FORCES

P1 1.1 – Introduction

It would be impossible to move around the

Earth without forces!
 STARTER – Something To Think
About
How is this man floating on the water?
 LO
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
• Define what a force is.
• Describe how forces can affect objects around us.

This naughty
cat sees a vase
and decides
to push it off
the left edge of
the table!
 What Is a Force?

A force is push or pull acting on an object. Forces act

in pairs, opposing one another.

We cannot see a force as a physical object, nor can

we touch a force. However, we can see the effects
that a force has on an object or objects. Forces can
make objects change speed, direction or even shape.
Example:
When you ride a bike, your foot PUSHES against the
(Complete
pedal. The push makes the wheels of the bike move.
Booklet
When you drop something, it is PULLED to the ground by Page 1)
gravity.
 FORCES Page 2

A FORCE is a PUSH or PULL in a particular DIRECTION.

Sometimes, a force is also a twist!

We may not be able to see

a force, but we can tell that
it's there because
it changes an
object's motion or shape.
 FORCES
FORCES AFFECT HOW OBJECTS MOVE.
Forces can affect motion in the following ways:
They can make objects:
i) START MOVING If a person pushes
BIG down on a length
SCIENCE ii) MOVE FASTER of spring, it
IDEA becomes shorter.
iii) MOVE SLOWER
iv) STOP MOVING
v) CHANGE DIRECTION
Complete Page 2 vi) CHANGE SHAPE
Tasks
 There are lots of different types of
forces Page 3
This can be any driving force, it may be a push or
pull, but it could be an engine which forces an
object forward.

This is the force required to raise an object

through a fluid

This is a force which acts in the air, it can slow

objects down when they are moving against it. Or
if harnessed could be used to move an object
along.
 This force acts on objects when they are in
contact with a surface, such as the ground. It can
be reduced by ensuring both surfaces are
smooth.

This force affects every object on Earth. It is a

force which pulls everything to the centre of the
earth.

This is an upward force which acts in water, it acts

on a object against gravity, and is why certain
objects float.

Other forces can’t be seen but form fields. Examples of this

would be magnetic fields and electromagnetic fields.
Let’s watch the video & note the
following on page 4

• What is force
• List the forces
• Categorized forces – Contact & Non
contact
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIwqZ
QOnMKc
 Page 4

• Frictional force
• Air resistance
• Water resistance
• Upthrust/Buoyancy
• Trust
• Spring/tension force
• Reaction/support force
 Let’s RECAP (7U) – research 3 minutes
1. What is the unit of force?
2. How is force measured?
3. Who is first theorized about forces?
4. Describe the following forces?
➢ Gravity
➢ Friction
➢ Air resistance
➢ Magnetism
➢ Buoyancy
 Forces

Forces are measured in newtons, using a newton meter.

The unit of force is named after Isaac Newton,

who first theorised about forces.

Some examples of forces are...

Air Resistance
Buoyancy
Reflection: Moving On (Use mini whiteboard)
Have a go at the exam-style
question below.
The question is worth four marks.
You will have five minutes to write
your answer.

0 1 2 3 4 5

1. Name the downward force acting on the children. [1]

2. Name the opposing force to the force you identified in
question 1. [1]
3. After the game, Steven’s hand is sore and red. Explain why. [2]
 Moving On
How did you do?
Mark your answer using the mark scheme below.

1. Name the downward force acting on the children. [1]

• weight (accept gravity)

2. Name the opposing force to the force you identified
in question 1. [1]
• reaction force
3. After the game, Steven’s hand is sore and red.
Explain why. [2]
• Friction (between the rope and his hand);
• has produced heat against his skin.
Page 5
 Learning Intentions
• Identify if a force is a contact or non-contact force.
• Define different types of contact and non-contact forces.
• To compare between contact and non-contact forces.
• To investigate how different forces act.
 Type of forces
• These forces can be split into two different
categories: non-contact & contact forces.
• Contact forces require one object
to touch another.
• For example, when you hit a ball with a cricket bat,
the force exerted on the ball is a result of the cricket
bat being in contact with the ball.
• Non-contact forces act without the objects
touching.
 Contact and Non-Contact Forces
What might the difference be between a contact
and non-contact force?

