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CH-6,
HOW
FORCE
NOTES
AFFEC
T
 INTRODUCTION :-
Force is a push or pull that can change the motion, speed, direction, or shape of

MOTIO
an object. This chapter explains how forces act and introduces Newton's laws of
motion, which describe how and why objects move.

N
6.1 The Concept of Force:-
A force can:
 Make an object move from rest (e.g., kicking a ball at rest makes it move).
 Change the speed of a moving object (e.g., pushing something faster or
braking it).
 Change the direction of a moving object (e.g., a cricket bat changes ball
direction).
 Change the shape of an object (e.g., squeezing a lemon changes its shape).
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Important: Force is a physical quantity for which we need to specify direction along
with its magnitude - just like position, displacement, velocity, and acceleration.

SI Unit of Force: Newton (symbol: N). Written with a small 'n' (newton) but symbol is
capital 'N'. The magnitude of the force expresses its strength.
Note: If either the magnitude or direction, or both, of a force applied on an object
changes, the effect of the force also changes.

6.1.1 Measuring the Magnitude

of a Force:-
A spring balance is used to measure the magnitude of a force. It was earlier used
to measure the weight of objects.
The weight of an object is the
gravitational force with which the
Earth pulls the object. However, a
spring balance can measure not
just weight but force in general -
when you pull the free end of a
spring balance, it measures the
force with which you pull the
spring inside.
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Threads of Curiosity: In everyday life, the smallest forces we can directly feel are
of the order of millinewtons (10⁻³ N), such as a light touch. Scientists can
measure forces far smaller, down to yoctonewtons (10⁻²⁴ N) in specialized
experiments (as of 2026).

6.2 Balanced and Unbalanced Forces

In real life, more than one force usually acts on an object. For example:
 When pushing a box on a surface, both the applied force and friction act on it.
 A ball floating on water has gravitational force (downward) and buoyant force
(upward) acting on it.

Balanced Forces :-
When two forces are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction, they are
called balanced forces. The net force on the object is zero, so the object does
not move (or does not change its motion).

Example: In a tug of war, if both teams pull the rope with equal force, the rope
does not move. The forces are balanced.

Unbalanced Forces :-
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When the forces acting on an object are not equal, a non-zero net force acts on
the object. The object moves in the direction of the larger force (or accelerates).

Example: If one team in a tug of war pulls harder, the rope moves in that
direction.

Net Force Rules:

Two forces in opposite directions: Net force = difference of magnitudes;
direction is along the larger force.
Two forces in the same direction: Net force = sum of magnitudes; direction is
the same as both forces.

Example: Two forces of 10 N and 6 N are acting on a block lying on the table as
shown.
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Ready to Go Beyond:
Sometimes, forces do not act in the same line (parallel or opposite) but at angles
to each other. In such cases, finding the net force is more complex and is studied
in higher classes.
Also, when equal and opposite forces act on different ends of an object, they can
make it rotate instead of move straight. For example, turning a tap or handlebar
causes rotation

6.3 The Force of Friction: Often Overlooked but Always Present

When a force is applied to an object on a surface, the force of friction acts
between the bottom of the object and the surface, in the direction opposite to
the motion.

The object starts moving only when the applied force is larger than the force of
friction, creating a net force in the direction of motion.

Key Facts about Friction:-

 Friction depends on the nature of the surfaces in contact.
 Smoother surfaces have less friction; rougher surfaces have more friction.
 When friction is smaller, an object slows down more slowly and travels a larger
distance before stopping.
 Multiple forces act on a moving object: applied force, friction, normal force,
and gravitational force. Normal force and gravitational force balance each
other on a horizontal surface.
 The spring balance measures the force required to just start moving the block,
which equals the force of friction acting on it. When the block moves with
constant velocity, the forces are balanced and the net force is zero. Different
surfaces give different readings, showing that friction varies with surface type-
smaller readings mean less friction and larger readings mean more friction.
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Note: Multiple forces may act on an object, but its motion depends only on
the net force.

Ready to Go Beyond: Apart from the applied force and friction, other forces also
act on an object being pushed - gravitational force (weight, acting downward)
and normal force (exerted by the surface, acting upward, perpendicular to the
surface). These two forces are balanced. Air also exerts a friction force on the box
as it moves through air, but its magnitude is usually so small it can be neglected.

