Forces

Scalar and Vector quantities

• What is a scalar quantity?
• Something that has magnitude only.
• What is a vector quantity?
• Something that has magnitude and direction.

p h
35 m
Sort the following into the correct table

Scalar Vector

velocity
Force displacement distanc
speed
e
density energy
mass
Drag
weight temper
Acceleration power ature
Sort the following into the correct table

Scalar Vector
speed velocity

distance displacement

mass weight
energy Force
density Acceleration
power
Drag
temper
ature
What is a force?
• A push (repulsion) or pull (attraction) in a specific direction.
• See them every day and are a fundamental concept within physics.
What is a force?
• A push (repulsion) or pull
(attraction) in a specific
direction.
• See them every day and are
a fundamental concept
within physics.
• Can be defined by Newton’s
second law:
Σ 𝐹=𝑚𝑎
Contact and non-contact
• Some forces need physical contact in order to be created and others
don’t. (This isn’t strictly true but kinda looks like it)
• We call these, contact forces.
• Other forces don’t need to touch in order to act on objects.
• We call these non-contact forces.
Contact and non-contact
• Some forces need physical
contact in order to be created Examples of contact forces:
and others don’t. (This isn’t
strictly true but kinda looks
• Reaction force
like it)
• We call these, contact forces. • Tension
• Other forces don’t need to
touch in order to act on
objects. • Friction
• We call these non-contact
forces.
 Contact and non-contact
• Some forces Examples of contact
forces:
Example of non-contact forces:
need physical
contact in order
to be created
• Reaction force • Magnetic forces
and others • Tension
don’t. (This isn’t
strictly true but
• Friction • electrical forces
kinda looks like
it) • gravitational forces.
• We call these,
contact forces.
• Other forces
don’t need to
touch in order to
act on objects.
• We call these
non-contact
forces.
Gravity
• A force due to the mass
that objects have.
• The larger an object, the
greater the force due to
gravity.
• Everything with mass
experiences a force due to
gravity.
Weight, gravity and Mass
Weight, gravity and mass
• Weight is the force due to gravity acting on an
object due to it’s mass.
• Mass is a measure of how large something is
regardless of the force due to gravity.
• So, the mass on the moon and the earth is the
same, but you weigh less on the moon.
• Weight = mass x gravitational field strength
Weight calculation exam question
Free body
diagrams
• Sometimes it helps to simplify
situations in physics into a
simpler model than we can
understand.
• All we have to consider, is the
forces acting from the centre of
mass.
Free body
diagrams
Thrust
• Sometimes it helps to simplify
Thrust
situations in physics into a
simpler model than we can
understand. Drag

Weight
Drag Weight
 Normal force
Free body diagrams
• Sometimes it helps to simplify situations in physics
into a simpler model than we can understand.
• The rules:
• Forces are vectors, so have magnitude and
direction.
• Draw all forces in the system from where they act
on the body.
• The length of the arrow is the magnitude of the
vector.
• Arrows point in the general direction of the force.
Weight = mg
Exam Question
exam question
Resolving forces in 1 dimension
• In order to make things as simple as possible, we can take a free body
diagram and simplify it further.
• E.g.
• Has forces
Normal Force
Thrust
Drag

Mg
Resolving forces in 1 dimension
• In order to make things as simple as possible, we can take a free body
diagram and simplify it further.
• E.g. Mg = Normal force Normal Force
• Has forces So no resultant
force vertically.
Thrust
Drag

Mg
Resolving forces in 1 dimension
• In order to make things as simple as possible, we can take a free body
diagram and simplify it further.
• E.g.
Drag
• Has forces
Thrust

Thrust is greater than drag,

so there is a horizontal
resultant force.
Resolving forces in 1 dimension
• In order to make things as simple as possible, we can take a free body
diagram and simplify it further.
• E.g.
• Has forces
• If the Thrust is 70N and the drag force is 20N what is the resultant?
• 70N-20N = 50N
• What will happen to the car?
• Move forwards.
Thrust
Drag
Resolving forces in 1 dimension
• In order to make things as simple as possible, we can take a free body
diagram and simplify it further.
• E.g.
• Has forces
• So if the forces are acting along the same line, we can simply add or
subtract them.
• But what if this was the case?

Thrust
Drag
Resolving forces in 1 dimension
• In order to make things as simple as possible, we can take a free body
diagram and simplify it further.
• E.g.
• Has forces
• So if the forces are acting along the same line, we can simply add or
subtract them.
• But what if this was the case?
u st
r
• Now we have to resolve in 2 dimensions. Th

Drag
Exam Question
Protractor Ruler Pencil

Resultant forces in 2D
Equipment, you will need:
What is the resultant
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force.
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction.
What is the resultant
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force.
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction.

3N

4N
What is the resultant
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force.
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction.

3N • So the forces are between 0 and 10N so

I’d say 1N = 1cm when I draw it all out.
• If it was 30N and 40N, id have 10N be
1cm. etc

4N
What is the resultant
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force.
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction.

3N

4N
What is the resultant
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force.
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction.

3N 3N = 3cm

4N
What is the resultant
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force.
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction.

3N 3N = 3cm

4N = 4cm
4N
What is the resultant
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force.
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction.

3N 3N = 3cm

4N = 4cm
4N
What is the resultant
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force.
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction.

3N 3N = 3cm

4N = 4cm
Re ce
for
su
lta
4N

nt
What is the resultant
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force.
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction.

3N 3N = 3cm

4N = 4cm
Re ce
for
su
lta
4N

nt
What is the resultant
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force.
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction.

3N 3N = 3cm

4N = 4cm
Re ce
for
su
lta
4N

nt
What is the resultant
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force.
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction.

3N 3N = 3cm

Re cm =

4N = 4cm
=5
su
lta 5N
4N nt
for
ce
What is the resultant
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force.
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction.

3N 3N = 3cm

4N = 4cm
Resultant force =
4N
5cm = 5N
What is the resultant
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force.
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction.

3N 3N = 3cm

4N = 4cm
Resultant force =
4N
5cm = 5N
What is the resultant
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force.
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction.

3N 3N = 3cm

4N = 4cm
Resultant force =
4N
5cm = 5N
What is the resultant
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force. • Goes from 90 to 143
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude. degrees.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction. • So 143 – 90 = 53.
3N 3N = 3cm

4N = 4cm
Resultant force =
4N
5cm = 5N
What is the resultant
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force.
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction.

3N 3N = 3cm

Resultant force = θ

4N = 4cm
5cm = 5N
4N
• Goes from 90 to 143
degrees.
• So angle is 143 – 90 =
53.
What is the resultant
• Final thing!
• Step 1: Pick a good scale based on the forces given.
• Step 2: Draw forces tip to tail to scale.
• State which way the
• Step 3: Connect forces to get resultant force. angle goes in your final
• Step 5: Measure the resultant with a ruler to get the magnitude. answer.
• Step 6: Measure the angle with a protractor to get the direction.
• So Resultant force is 5N
3N 3N = 3cm at 53 degrees below the
θ horizontal.
Resultant force =

4N = 4cm
5cm = 5N
4N
• Goes from 90 to 143
degrees.
• So angle is 143 – 90 =
53.