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Identifying forces

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What are resultant forces?
There are usually several different forces acting on an object.
The overall motion of the object will depend on the size and
direction of all the forces.

The motion of the object will depend on the resultant force.

This is calculated by adding all the forces together, taking
their direction into account.

50 N 30 N

Resultant force on the crate = 50 N – 30 N

= 20 N to the left
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Calculating resultant forces

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Friction – useful or a problem?

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Introducing balanced forces

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 1st Law of Motion
(Law of Inertia)

An object at rest will stay at rest,

and an object in motion will stay in
motion at constant velocity, unless
acted upon by an unbalanced force.

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Inertia is the tendency
of an object to resist
changes in its velocity:
whether in motion or
motionless.

These pumpkins will not move unless

acted on by an unbalanced force.

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Unless acted Once airborne,
upon by an unless acted on
unbalanced force, by an unbalanced
this golf ball force (gravity and
would sit on the air – fluid
tee forever. friction), it would
never stop!

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 Why then, do we observe every day
objects in motion slowing down and
becoming motionless seemingly without
an outside force?
It’s a force we sometimes cannot
see – FRICTION!

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What is Newton’s first law?
If the resultant force acting on an object is zero, all the
forces are said to be balanced.

This forms the basis of Newton’s first law of motion, which

states:

If the forces on an object are balanced, the object

will continue to do what it is already doing:
 if the object is stationary, it will remain stationary

 if the object is moving, it will continue to move at

the same speed and in the same direction.

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Terminal velocity of a skydiver

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Introducing unbalanced forces

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 Newtons’ 2nd Law of Motion

The net force of an object is equal to the product

of its mass and acceleration, or F=ma.

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Newton’s 2nd Law proves that different
masses accelerate to the earth at the same
rate, but with different forces.
We know that
objects with different
masses accelerate to
the ground at the
same rate. However,
because of the 2nd
Law we know that
they don’t hit the
ground with the
same force.
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What is Newton’s second law?
If the resultant force acting on an object is not zero, all the
forces are said to be unbalanced.

This forms the basis of Newton’s second law of motion,

which states:

If the forces on an object are unbalanced, two

things about the object can change:
 the speed of the object may change – it may either
increase or decrease
 the direction of motion may change.

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How is movement calculated from force?
The resultant force acting on an object is related to the
object’s mass and acceleration. These three factors are
linked by the following equation:

force = mass x acceleration

 Resultant force is measured in newtons (N).

 Mass is measured in kilograms (kg).
 Acceleration is measured in metres per second per
second (m/s2).

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How do we use Newton’s second law?
A car has a mass of
1,000 kg. What force
must the car’s engine
supply to cause an
acceleration of 2 m/s2?

force = mass x acceleration

= 1,000 x 2
= 2,000 N

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Using a formula triangle
A formula triangle helps you to rearrange a formula. The
formula triangle for force (f), mass (m) and acceleration (m)
is shown below.
Cover the quantity that you are trying to work out, which
gives the rearranged formula needed for the calculation.

So to find force (f), …which gives

cover up f… the formula…

  f = mxa

x
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How do we use Newton’s second law?
A lorry has a mass of 12,000 kg. What acceleration is caused
by a force of 10,000 N?

force = mass x acceleration

acceleration = force
mass
= 10,000
12,000

= 0.83 m/s2

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F = ma calculations

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 Newton’s 3rd Law

For every action, there is an equal and

opposite reaction.

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What forces support objects?
What forces are acting on Mel’s computer?
The computer is pulled
downwards by the force weight
of gravity and causes
it to have weight.
The table exerts an
equal and opposite reaction
force pushing upwards force
on the computer. This is
called the reaction force.
These forces are balanced so the computer does not move.
What forces are acting on Mel as she works at her computer?

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What is Newton’s third law?
A force cannot exist on its own – there is always a second
force acting against it.

This forms the basis of Newton’s third law of motion

states, which states:

If object A exerts a force on object B, then object B

exerts an equal but opposite force on object A.

These pairs of forces that act between two objects are

sometimes called action–reaction pairs.