0 1

Take Notes
A contact force occurs when the BIG SCIENCE
objects are touching. IDEA

Take Notes
A non-contact force occurs when the
objects are not touching.
 Task: Keyword Sort (page 10)
Sort the forces into two lists: contact forces and non-contact
forces.
upthrust tension magnetic air resistance friction
electrostatic gravity reaction water resistance Reactions
 Task: Keyword Sort (page 10)
Sort the forces into two lists: contact forces and non-contact
forces.
upthrust tension magnetic air resistance friction
electrostatic gravity reaction water resistanceReactions

Contact Forces Non-Contact Forces

upthrust electrostatic
air resistance magnetic
tension gravity
reaction
water resistance
friction
reactions
Today’s Q:
1. Name some examples of contact & non-contact
forces.
2. What force holds up a decoration that is hanging
from a string?

Learning Objectives
1.HM discussion
2.Investigate forces
3.Draw a magnetic field surrounding a magnet
4.Draw force (represent by the size of the arrow)
Can You Force Yourself to the
Castle?
Page 6
Investigate force , Page 7
 If you drop something, it falls down instead
of up. This is because of gravity!

An electrostatic force is a
force exerted
between electrically
charged objects.

It causes your hair to stand

up when you rub a balloon
against it!

It can also push (repel) two magnets apart.

 Review & Reflect
your understanding page 11 &
12
Support
Earth – a Giant Magnet
 Learning Intentions
• Describe how to show the direction and
size of a force.
• Draw the size and direction of a force.
 Have you ever seen a force?

Forces are invisible, and we can

only feel their effects!
So how can we draw a force?
 Force Diagrams
You can’t see forces. You only see their effects.

You can add arrows to a diagram to show the forces acting

on an object. Force arrows show the direction and the size of
the force.

Forces act on the objects so the arrow must touch the object
in the diagram.

Use force arrows to show the forces

acting on the object on the table.
Force Diagrams
 Force Diagrams

What do the sizes of the arrows tell us?

The size of the arrow tells us the size of the force.
What happens to an object if forces acting in opposite directions are equal?
The forces are balanced so there will be no change to the motion of the
object.
What happens to an object if forces acting in opposite directions are not
equal?
The forces are unbalanced so the object will change speed or direction.
 Forces Recap (Refer to Textbook)
1. What is Tension force?

2. Force is always come in _______

Pair One
The Earth pulls the box down.
The box also pulls the Earth up.

Pair Two
The Earth pulls the table down.
The table also pulls the Earth up.

They can be called ____________ pairs because they are the result
of two objects interacting with each other.
Reflect your understanding on page 16
Reflection on your Classwork
page 22 & 23
 Learning Objective
To investigate how the force added to a spring affects
the extension of the spring.

Success Criteria
• To describe how forces can affect the shape of objects.
• To investigate the relationship between force and
extension.
 Forces and Changing Shape
When two forces act on an object, the object may change
shape.
Extension happens when an
object’s ends are pulled apart
and it increases in length.

Compression happens when

an object’s ends are squashed
together and it decreases in
length.
 Forces and Changing Shape

When an object has changed

shape we say it is deformed.

Some objects can return to

their original shape when the
forces are removed. These
objects are elastic.

Some objects do not return to

their original shape when the
forces are removed.

These objects are inelastic.

Reflection on your Classwork
page 17
 Learning Objective
To investigate how the force added to a
spring affects the extension of the
spring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0pihS
gouUA
 Investigating Hooke’s Law /Elastic
Aim
To investigate how the force applied to a spring affects the
extension of the spring.
Equipment
masses spring
mass hanger ruler
clamp stand, boss and clamp

What is the independent variable in

this investigation?
The independent variable is the force applied to
the spring.
What is the dependent variable in this
investigation?
The dependent variable is the extension of the
spring.
 Investigating Hooke’s Law
Method

1. Set up the equipment as shown in the diagram.

2. Use the ruler to measure the length of the unstretched
spring and record this as the start length. Note: A 100g mass
exerts a force of
3. Attach the mass hanger to the spring. This exerts a force of 1N on the spring.
1N.
4. Measure the new length of the spring and use this length to
calculate the extension. (The extension is the length of the
extended spring minus the start length of the spring.)
5. Add a 100g mass to the mass hanger to increase the force
by 1N. Measure and record the extension of the spring.
6. Continue to repeat step 5 until you have a force of 5N
acting on the spring (the mass hanger and four masses).

