3N 10N

RF= 1N Up RF= 0N RF= 10N Right RF= 15N Left RF= 30N Up

35N 40N 10N

35N 20N 8N 6N
15N 5N

35N 38N 10N

RF= 0N RF= 15N Left RF= 2N Left RF= 2N Up RF= 10N Left
Resultant forces (higher)

When finding the resultant force of

a diagram like this
1: complete the shape by adding
the parallel lines
2: measure the diagonal with a
ruler
To understand the downhill effect of the
weight of the cyclist consider the box on
the slope in the diagram.
The force of gravity on the box can be
seen on the box on the left. This can be
split into two parts – one force acting down
the slope and the other at 90˚ to the slope.
This is called resolving a force into two
components.
Here is the step-by-step procedure in the
diagram to the right.
A velocity vector with a magnitude of 50 m/s
and a direction of 60 degrees above the
horizontal may be resolved into two components.
The vector is first drawn to scale in the
indicated direction
a parallelogram is sketched about the vector
the components are labelled on the diagram and
the vector components can be measured and
converted to m/s using a scale.
WORKED
EXAMPLE
A box of weight 12N is on a slope. The slope is
inclined at 10˚ to the horizontal.
Use a geometrical method to find the component
of the box’s weight acting down the slope.
Describe the force of friction of the slope on the
box.
Solution
In the second diagram : the ratio of the
rectangle’s small side to the diagonal = 1:6.
Therefore, the parallel component of the weight =
12/6N = 2.0N

The frictional force = 2.0n acting up the slope.

Resultant forces (higher)
Resultant Force Effect
Equals Zero Remains Still
Constant Speed (same speed)
Does Not Equal Zero Acceleration (get faster)
De-acceleration (get slower)
Change Direction
 Work done
Work is done when a force moves an object some distance.

If you push a shopping trolley weighing 40N

over the floor by 3m.
Then you have done work because you have
moved a box some distance using a force.
Work done = force x distance moved in direction of force
(J) (N) (m)
What Affects Gravity?
 Mass vs Weight
The force of gravity on something is In deep space, far away from any planets
called its weight. or stars my weight is almost zero. Why?
As gravity it is a force it is measured
in Newtons.
Mass is a measure of the
amount of material an object is
made of. It is measured in
kilograms.

Weight = mass x gravitational field strength

(N) (kg) (N/kg)
 Elasticity
An object stretched can return to its original length
after the forces are removed.

If it does this then we say it has been elastically

deformed.

If it does NOT this then we say it

has been inelastically deformed.
Which of the objects
are
storing elastic
potential energy?

Explain the reason

for your choice or
choices
 Limit of proportionality
Work done in stretching a
Extension is directly
spring = 0.5 x Spring
proportional to the force
Constant X extension2
applied, provided that the
limit of proportionality is
not exceeded.
 Force and Extension: Required Practical
What may they ask us about?
- Describe the relationship (directly propotional). Label the limit of proportionality (where it’s no longer a straight line)
- What error could cause the extension to NOT start at zero (if you measured, the length and not the extension. The
extension should be zero with no weights, but the length of the spring will be a few cm)
- What is the IV (force), what is the DV (extension), comment on repeatability, resolution, etc

Example Apparatus

Weights – provide a force (N)

Spring - stretches

Metre rule – measures the

length
of the spring (before and after)
 Speed

Distance, s, in metres, m.
s
Speed, v, in metres per second, m/s.
v t
Time, t, in seconds, s.

Use a straight section of graph

Calculate gradient
Speed = gradient = change in vertical
Change in horizontal
 Velocity
What is meant by the terms:

is just how fast you are going with no regard

Speed? to the direction. This is a scalar quantity
because it has magnitude only.

Must have the direction specified as well as

Velocity? the speed. This is a vector quantity because
it has magnitude and direction.
Velocity time graphs
 Acceleration

m/s
Acceleration =
Change in Velocity

Velocity
Time Taken
10

4
Distance (higher)
Distance = area 1 + area 2

m/s
=½ x 3x6 = 9
= 6 x 6 = 36
Velocity = 45 m
3

6
 Terminal Velocity
When they open the parachute that causes
the air resistance to increase.
This causes him to slow down.

The skydiver will reach a constant speed

and will continue to fall at that speed
until a force changes – this is terminal
velocity
 Uniform Acceleration
Acceleration that is constant is sometimes
called uniform acceleration
When something falls it has a constant
acceleration of 9.8m/s2

A book falls off the top shelf of a

bookcase. The shelf is 1.4m above v= final velocity (m/s)
the ground. a= acceleration (m/s)
Find: s= distance (m)
a) The velocity with which the book u= initial velocity (m/s2)
strikes the floor
 Newton’s Laws
Third Law: every
action has an equal
First Law: if the and opposite
forces are balances reaction
there will be no
change in motion Second Law: if the forces
are unbalanced the
objects speed and or
direction may change
Force = mass x
acceleration
 Newton’s second law: Required Practical
What’s the point of the practical? Force (N) = mass (kg) x acceleration (m/s2)
To find out what happens to the acceleration when we Acceleration (m/s2) = change in velocity (m/s)
change the mass. time (s)
And to find out what happens to the acceleration when we
change the force.
Example Apparatus

Data logger and light gate -

They may get you to work out acceleration Measures velocity or
from force and mass (easy) or give you the acceleration
change in velocity and time so you need to
use both equations above Masses – make the trolley
(car) move
 Inertia (higher)
Inertia is the The more force
tendency of an that is needed,
object to stay in the the greater the
same state of motion inertial mass of
the object.
An objects internal
mass is determined
by how hard it is to
change it’s velocity
Stopping Distances

 

The
Thinking
Braking
stopping
distance
distance is
is the distance
distance is the sum
a car Braking Thinking
cartravels
of the
travels
thinking
whilst
beforethe distance distance
thebrakes
distance
brakesand
are
arethe
being Stopping distance
applied.
braking
applied.
distance.

Stopping distance = thinking distance + braking distance

 Momentum (higher)

This is the
tendency of the
object to keep
p = mv
moving in the Momentum (kgm/s) = Mass (kg) x Velocity (m/s)
same direction.

It is difficult to change
the direction of
movement of an object
with a lot of momentum
Conservation of momentum (higher)

Momentum is conserved when no external forces act,

i.e.

Momentum BEFORE = Momentum AFTER