Class: 8

SCIENCE
Chapter – 11
Force and Pressure
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Question answers and assignment are to be done in Science Practice Notebook /

ruled sheets.
2. The link to the NCERT chapter is given below.

http://ncertbooks.prashanthellina.com/class_8.Science.Science/11.pdf

INTRODUCTION:
 Force is a push or a pull applied on an object.
 A force arises due to the interaction between two objects.
 Force acting on an object may cause a change in its state of motion or a change in its
shape.
 Force can be a contact or a non contact force.
 Force per unit area is called pressure.
 Liquids and gases exert pressure on the walls of their containers.
 The pressure exerted by air around us is known as atmospheric pressure.

EXPLANATION:
FORCE: A push or a pull that changes or tends to change the state of rest or of uniform
motion of an object or changes its direction or shape.
A force arises due to the interaction between two objects. Force has magnitude as well as
direction.
The SI unit of force is newton.
Effect of Force:-
1. Force can change the state of motion: An Object can be in two states.
(a) Rest State: When an object is not moving. This means, a stationary object is said to be in
the state of rest. For example –A ball and book kept over the ground and not moving.
(b) Motion State: A moving object is said to be in the state of motion. For example – a
moving car, a moving ball, etc.
A Force can move a stationary object. A force can speed up, decrease the speed and change
the direction of a moving object. Force can stop a moving object. Finally, we can say that
force can change the state of motion.

Some examples:
(i) A boy wants to move a tyre faster, it has to be pushed repeatedly.
(ii) Change in the direction of a moving ball after it strikes the ruler placed in its path.,

(iii) In the Football game, a goalkeeper stops the football going towards the goal post
by applying a force by his hands.
(iv) In the cricket game, a batsman can push a fast moving ball in the same direction or
opposite direction or change the direction of the movement of ball, because of force
being applied from his bat.

2. Force can change the shape of an object:

(i) When you apply force on an inflated balloon by pressing it using your hand from both
sides, then the force changes the shape of balloon.

(ii) You can change the shape of rubber band and spring by stretching it in opposite direction.
(iii)You can change the shape of dough into bread by applying force with a rolling pin.
So, we can say that force can change the shape of an object.

Direction and Magnitude of Force:

(i) The measurement of strength and amount of force is called magnitude of force.
(ii) Two or more forces on the same object can be applied in the same direction or opposite
direction.

1. When two or more forces are applied over an object in the same direction:
When two or more forces are applied in the same direction, then the total or net force is the
addition of magnitude of both the forces.
Example: When two persons push the box in the same direction with the magnitude of forces
of each 2 N, then resultant force will be-
Net force:- 2N + 2N= 4N (In the direction of applied force)

2. When two forces are applied over an object in the opposite direction:
When two forces are applied over an object in the opposite directions, the total effective or
net force is the difference of magnitude of two forces.
Example:
(i) When two persons push the box in the opposite direction with the magnitude of forces of
each 2 N, then resultant force will be-
Net force: 2N - 2N= 0N (Box will not move)
(ii) If one person is applying a force of 6 unit in one direction and another person is applying
a force of 8 unit in opposite direction,
Then the resultant force: 8N - 6N= 2N (In the direction of higher magnitude force)
In this case, force will act in the direction of higher magnitude of force.
Types of Forces
There are two types of forces which are as follows:

1. Contact Force: Force which arise when two bodies are in contact with each other.

Eg: muscular force, frictional force

(a) Muscular force:

(i) Force due to the action of muscles is called muscular force.
(ii) Muscular force is applied only after interaction with the object.
Examples:
(a) When we push the object like school bag or lift the bucket of water ,we use the
muscular force.
(b) Animals also use muscular force to carry out their task.
 (b) Frictional Force:
(i) The force of friction arises between the surfaces of two objects.
(ii) The force of friction always acts on all moving objects and its direction is always
opposite to the direction of motion.
(iii)Force of friction comes into action only after interaction between two objects.
Examples:
(a) Due to force of friction between the surface of the ball and the ground the moving
ball comes to rest.
(b) When we stop pedalling a bicycle, it gradually slow down and finally comes to
stop due to force of friction.

2. Non- Contact Force: Force which arise when two bodies are not in contact with
each other.
eg: Magnetic force, Electrostatic force and Gravitational force

(a) Magnetic Force:

A magnet can exert a force on another magnet without being in contact with it.

Example: Opposite poles of two magnets attract each other and same poles repel
each other.

(b) Electrostatic Force:

(i)Force exerted by a charged body on another charged or uncharged body is called
electrostatic force.
A charged body attracts an uncharged body.
(ii) A positively charged body attracts a negatively charged body and repels a
positively charged body without coming in contact.
(c) Gravitational Force:
(i) Gravitational force is exerted by earth, moon, sun and other planets on each other.
(ii) Earth and other planets attract all objects towards them. Since, earth attracts all
objects even without coming in contact, thus gravitational force is a non-contact force.
Example: When we release an object from a height, it falls over the ground because of
gravitational attraction of earth.
Pressure
Pressure is the force acting on a unit area on an object.