7. Unload the spring and repeat twice more to calculate a

mean.
 Investigating Hooke’s Law

Force Extension (cm)

(N) Repeat Repeat Repeat
Mean
1 2 3
1
2
3
4
5
 Investigating Hooke’s Law

Extension (cm)
Force (N)
Repeat 1 Repeat 2 Repeat 3 Mean
1 2.5 2.6 2.5
2 5.0 4.9 5.1
3 7.4 7.5 7.5
4 10.1 10.0 10.1
5
12.5 12.5 12.4

To calculate the mean extension:

• Add up the three repeat measurements.
• Divide the total by three.
Your answer should be given to the same number of significant figures as
the rest of the data.
 Investigating Hooke’s Law
Extension (cm)
Force (N)

Repeat 1 Repeat 2 Repeat 3 Mean

1 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.5

2 5.0 4.9 5.1 5.0
3 7.4 7.5 7.5 7.5
4 10.1 10.0 10.1 10.0
5 12.5 12.5 12.4 12.5

When both variables are continuous, we

draw a line graph.
Proportionality

The results give a straight line

through the origin.

The graph shows that extension

is directly proportional to the
force added.

This means that the rate of

increase in one variable is the
same as the rate of increase in
another.

If you double the force, the

extension also doubles. This is
known as Hooke’s Law.
Turn to Page 18
 Turn to Page 19
Plot the points into the graph &
draw the line of best fit
 Forces and Changing Shape
The extension of some elastic objects can be described by
Hooke’s law.

force (N) = spring constant (N/m) × extension (m)

Spring constant is a measure of the stiffness of a material. It

indicates the force needed to change the length of a material
by 1m.

A larger spring constant means that you need a larger force

to stretch the material.

Not all elastic objects obey Hooke’s Law.

 The Elastic Limit

An elastic object can only be

stretched a certain amount
before it is permanently
deformed.

When an object has reached

its elastic limit, it will no
longer go back to its original
shape after being stretched.

Once a spring has reached its

elastic limit, it no longer obeys
Hooke’s Law.
 Turn to Page 21
Label the elastic limit on the
graphs
 Answer the following (write on page 21)
Hanna is investigating friction using a ramp and
a block of wood.

1. What/identify is the independent variable?

2. What/identify is the dependent variable?
3. What/identify is the control variable?
4. State the name of a result that does not fit.
 Answer the following (write on page 21)
Hanna is investigating friction using a ramp and
a block of wood.

1. What is independent variable? Changing- Type of surface

2. What is dependent variable? Measure – Height
3. What is control variable? Keep constant – Type of ramp,
block of wood
4. State the name of a result that does not fit. Outlier
 Learning Objective
To investigate the amount of friction caused by different
surfaces.

Success Criteria
• To describe the effect of friction on an object.
• To investigate how friction varies on different surfaces.
 Can you explain why these
demonstrations work?

This container filled with These two books have had

their pages interlocked. There
rice is being held up with is no glue, yet they cannot be
just a pencil in the centre pulled apart.
of the rice.
 Friction
Friction is a resistive force that grips objects.

It resists the motion of surfaces that are sliding, or trying to

slide, against each other.
• Example; moving a cup.

Friction works in the opposite direction to the direction in

which an object is moving or trying to move.

This means it slows down a moving object.

Why Is Friction Useful?
Read & fill in the best keywords
from pages 24 -28
 Investigating Friction
The amount of friction depends on the materials that the two
surfaces are made from.

You are going to investigate which material provides the most

resistance to the movement of an object.

Which surface provides the greatest frictional force? Rough?

Smooth?

Equipment
a variety of materials
wooden block
newton meter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG4cc2
A1MFI
 Investigating Friction:

1. Set up the wooden block on top of the first material as

shown in the diagram.
2. Hold the newton meter horizontally and pull slowly until
the block starts to move.
3. Reset the block in the starting position and repeat the
measurement twice more with the same material.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 with the other materials.
 Variables
The independent variable is the variable that you change or select the values for. What is
the independent variable in your investigation?
The type of material/surface.

The dependent variable is the variable that is measured for each change of the independent
variable. What is the dependent variable in your investigation?
The force needed to move the block.

