Forces
What is a force
A push or a pull
What can forces do
Change the shape of something, its speed, or the
direction that it is moving in.
Explain what a contact force is.
The thing providing the force needs to touch an object
before the force can affect it.
e.g. when you throw a ball, you need to touch the ball to
exert a force on it.
e.g. when riding a bicycle downhill, the brakes need to
touch the wheel to produce friction to slow you down.
Name some contact forces.
Air resistance, water resistance, friction, upthrust.
What is upthrust
The force that makes things float.
Explain what a non-contact force is.
Forces that can affect an object from a distance.
Give examples of non-contact forces.
Gravity, static electricity, magnetism.
What is gravity
A force that pulls objects downwards
What is static electricity
Static electricity can attract things.
What is magnetism
Magnetism attracts objects made of iron and some other
metals. Magnets can also repel other magnets.
What is the unit for measuring force
Newton [N]
What do the direction of the arrows show
The direction of the force. A bigger arrow shows a bigger
force.
Write down 3 ways in which a force can affect a
football.
Shape; when sudden force is applied from foot on the
ball, the ball temporarily changes shape and then
bounces back.
Direction; force applied can change the direction of
the ball.
Speed; a force can cause a stationary ball to move or a
kick can increase or decrease speed of ball.
What is weight
The force of gravity pulling on you. Its units are newtons
[N].
What is mass
The amount of matter in an object. The unit for
measuring mass is grams [g] and kilograms [kg].
Is the force of gravity greater on Earth or the Moon
Earth
Explain why something with the same mass is
heavier on Earth than on the Moon.
An object will have the same mass [amount of matter in
it] on Earth and the Moon but it will have greater weight
on Earth. This is because the Earth’s gravity pulls on
every kg with a force of about 10 N.
An object with a mass of 210 kg on Earth will have
a mass of how much on the Moon
Also 210 kg.
An object with a mass of 210 kg on Earth will have
a weight of how much on Earth. Why
210 x 10 = 2100 N
This is because the Earth’s gravity pulls on every kg with
a force of about 10 N.
Why would you weigh less on the Moon than on
Earth
Because the force of gravity is greater on Earth than on
the Moon.
Why is it important for scientists in different
countries to check their ways of measuring kg
against the same standard mass
To ensure consistency in research results, prevent errors
in research, allow labs worldwide to reproduce each
other’s experiments.
Springs
Materials and objects can be stretched [made longer] or
compressed [made shorter].
The amount of stretch or compression depends on
what
The type of material
Size of the force
It takes a very big force to change the size of some
materials
What are most springs made from
Coils of wire
What is the extension of a spring
The difference between its original length and its
stretched length.
What does elastic mean
When a spring is elastic, it will return to its original length
when the force is removed.
What is Hooke’s Law
The idea that the extension is proportional to the force.
This means that for every 1N increase in the force, the
spring stretches by the same amount.
Does Hooke’s Law apply to all elastic materials
No
What is limit of proportionality
The extension is proportional to the force only up to a
certain point, called the limit of proportionality.
What is elastic limit
If enough force is applied to a spring, it will pass its
elastic limit. The spring will no longer return to its original
length.
What are materials that do not return to their
original shape when a force is removed
Plastic materials
A spring stretches 2 cm when a 10N weight hangs
on it. How far will it stretch with a weight of 20N
4 cm
What is the difference between an elastic and
plastic material
Elastic material - materials that will return to its
original length/shape when the force is removed.
Plastic material – materials that will NOT return to its
original length/shape when the force is removed.
Name on plastic material
Polythene
Is a bungee cord elastic
Yes
Does it follow Hooke’s Law
No
What are inside force meters
Springs
How do force meters work
If the meter is measuring a small force, the spring inside
only stretches a little. If it is measuring a bigger force, the
spring stretches further.
Friction
What is friction
The force between two touching objects. It can slow thins
down or make things still.
Give an example of how we can increase friction by
using certain materials.
Rubber produces a lot of friction. Rubber tyres of a racing
car stop the car from sliding off the road as it speeds
round sharp bends.
Give an example of how we can reduce friction.
