1

A force is a push or pull experienced by

an object.

There are 2 types of forces:

1. contact forces and

2. non-contact forces
Push or pull on an air track
Contact & non-contact forces
2
This table indicates examples of the
different forces:
Contact forces Non-contact forces
Push or pull Weight
Friction Magnetic
Tension Electrostatic
Normal Gravitational
Applied
Concept of force Adding forces
3
A normal force, (N) is the perpendicular
force applied by a surface to an object on
the surface.
Normal force
weight
If the weight of the book
is 1,5 N, then the normal
force is also 1,5 N in the
opposite direction.

Often the normal force is
vertical if surface is
horizontal
Normal force
4
weight
Perpendicular to plane
Parallel to plane
5


f
g
f
g
cos
f
g
sin
6
If the surface is not horizontal, the normal
force will still be perpendicular to the
surface and will be equal & opposite to
the perpendicular component of the
weight of the object on the slope.
In the diagram, the
normal force:

F
N
= F

Normal on a slope
7
Triangle rule for equilibrium:

When three forces acting at the same
point are in equilibrium, they can be
represented in magnitude and
direction by the sides of a triangle
taken in order.

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A
B
C
Forces A, B, & C are in
equilibrium i.e. no
resultant force.
Each of these vectors is the equilibrant
of the other 2 vectors taken together.
B is thus the equilibrant of A & C etc.
9
If the forces A, B & C are drawn head to
tail they will form a closed triangle
meaning no resultant force.
A
B
C
The resultant is thus zero, the forces are
balanced and are said to be in equilibrium.
Triangle of forces
10
Definition
Equilibrant
The single force that keeps the other
forces that act on an object in
equilibrium.

It is equal in magnitude to the resultant
but acts in the opposite direction (180
0
).

It balances the other vectors.
11
F
2
F
1
R

E

R is the resultant of
F
1
& F
2
.

E is the equilibrant of
F
1
& F
2
.
12
Frictional forces always act in the opposite
direction to that of motion or potential motion.

Friction always acts parallel with the surface.

There are 2 kinds of friction:

1. Static friction f
s
and

2. Kinetic friction f
k
Static friction forces
The coefficient of friction is the ratio of the
normal force to the force of friction.

There are 2 types:
1. The coefficient of static friction

2. The coefficient of kinetic friction

The ratios/equations are:

s
= f
s
/N

k
= f
k
/N

Coefficient of friction forces
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Calculate the coefficient of
kinetic friction on a vehicle of
mass 2 000 kg, if the force
due to friction is 500 N, when
moving at constant velocity
along a horizontal road.
w = f
g
= mg
= 2000 x 9,8
= 19 600 N

k
= f
k
/N = 500 N/19 600 N = 0.0306

Normal = 19 600 N up.
Kinetic friction forces
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f
s
max
is the maximum force due to static
friction just prior to the object starting
to move.

f
s
max
is greater than f
k
and this means
that
s
is greater than
k
for the same
object and surface.

Calculations involving friction can also
be incorporated into objects on slopes.
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Force diagrams are pictures of the object
with forces acting on the object,
represented as arrows.
Applied
friction
normal weight
A box is pulled by
a rope. We
indicate the forces
acting on the box
as in the following
diagram.
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Here the object is represented as a dot
with all the forces acting on the object
pointing away from the dot.
This is how we
represent the
same box as a
free body
diagram.
friction
weight
normal
Applied
Free body diagram
18
If a net or resultant force acts on an object, it
will accelerate in the direction of the force.

If the pushing force is 20 N and the force due
to kinetic friction is 16 N, then the object will
accelerate in the direction of the 20 N force.
20 N
16 N
Net force