A control variable is one which may, in addition to the independent variable, affect the
outcome of the investigation and therefore must be kept constant. What are the control
variables in your investigation?
The mass of the block.
The material of the block.
The position of the block on the material.
The same pulley system (so that friction of the string on the pulley is the same).
The angle at which the string or newton meter pulls the block.
The side of the block in contact with the material.
 Turn to Page 29
Put the seven statements in the
order to show how the
experiment can be carried out
 Turn to page 30
Look at the images and decide if friction is
an advantage or disadvantage in the
situation, then colour in the box you have
chosen. Explain why.
Advantage & Disadvatage of
Friction
 Conclusion
What did you find out?

Which surface provides the greatest frictional force?

How do you know this? (Use your data to support your answer.)

Why does this happen? (Explain the results using your scientific knowledge.)

Key words

friction grip rougher/smoother surface

resist movement force smaller/greater

THE END
Today challenge 1 (Page 31)
Using the Internet or non-fiction books, can you find out
which famous scientist discovered the force of gravity?
How did they discover it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwPc0k
K9VHU
 Learning Objective
To investigate what happens to mass and weight on different
planets.

Success Criteria
• To calculate weight and gravitational field strength.
• To explain the difference between mass and weight.
 Sir Isaac Newton
The man behind it all…

Sir Isaac Newton was born in 1642 or 1643

He died in 1727

He not only discovered

gravity, but also laws of
motion and the light
spectrum.
 The Apple from the Tree
The eureka moment….

Legend has it, that Newton was hit on the head with
an apple and that is how he discovered
gravity. This isn’t quite true…

He did see an apple fall from a tree, but

rather than hitting him on the head, it got
him thinking and that’s how he worked
out that gravity must exist.

Did you know?

This is why the weight of 1 Newton is approximately the same as one apple.
 Gravity is a Force
Gravity is an invisible force that pulls
everything towards the centre of Earth.

It feels like it is pulling ‘down’ but that’s

because wherever you are on Earth, it
is pulling you ‘down’ towards Earth.
Your feet are still on the ground and,
because of gravity, ‘down’ feels the
same wherever you are on Earth.

Gravity is measured in
metres per second squared (m/s²).

What is Earth’s gravity? Earth’s gravity is 9.8m/s².

 Everything Has Gravity
Every object has gravity…an invisible force that pulls things towards its centre.

The bigger the object, the bigger the gravity.

The Sun is huge, so its gravity keeps the planets in our Solar System orbiting it.

Earth’s Moon has its own gravity but it is

smaller (1/6)than Earth so Earth’s
gravity keeps the Moon in orbit around
Earth.

What is the Sun’s gravity?

The Sun’s gravity is 274 m/s²

 Draw an arrow to indicate the
forces present in each image and
label them.

Page 32
 Weight and Mass
Mass is a measure of how much matter or 'stuff' is in an object. (kg)

Weight is the mass of an object, affected by how strong the gravity is.

So, weight is also a force. Weight is the force of a mass pushing down
(by gravity) on the surface on which it is standing.

Weight is measured in Newtons. is standing.

Did you know?

When you measure weight in kilograms you are actually measuring in
kilogram-force, meaning the mass (kg) multiplied by the force of gravity (9.8m/s²).
 What Have We Learnt?
What can you remember? Chat with a friend …

What were the main points?

Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity..

Every object has gravity and it is a force pulling things

towards its centre.

Mass is measured in kg, gravity is measured in m/s²

(N/kg)
and weight is measured in Newtons.
 Learning Objective
To investigate what happens to mass and weight on different
planets.

Success Criteria
• To calculate weight and gravitational field strength.
• To explain the difference between mass and weight.
Big Question: The Man on the Moon
No, he would weigh the
The Man on the same because he is made
Moon weighs 10kg. If of the same amount of
he was on Earth, he stuff as he was when he
would weigh more. was on the Moon.

What do you think?

 Gravity

On Earth, everything is pulled

to the Earth’s centre.

The Earth has a gravitational

field strength of 10 newtons
per kilogram (N/kg).

This means every kilogram on

Earth has a force of 10
newtons acting on it.

Weight (N) = Mass (Kg) X Force of Gravity (N/Kg)

 Mass
Mass is the amount of matter (stuff) an object is
made up of.

The unit of mass is kilograms (kg).

This is Gary.
Gary has a mass of 80kg.
 Weight
Gary has a mass of 80kg. Weight (N) = Mass (Kg) X Force of Gravity (N/Kg)

He is standing on Earth which has a gravitational field strength of

10N/kg.

This means every kilogram of Gary has a force of 10 newtons acting on it.

The total amount of force acting on

Gary is his weight.