We can reduce friction by making surfaces smooth or by
using lubricants [lubrication] such as oil or grease.
Downhill skiers wax the bottom of their skis to make
them very smooth. This reduces friction and allows
them to ski faster.
A bicycle is difficult to ride if there is too much friction
in the axles.
Give one example of friction making something
stay still.
A book resting on a slanted desk. Friction between the
book and desk surface keeps the book from sliding down.
Explain why rubber mats are useful.
It increases friction between your feet and the slippery
floor, preventing you from slipping.
Why should you oil the axles of a bicycle
Oiling axles reduces friction between moving parts so the
wheels turn more smoothly.
Why must you never put oil on the brake blocks of
a bicycle
If you oil the brakes, this reduces friction. It is unsafe
because you won’t be able to stop effectively as the
brakes wont work properly.
Explain why bicycle brakes do not work well in the
rain.
In the rain, water forms a thin layer between the brake
blocks and the wheel rim. This reduces friction so the
brakes cannot grip as strongly. This makes it harder to
stop the bicycle.
The tread on bicycle and car tyres allows water to
escape from under the tyre on wet roads. Why is
this important
Water can get trapped between the tyre and the road
surface. This is dangerous as it reduces friction between
the tyre and road, and the car can skid. The tread keeps
water away, keeping the rubber tyre in direct contact with
the road.
What can friction do, besides slow things down or
make things stay still
It can wear things away – e.g. car tyre.
It can produce heat – e.g. if a car engine runs
without any oil in it, the friction between the moving
parts causes it to overheat and stop working.
It can produce noise – e.g. rusty door hinges squeak
and make a door difficult to open.
Give an example of friction to due to gases.
Air resistance
Give an example of friction due to liquids
Water resistance
How can you reduce air/water resistance
By having smooth shapes and smooth surfaces.
Which part of a bike is designed to increase friction
Brake blocks, tyres, handlebar, pedals
Which part of a bike is designed to reduce friction
Axle
Why does a drag racer have a smooth shape
It can move easily through the air while racing
Why does it have a parachute
The parachute is released at the end of the race to
increase air resistance to help slow the car down
Why do car owners have to replace car tyres
regularly
Because tyres wear out and they need to be replaced so
that it is effective enough to provide friction and the
treads are not worn away and can work to allow water to
escape.
Why racing car tyres don’t last as long as normal
tyres.
Racing cars go at a much higher speed, a lot more
friction is produced and so the tyres wear off faster than
normal tyres.
How could you stop a door hinge squeaking
Adding machine oil which is a lubricant to reduce friction
What are 3 effects of friction between moving
objects
Slows down objects - brakes slow down cars
Generates heat – when 2 objects rub together
Causes wear and tear - car tyres
Pressure
What is pressure
The amount of force pushing on a certain area.
Why does a walker wear snowshoes
To spread his weight as the snowshoes reduce the
pressure under his feet, to stop them sinking into the
snow.
Why do mountaineers wear crampons on boots
The crampons have spikes to concentrate the weight. The
points stick to ice to stop her slipping. The crampons
increase the pressure of her feet on the ice.
The size of the pressure depends on what
The size of the force
The size of the area it is pushing on
If you keep size of the force the same, what will
happen
For a larger area, the pressure will be lower
For a smaller area, the pressure will be higher
If you keep the area the same, what will happen
For a larger force, the pressure will be higher
For a smaller force, the pressure will be lower
Pressure = force
_________
Area
Pa = N
______________
m2/cm2
Balanced and Unbalanced
Two forces acting on an object can work against each
other if they are in opposite directions.
When does an object stay still?
If 2 forces are the same size, nothing will change. The
forces are balanced. We say that the forces are equal and
opposite.
When does an object move?
If one of the forces is stronger than the other, something
will move. The forces are unbalanced.
When will an object change its speed?
If the unbalanced forces are acting on a moving object,
the object will change its speed.
Rules
If forces are equal on a stationary object, object does
not move.
If forces are equal on a moving object, object moves at
a steady speed.
If forces are not equal on a stationary object, object will
move.
If forces are not equal on a moving object, object will
change its speed.