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Action–reaction pairs

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Balanced and unbalanced forces
How many pairs of balanced, unbalanced and
action–reaction forces can you spot?

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Forces and acceleration
An object will remain stationary or will move in the same
direction at a constant speed, unless the forces acting on
it are not balanced.

This will cause an acceleration in the direction of the

stronger force. This can make an object slow down or
speed up, or it can cause it to change direction.

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Acceleration in a circle
A motorcycle drives around a corner
at a constant speed. Its direction
changes as it goes around the
corner, so even though its speed is
constant, it must be accelerating.

This acceleration must be at right angles (perpendicular) to

the direction of movement as it turns the corner, otherwise
its speed could not be constant.

Which way do you think the

motorcycle is accelerating,
towards the inside of the
turn, or away from it?

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Forces causing circular motion
Any object that moves in a circle must be accelerating
towards the center of that circle. What causes this?
What equation do you know that links force and acceleration?

F = m×a

Force and acceleration are both vector quantities, unlike mass,

so according to this equation, their directions must be equal.
All circular motion must therefore be caused by a force
acting towards the center of the circle.

This type of force is known as a centripetal force.

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Centrifugal force or centripetal force?
Swing a mass around in a circle on the end of a string. Do you
feel a force pulling your hand outwards? This is often called a
“centrifugal force.” You might have heard that centrifugal
forces cause circular motion, but this is not good physics!
Consider what is happening in this case. The mass on the end
of the string is the object that is performing circular motion, so
it is the forces on this object that are important:
centripetal force

The force on your hand is a reaction force, which can be

ignored when studying the motion of the mass.

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 Thinking about circular motion
It is important to think of circular motion as an object being
continuously prevented from moving in a straight line, rather
than as if the object is being flung outwards from the center.

A washing machine dries clothes by spinning them around

very fast:

The sides of the drum

provide the centripetal force
that keeps the clothes
moving in a circle, but water
is free to escape in straight
trajectories through the
holes in the sides.

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Examples of centripetal forces
Here are two more examples of circular motion caused by
centripetal forces:

Can you figure out the direction of the force in each case,
and describe the type of force involved?

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Factors affecting centripetal forces

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 Factors affecting centripetal forces
How does the centripetal force depend on mass?
F = ma, so force is proportional to mass.

The greater the mass, the larger the centripetal

force needed to maintain circular motion.
How does the centripetal force depend on speed and radius?
F = ma, so force is proportional to acceleration. If the truck
is going faster, or if its radius is smaller, then it is changing
direction more quickly, so its acceleration is greater.

The greater the speed, and the smaller

the radius, the larger the centripetal force
needed to maintain circular motion.

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Understanding centripetal forces

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Centripetal Forces

Fc = mv2
r

m is mass, measured in kg
v is velocity, measured in m/s

r is radius of the circle, measured in m

Fc is centripetal force, measured in N

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 Merry-Go-Round

• Who crosses the finish line first, kid

near middle or near the edge?

Tie!!! Both cross at same time and in

the same time….
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 Merry-Go-Round

• Who goes faster, kid near middle or

near the edge?

The kid on the edge! Bigger

distance in same time….
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 Merry-Go-Round

• Who experiences the biggest

centripetal force (the most “fun”)?

Kid near edge!

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 Glossary (1/2)

 air resistance – A frictional force that acts against an

object moving through air.

 balanced – A pair of opposing forces that are the same

size and which have no effect on an object’s speed or
direction.

 drag – A frictional force that acts against an object moving

through liquid.

 friction – A force between two touching objects that tries

to oppose movement.

 reaction force – The opposing force created by an

object in response to another force.

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 Glossary (2/2)

 resultant force – A single force that has the same effect

as all the forces acting on an object added together.
 terminal velocity – The velocity of a falling object
reached when its weight and air resistance are balanced
and it no longer accelerates.
 unbalanced – A pair of opposing forces that are different
in size and which cause an object to change its speed or
direction.
 upthrust – An upwards force acting on an object in a
liquid or a gas.
 weight – The force created by the gravitational attraction
on a mass, measured in newtons (N).

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Anagrams

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The effect of resultant forces

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Examples of the first law?

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Multiple-choice quiz

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