What is Gary’s weight?

800N

Since weight is a force its unit is newtons.

 Weight
To calculate weight we use the equation:
weight = mass × gravitational field strength

Gary has a mass of 80kg.

The gravitational field strength on Earth is 10N/kg.

80kg × 10N/kg = 800N

Gary flies to the moon. The gravitational field

strength on the moon is 1.6N/kg.

What is Gary’s mass on the moon?

80kg

What is Gary’s weight on the moon?

128N
 Review again
Big Question: The Man on the Moon
No, he would weigh the
The Man on the same because he is made
Moon weighs 10kg. If of the same amount of
he was on Earth, he stuff as he was when he
would weigh more. was on the Moon.

What do you think?

 Rearranging Equations
mass × gravitational field strength = weight

We need to make mass the subject of this equation.

So we are left with:

mass = weight
gravitational field strength

So we are left with:

gravitational field strength = weight
mass
Class activity
Page 33
Page 34
Homework checking &
discussion
Page 35 - 37
Page 35
 Page
36 & 37
 Learning Intentions
1. Compare mass & weight
2. Identify the forces as balanced or
unbalanced
3. Draw the force arrows on diagrams

Today’s Q:
1. What is the difference between mass and
weight?
2. How do you explain balanced force?
 Mass vs Weight
Sort the statements below into the correct columns.

Mass Weight

The total amount of force acting on an object due to gravity.

The amount of matter an object is made up of.

Measured in newtons (N).

Measured in kilograms (kg).

The value does not change when an object’s location

changes.
The value does change when an object’s location changes.
 Mass vs Weight

Mass Weight
The total amount of force
The amount of matter an
acting on an object due to
object is made up of.
gravity.
Measured in kilograms
Measured in newtons (N).
(kg).
The value does not The value does change
change when an object’s when an object’s location
location changes. changes.
 Match the
image with
the correct
text
Page 39
 FORCES
P1 1.5 – Balanced & unbalanced
The net force is now unbalanced, which
causes a change in motion.

When an object isn't moving, like the paper

plane above, it doesn't mean there
are no forces acting on it. It actually means
that the overall or net force is 0.
 LO

By the end of this lesson I will be able to:

• describe the difference between balanced
and unbalanced forces
• describe situations that are in equilibrium
• explain why the speed or direction of motion
or objects can change.
 Balanced and Unbalanced Forces

When the forces acting on an Unbalanced forces act in opposite

object are the same size but in directions but are not the same
opposite directions we say that size.
they are balanced. One force is greater than the other.

There will be no change in the If forces are unbalanced, there will

motion of the object. It will remain be a change in the motion of an
stationary or keep moving in the object. It may speed up, slow down
same direction, at the same speed. or change direction.
 Question 1
NAME THE FORCE ACTING TO BALANCE THE AEROPLANE:
 Question 2
NAME THE FORCE ACTING TO BALANCE THE ROCKET:
 Movement
A car or bicycle has a driving force pushing it forwards.
There are always counter forces of air resistance and
friction pushing backwards:
1. If the driving force is greater than the counter
forces, there is a resultant force forwards. This will
make the car speed up.
2. If the driving force is less than the counter forces,
there is a resultant force backwards. This will make
the car slow down.
 Movement
If the driving force is the same as the counter forces, there is no resultant
force, and so no change in velocity:
– If the car is already moving, it will carry on at a steady speed in a
straight line.
– If the car is not moving, it will stay still.
 Balanced and Unbalanced Forces

a bouncing ball a runner speeding up a parked car

unbalanced unbalanced balanced

a person sitting on a a parachutist after first the Moon orbiting

chair opening their parachute the Earth

balanced unbalanced unbalanced

 Spot the Mistake
5N

3N
5100n

The values of the forces should be equal. The unit for newtons should be N.

The weight arrow should be pointing down The arrows should be in contact with the
towards the centre of the Earth. ball.
 Let’s tap our brain cells
How much you can do?
Page 40
 Page 41
Add the type of force present at
each image, example
 Page 42
Write whether each of the
situation below are balanced or
unbalanced
 Plenary – Question 3
NAME THE FORCE ACTING TO BALANCE THE BIRD:
 Plenary – Question 4
NAME THE FORCE ACTING TO BALANCE THE GIRL:
 Plenary – Question 5
NAME THE FORCE ACTING TO BALANCE THE BOY: