Definition: A force can be defined as a push or pull.

A force is a very specific action and there can be more than one distinct force acting on an object.

Forces can have effects on the bodies on which they act. They can cause a body to:

 Initiate or Terminate motion

 Change their speed (speed up or slow down)
 Change their direction of motion

Characteristics of Forces:

 Forces act on objects: All forces exist in relation to the body on which it is acting i.e. a force
always acts on a body and has an effect on it. Thus the body is said to be either pushed or
pulled by the force.

 Forces require an agent: All forces require an agent in order to come about. All forces have a
specific identifiable cause which exerts power to bring about the force on an object.

 Force is a vector quantity: When applying a force (pushing or pulling on object) the strength
of the force can vary. I.e. you can either push/pull gently or hard. Thus force has a magnitude
(size/intensity). Forces also always act in a specific direction (you can push left or right/ pull
up or down). Thus, since force has a magnitude and a direction it is a vector quantity.

 The line of action of a force: Force is a vector quantity and as such the direction of the force
can be represented as a straight line along which the force acts. This is consistent with the
arrow representation of all vector quantities.

 Forces fall into two broad categories: contact and non-contact forces.

Contact Forces: the agent of the force (the thing creating the force) must be in direct contact
with a body in order for the body to experience the force

Non- Contact Forces: the agent of these forces does not need to be in direct contact with a
body for that body to experience said force. These forces are said to ‘act at a distance’ and
often are a result of some kind of field.

Contact Force Non-Contact Force

Mechanical Gravitational

Elastic Electrostatic

Friction Magnetic

Tension Nuclear
 AGENT OF FORCE

BODY BEING ACTED ON FORCE PRODUCED

Name of Force Nature of Force

The force exerted onto a body as a reaction to the force exerted

Normal/Reaction Force
by it.

The force experienced by a body in a gravitational field due to its

Weight
mass (e.g. – a falling object )

The force which exists between and parallel to two solid surfaces
Friction
and opposes the motion of the solids.

Tension The force which exists on a rope or string when stretched

The force which acts on a solid moving through a fluid i.e. a

Drag/Viscous Force gas/liquid and opposes this motion
(e.g. – aircraft flying, parachuting, objects moving through liquids)

The push/pull exerted between electric charges/ electrically

Electric Force
charged bodies

The force experienced between two magnets or between a

Magnetic Force magnet and a magnetic material
(can only be a pull)

The upward force exerted by a liquid on a body immersed in it due

Upthrust to pressure differences.
(e.g. – boat or iceberg floating in the ocean, hot air balloon rising)
For this syllabus objective the difference between weight and mass as quantities.

What is mass?

Mass can be defined as a measure of the amount matter contained within a body. Thus it is
dependent on the number of atoms within a body and the size of said atoms.

Mass is a scalar quantity as the numerical value of mass can vary but never the direction.

The SI Unit of mass is the kilogram/kg.

The mass of a body is independent of the body’s location in space and/or any external factors.
Only an alteration to the body can change its mass i.e. adding more matter to the body or
removing matter.

What is weight?

Weight is defined as the force experienced by a body in a gravitational field due to its mass. Thus
weight is a force which is exerted on a body because of its mass rather than a quantity inherent
to the body.

Weight is a force and is thus a vector quantity. Weight always acts downward, or more
accurately towards the centre of mass of the object projecting the gravitational force.

The SI Unit of weight is the same as that of any Force, the Newton/N/kgms -2.

The weight of a body is dependent on the body’s location in space. Thus a body’s weight on the
Earth vs on the Moon will differ.

Equation for Weight: Equation for Force (Newton’s 2nd Law):

W =m× g F=ma
Where; Where;

W = weight of the body F = force

m = mass of body m = mass of body/ kg

g = acceleration due to gravity a = acceleration of body/ ms-2

Acceleration due to gravity/g is the acceleration experienced by a body under the influence of a
gravitational force.
The International System of Units (SI), commonly known as the metric system, is the international standard for
measurement.

All units in physics are based upon a set of base units. These units cannot be broken down any further and are
the building blocks of all other quantities.

S.I. UNITS (BASE QUANTITIES)

BASE QUANTITY BASE UNIT

MATHEMATICAL
NAME NAME SYMBOL
SYMBOL
Mass m Kilogram kg

Length l, x, r, d, etc. Metre m

Time t Second s
Thermodynamic
T Kelvin K
Temperature
Electric Current I Ampere A

Amount of Substance n Mole mol

Luminous Intensity Iv Candela cd

Thus all other units can be derived from these base units according to their equations.
Derived Quantities EQUATION Derived Units

Area Length × width=m× m=m2 m2

3
Volume length ×breath × height=m ×m× m=m m3

Density kgm-3

Velocity ms-1

Acceleration ms-2

Force (Newton) N or kgms-2

Force N kg m1 s−2 −1 −2
Pressure = 2= =kg m s =Pa (Pascal) Pa of kgms-1s-2
area m m2

Energy (Joule) J or kgm2s-2

Power (Watt) W or kgm2s-3
Electric Charge (Coulomb) C or As
Voltage (Volt) V or kgm2s-3A-1
Resistance (Ohm)  or VA-1
Derivation of the Unit for Density:

Density is defined as the mass per unit volume.

Collins CSEC Physics Workbook

[Section A3 – Statics, Page 11]

a) Complete the following table relating to some fundamental quantities:

Fundamental Quantity SI Unit Symbol

Mass kilogram kg

Length metre m

Time seconds s

Temperature Kelvin K

b) Work and power are defined as follows:

work = force x distance = N ×m=Nm

work Nm Nm 1 −1 −1
power = = = × 1 =Nm × s =Nm s
time s 1 s
i) Determine the SI unit of work in terms of base units.

work =Nm=( kg m s ) × ( m )=¿

1 1 −2

ii) 5tate an alternative name for the SI unit of work.

iii) Determine the SI unit of power in terms of base units.

iv) 5tate an alternative name for the SI unit of power.

June 2018 – P2