Remember

1. Describe what a contact force is. List three examples.

A contact force is one where two objects are directly touching each other, for example:
- When a tennis racket hits a ball
- A table pushing up on a book
- Air resistance pushing up on a parachute

2. Identify some examples of forces:

a. cancelling each other out

A person standing on the ground

b. adding together

A person walking forward through a train carriage

3. Identify the safety equipment you use every day to reduce the impact of forces in your life.

A person wearing a bike helmet when riding a bike, in case they fall off and hit their head.

Apply

4. Recall the difference between contact and non-contact forces.

A contact force is when two objects exert a force on each other when touching; a non-contact
force is when two objects exert a force on each other but do not touch e.g. gravity or magnets.

5. Define the following terms:

a. Action (cause)

An action is when an object exerts a force on another object e.g. when a soccer player kicks a ball.

b. Reaction (effect)

A reaction is the effect of the action e.g. when the soccer ball flies off the boot of the player
kicking it.

6. Identify the action and the reaction (cause & effect) for these actions:

a. pushing down the lever on a toaster

Action: pushing the level - reaction: the toast moving down

b. opening a bottle of soft drink

Action: opening the lid of the drink - reaction: gas escaping from the bottle (fizzing up)

c. throwing a basketball to a friend

Action: the person pushing the ball with their arms - reaction: the ball flying through the air

d. the tide ‘going out’ towards the moon

Action: the gravitational pull of the moon on the ocean - reaction: the ocean bulging towards the
moon.

7. Explain why a brick wall doesn’t fall over when you push against it. Why can a bulldozer push
it over?
The brick wall is strong enough to resist a person pushing on it (it is able to push back as much as
the person).

However, the wall is not strong enough to resist the push of the bulldozer (it isn’t able to push
back as much).

8. Explain why weightlifters get tired when they hold heavy masses in the air.

A weightlifter needs to exert a constant force on the weight above their head to counteract
gravity. The force of gravity will not run out, but the energy of the weightlifter will, which is why
they get tired.

9. Sally can push with 150 N and Marilla with 200 N.

a. If they pushed in the same direction, calculate what force they can push with
together.

150 N + 200 N = 350 N as a net force (same direction)

b. Calculate the net force if they push in opposite directions.

200 N - 150 N = 50 N as a net force (150N is balanced, leaving 50 N of unbalanced, net force)

10. Read the extract (below) and examine the force diagram in Figure 8.22. There are no
measurements on the force arrows. Describe how you can still determine the net force on
the car.

The size of the force arrows show that the forces are equal, because they are the same length.

Research
Research the woomera spear thrower, which was used in traditional Aboriginal societies for
hunting. Analyse how it increased the force with which a spear was thrown.

A woomera spear thrower increases the force by using momentum arm, which is the distance
between a joint axis and the line of force acting on that joint. It works the same way as plastic
dog ball thrower.

The force of the muscles is the same, but because the length of the woomera is longer than the
person’s arm, the spear moves faster and can travel further / faster.