Meet a Scientist - Galileo Galilei: He explained that a force is not needed to keep
an object moving at constant velocity.
He showed through thought experiments that if no resistance (like friction) is
present, an object will continue moving indefinitely.
This idea corrected the earlier belief that continuous force is required for
motion.
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Meet a Scientist - Isaac Newton: Isaac Newton introduced the concept of inertia,
the tendency of objects to resist changes in motion.
He formulated the three laws of motion in 1687, which explain how forces affect
objects.
The SI unit of force, newton (N), is named after him.

6.4 Newton's First Law of Motion:-

Newton's first law of motion can be stated as:
An object at rest remains at rest and an object in motion continues to move
with a constant velocity, unless a net force acts upon the object.
Ex.:- A toy kept on the floor

Object at rest (no net force):

Position-time graph: A horizontal straight line (position does not change with
time).
Velocity-time graph: A horizontal straight line at v = 0 (velocity remains zero).
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Object moving with constant velocity (no net force):

Position-time graph: A straight line inclined to the time axis.
Velocity-time graph: A horizontal straight line at some constant non-zero value.

6.5 Newton's Second Law of Motion :-

It is important to understand the connection between the total or net force acting
on an object and its acceleration.

Newton's second law of motion can be stated as:

When a net force acts on an object, the object accelerates in the direction of
the net force. The magnitude of the acceleration is proportional to the
magnitude of the net force and is inversely proportional to the mass of the
object.
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Mathematical Form:-
a = F/m or F = ma

Where a = acceleration, F = net force, m = mass of the object. The direction of

acceleration is the same as the direction of the net force.

Definition of One Newton :-

One newton of force is defined as the force that produces an acceleration of 1 m
s⁻² on an object of mass 1 kg.
F = (1 kg) × (1 m s⁻²) = 1 kg m s⁻² = 1 N

Gravitational Force:-
When an object falls under gravity, the acceleration involved is called the
acceleration due to gravitational force by the Earth, denoted by g. Its unit is the
same as that of acceleration, m s⁻².

o F = mg

The value of g = 9.8 m s⁻². It can be taken as nearly constant near the surface of
the Earth. For quick estimations, one can also take g = 10 m s⁻².

Real-Life Applications of Newton's Second Law:-

 Pulling hands back while catching a cricket ball increases the time of stopping,
reducing force and preventing injury.
 Airbags increase the time of impact during a collision, which reduces the force
on passengers and lowers injury risk.
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 In contrast, a coconut hitting the ground stops in very little time, producing a
large force that breaks it.

Note: The acceleration due to gravitational force by the Earth (g) does not
depend on the mass of the object.

Threads of Curiosity: If you hold a 100 g mass in your palm, the upward force
your palm applies on the mass is around 1 N.

Ready to Go Beyond: Momentum is the product of mass and velocity, and it has
the same direction as velocity. Newton's second law can be stated as the rate of
change of momentum being proportional to the net force and occurring in its
direction. This form is useful even when the mass of an object is not constant.
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6.6 Newton's Third Law of Motion:-

Force always arises due to interaction between two objects. When one object
exerts a force on another, the second object also exerts a force back. This idea is
explained by Newton's third law of motion.

Newton's third law of motion can be stated as:

Whenever one object is exerting a force on a second object, the second object
is simultaneously exerting an equal and opposite force on the first object.

Newton's third law applies to all types of forces - contact forces as well as non-
contact forces (magnetic, electrostatic, gravitational).
 The magnitudes of the action and reaction forces are always equal.
 The directions are always opposite.
 They act on different objects, so they do not balance each other.

Real-Life Applications of Newton's Third Law:-

 Kicking a ball: Foot pushes the ball, and the ball pushes the foot back.

 Walking/Running: Foot pushes the ground backward, and the ground pushes
you forward.
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 Cycling: Feet push the ground backward, and the ground pushes the cycle
forward.

 Rowing: Paddle pushes water backward, and water pushes the boat forward

 Rocket launch: Gas is pushed downward, and the rocket is

pushed upward.
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