Pressure = Force ÷ Area on which it acts

SI unit of pressure: pascal

In this equation, force is the numerator and area is the denominator. This means that pressure
is directly proportional to the applied force but inversely proportional to the area on which it
is acting.

Let us discuss few facts of daily life which are based on Pressure:

School bags have wide straps. Wide strapped bags are used because they are easy to handle.
We know that pressure is inversely proportional to area. Therefore ,force being the same, the
larger the area ,the lesser the pressure exerted .So, it becomes easy to carry a school bag with
a wide strap.
It is easier to hammer sharp nail.
As we know that pressure is inversely proportional to area. Therefore, lesser the area, the more
the pressure exerted. So, it becomes easy to hammer that nail. That is the reason sharp nails are
preferred over blunt nails.

It is difficult to peel vegetables with a blunt knife.

It is easy to peel vegetables with a sharp knife instead of using blunt knife. We know that
pressure is inversely proportional to area, therefore, force being the same, less is the area more
is the pressure exerted.

The pressure exerted by liquids and gases

 Liquids exert a pressure on the walls of the container in which they are put.
 The pressure that a liquid exerts on the bottom of the container is dependent upon the height
of the liquid in the container.
 The liquid exerts equal pressure on different points on the walls of the container having the
same depth .

Pressure Exerted by Liquids

Activity: Take a plastic bottle and make holes in it at different levels. Check the
maximum and minimum pressure exerted.
 Similarly, gases also exert pressure on the walls of the container.

Atmospheric Pressure:
Our atmosphere is made of different types of gases. Since gases exert pressure, thus
pressure exerted by air is called atmospheric pressure.

The weight of air in a column of the height of the atmosphere and area 15 cm × 15 cm is
nearly equal to the weight of an object of mass 225 Kg.

The reason we are not crushed under this weight is that the pressure inside our bodies is also
equal to the atmospheric pressure and cancels the pressure from outside.

A pressed rubber sucker on a plane surface does not come off because of atmospheric
pressure.

QUESTION-ANSWERS
Q1.State the effects of force.
A1.Force may:
 make an object move from rest.
 change the speed of a moving object.
 change the direction of motion of an object.
 change the shape of an object.
 stop a moving object.
Q2.Calculate the pressure exerted by a force of 100 N on an area of 4 m2.
A2.Pressure = force / area
= 100/4
= 25 pascal
Q3.What is the relation between direction of force of friction and direction of motion?
A3.Direction of force of friction is always opposite to the direction of motion of an object.

Q4.Caterpillar tracks are used in battle tanks instead of tyres. Explain.

A4.Pressure = force/area .More is the area, force being the same, pressure applied will be
less. So, the tanks can carry heavy loads.
Q5.Why do some people suffer from nose bleeding at high altitudes?
A5.Atmospheric pressure decreases on high altitudes. So as we move to higher altitudes, our
inside blood pressure becomes more than the atmospheric pressure. Therefore some of the
blood vessels in our body burst and nose bleeding can occur.

ASSIGNMENT

Q1. Fill in the blanks:

(a) Force acting per unit area is _____________.

(b) __________________ is used to measure the weight of a body.
(c) __________________ measures pressure of air.
(d) A body has weight because of ________________ force.
(e) SI unit of force is ____________.
(f) SI unit of pressure is _____________.
(g) When 2 forces are applied at the same point but in opposite directions the net force is
equal to the _____________of forces acting.

Q2. State the effect of force in the following cases:

(a) A child pedalling his cycle.
(b) A woman rolling kneaded flour with a rolling pin.
(c) A child pushing a heavy stone.
(d) Filling of air in a balloon.
Q3. If a force of 200 N acts on an area of 2 m2, calculate the pressure exerted.
Q4.When you press a rubber sucker on a smooth surface, it sticks to the
surface.Explain.
Q5. Choose the correct option in the following:

(i) Application of force brings the change in:

(a) shape and size of object (b)speed and direction of object
(c) position of object (d) All the above

(ii) A force exerted by a magnet on another magnet is:

(a) contact force (b) Frictional force
(c) Non contact force (d) Muscular force

(iii) The weight of air in a column of the height of the atmosphere and area 15cmx15cm is
as large as:
(a) 25 Kg (b) 225 kg (c)2000 kg (d) 2250 kg

(iv) When air is filled in a container, air:

(a) exerts pressure at the bottom (b) exerts pressure on upper side
(c) exerts pressure on the walls (d) none of these

(v) The shoulder bags are provided with broad straps:

(a) to decrease the pressure (b) to exert more force
(c) to increase the pressure (d) to decrease the area of contact
Q6.Name the type of force involved in the following.:
(a) To pick your school bag.
(b) To collect scrap iron from garbage using a magnet.
(c) To push or pull a loaded trolley in a supermarket.
(d) Flying of seeds away from each other in plastic bag when gently rubbed.