Olivia – Forces and Motion lesson

Forces – measured in N = newtons

Types

 Contact with two surfaces in contact – friction, air resistance (drag), tension (pulled apart
like spring), normal contact
 Non-contact act over distance – gravitational, electrostatic (negative and positive charge),
magnetic

Forces are vectors = size and direction → represented by arrows

 As opposed to scaler only has size

Gravitational force is measured by weight

W = mg

Weight is mass of an object in a gravitational field strength (N/Kg)

Weight = N

Mass = Kg

Moon = 1.6 N/kg and Earth = 9.8 N/kg

Measuring:

 Weight = Newtonmeter
o Acts at centre of mass
 Mass = mass balance

Forces can be added together

Work
Force over a certain distance = work

W = Fs

S = distance that it goes

F = force applied

Measuring

 Work = joules
 Force = newton
 S = distance in metres

One joule of work is done when a force of one newton causes a displacement of one metre

Displacement is a vector quantity

Elasticity
 Bending, compressing, stretching object
 Elastic when it goes back to it’s original shape
 Inelastic/plastic if it doesn’t
 Force is propoertional to extension (how much longer it has gotten)
 Force = ke
o K = spring stiffness and units of N/m
o Elastic energy stores = joules

Moments, levers and gears

Moment = turning effect of force =

force x perpendicular distance from pivot to line of action of the force

M = Fd

Measure:

 Moment = Nm
 Different to spring

Balanced force = CW moment = ACW moment

e.g. see saw

Pressure
 Gases and liquids

Air pressure = 101 kPa

Liquid = deeper liquid has more water pressing down = higher pressure

Water isn’t that dense but mercury is very dense

Also depends on where you are in galay and what gravitational stress

Pressure = ρGh

Measure:

 Density or ρ = kg/m3
 Height = metres
 Gravity = N/kg
 Pressure = pascals
Upthrust
 When an object is submerged in liquid there is a force due to the differences of pressure
between the top of the object and the bottom of the object
 Upthrust/buoyancy is the force that acts on an object in liquid

Atmospheric pressure
 The atmosphere is a thin layer of gas
 Pressure decreases as you go higher
 As you go higher there are less particles

Motion
 Scaler – speed, distance
 Vector – velocity, displacement, acceleration
 Velocity = speed in a given direction
 Acceleration – how quickly velocity changes

Speed or velocity = v

Displacement = s distance

Time = t

V = s/t

Circular motions – constant speed but changing velocity

Graphs to represent this

 Distance-time graphs

o
o Gradient = speed v
 o
o Curved line = take tangent
 Speed-time graph
o How velocity changes over time
o Gradient = rate of change of velocity = acceleration

o
o Acceleration = change in velocity/time taken
 m/s^2


 Questions on speed

Weight
 Air resistance increases as falling object falls quicker
 Gets to a point where velocity doesn’t get higher = terminal velocity
o No resultant force so weight = air resistance
o No net force
 o

Newton’s laws

1. If resultant force acting on an object is 0 and the object is either stationary, it remains
stationary but if it is moving it continues to move at the same velocity
a. Racing car = air resistance will equal thrust at a certain speed so it can’t get any
faster
2. Acceleration of an object is proportional to the resultant force acting on the object and
inversely proportional to the mass of the object
a. Resultant force = ma
b. Smaller acceleration for a greater mass for same force applied
3. When two forces interact forces are equal and opposite

Stopping distance
 Sum of distance vehicle travels during driver’s reaction time (thinking distance) and distance
vehicle travels during braking force (braking distance)
 Thinking distance = tiredness, alcohol, drugs, distractions
 Braking distance = condition of roads (wet, ice), condition of tyres and brakes
 Also how fast you are going
 Kinetic energy → thermal energy of brakes and surroundings

Momentum
 Mass x velocity
 Small p = m v
 Is a vector as it depends on direction
o Positive
o Negative
 Different to kinetic energy
 In a closed system, the total momentum before an event = total momentum after event
 Calculations

o
 F = ma
 A = change in velocity/time
  F = (m x change in velocity) / time
 F = change in momentum/time
 Force = rate of change of momentum
 If you change momentum more slowly there is less force
o Crumple zones

Measure:

Questions