Forces
100: What is a force?
A force is a push or pull on an object.
100: What is velocity?
Velocity is the speed of an object in a specific direction.
100: What is a force diagram?
A force diagram is a drawing that shows all the forces acting on an object using arrows.
100: What is a contact force?
A contact force is a force that occurs when two objects physically touch.
100: What is net force?
Net force is the overall force acting on an object after all forces are combined.
200: Describe what happens to an object when a force is applied.
The object may move, change direction, speed up, or slow down.
200: How does acceleration relate to velocity?
Acceleration is the rate at which velocity changes over time.
200: How do arrows represent forces?
Arrows represent the direction and strength of a force; the longer the arrow, the stronger the force.
200: Name a noncontact force.
Gravity is a noncontact force.
200: How do you calculate net force?
Add all the forces acting in one direction and subtract the forces acting in the opposite direction.
300: How is force measured?
Force is measured in newtons (N).
300: Give an example of unbalanced forces.
A car speeding up when you press the gas pedal is an example of unbalanced forces.
300: Sketch a force diagram for a ball being thrown.
Imagine a ball with arrows showing gravity pulling down, and a smaller arrow pointing in the direction of the throw.
300: How do contact forces differ from noncontact forces?
Contact forces require physical contact between objects, while noncontact forces act over a distance without touching.
300: What happens when forces are equal and opposite?
When forces are equal and opposite, they cancel each other out, resulting in no change in motion.
400: What are balanced forces?
Balanced forces are equal in size but opposite in direction, so they cancel each other out and do not change an object's motion.
400: Describe the motion of a seesaw.
A seesaw moves up and down, with one side going up while the other goes down, depending on the balance and balanced/unbalanced force interactions.
400: Explain the role of force diagrams in understanding motion.
Force diagrams help visualize how different forces interact to affect an object's movement.
400: Give examples of both types of forces.
Friction, elastic, tension is a contact force, and magnetism, gravity, electrostatic is a noncontact force.
400: Describe a situation with multiple forces acting on an object.
A box being pushed across the floor has forces from the push, friction, gravity, and the floor supporting it.
500: Explain. "For Every Action....."
Newton's Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
500: Explain how forces affect a paper airplane's flight.
Forces like lift, gravity, thrust, and drag determine the paper airplane's flight path and distance.
500: Create a force diagram for a person pushing a cart.
Picture a cart with an arrow pointing forward for the push and another smaller arrow pointing backward representing friction.
500: Analyze forces in a scenario involving a magnet and metal.
A magnet pulls the metal towards it with a noncontact force, while any resistance from the metal is a contact force.
500: How do net forces affect motion in a train?
If the net force is forward, the train speeds up; if the net force is backward, the train slows down or stops.