5 Probe and ponder z Why does it feel harder to pedal a bicycle when going uphill than on flat

ground? z Why is it easier to slip on a wet surface? z Why do we feel ‘light’ or like we are ‘floating’
just after our swing reaches its highest point and begins to come down? z Share your questions 62 ?
Curiosity — Textbook of Science for Grade 8Chapter 5 — Exploring Forces It was a windy day. Sonali
and Ragini were excited to go cycling. Their summer vacation had just begun, and they wanted to
explore the beautiful landscapes around their village. After pumping air into their bicycle tyres, they
set off. As they rode through the village, the wind rushed past them. “Oh no! The wind is pushing me
hard!” said Ragini. Smiling, Sonali replied, “We are riding against the wind. We must push our pedals
harder to move faster.” Their ride took them up a long path to a hilltop. Some parts of the road were
rough where they found it hard to pedal, while other parts were smoother. When they reached the
top and were enjoying the view, they heard thunder and saw flashes of lightning at a distance. Even
though it looked beautiful, they decided to head back immediately. On the way back, while passing a
herd of sheep, they pressed their bicycle bells and turned the handles to change direction. As they
were coming down the slope of the hill, they realised that their bicycles were moving down at a
great speed even though they were not pedalling! Sonali yelled, “It’s thrilling! It seems something is
pulling us downhill, what could it be?” 5.1 What Is a Force? Let us try to experience the push and the
pull. Activity 5.1: Let us explore z Take a large cardboard box. z Try moving the box in as many
different ways as you can think of. (a) 63 (b) Fig. 5.1: Moving a box in different ways (a) Pushing; (b)
Pulling; (c) Lifting (pulling up), and carrying Did you move the box in any other way than shown in
Fig. 5.1? In all the ways that you might have used to move the box, you had to apply a push or pull to
the box. Generally, the push or pull applied on an object is called force in science. (c)5.2 What Can a
Force Do to the Bodies on Which It Is Applied? We experience push or pull in our daily lives all the
time, often without even realising it. Let us recall some of these experiences and analyse them.
Activity 5.2: Let us analyse z Think of situations where a force (push or pull) is applied and list them
in Table 5.1. z Analyse each situation and write the effect of the force in Table 5.1. Some situations
and their effects are already listed for you. Table 5.1: Different actions and their effects [Link]. 1. 2. 3.
Action Your friend holding your moving bicycle from behind to stop it Hitting a moving ball with a bat
balloon Push/Pull Pull Push Pressing an inflated ………………… Push ………………… Effect Stopping or
decreasing the speed of the bicycle Changing the direction of a moving ball Change in shape of the
balloon ………………… What do you conclude from these examples? Does a force cause a moving
object to stop? Can it change speed, or direction of motion, or change the shape of an object? Fig.
5.2: Applying force on objects 64 Curiosity — Textbook of Science for Grade 8Chapter 5 — Exploring
Forces In everyday life, we come across many situations where a force is applied, for example,
opening a drawer, stretching a rubber band, a fielder stopping a ball, kicking a football, applying
brakes on a moving bicycle, rolling a chapati, or turning the steering handle of an autorickshaw.
What effect can the application of force have on objects? The force applied on an object may z make
an object move from rest. z change the speed of an object if it is moving. z change the direction of
motion of an object. z bring about a change in the shape of an object. z cause some or all of these
effects. Does this mean that whenever there is a change in speed or direction, or change in shape, a
force is acting on the object? Yes, none of these take place without the action of force. A step
further Suppose an object is at rest. Does it mean that no force is acting on this object? It means that
the forces acting on the object are balancing one another. You will learn about balanced forces in
higher grades. 65 5.3 Are Forces an Interaction Between Two or More Objects? When you push a
table, your hand is one object applying force on another object — the table. Here, we say that your
hand and the table are two objects interacting with each other. Think of all the actions listed in Table
5.1. How many objects are involved in each of the actions? Do you notice that forces result only
when two objects are interacting in some way or the other? From these examples, we can infer that
at least two objects must interact for a force to come into play. A force is a push or pull on an object
resulting from the object’s interaction with another object. The SI unit of force is newton (written
with a small ‘n’) and its symbol is N.A step further When you pushed the table with your hand, did
you feel a force on your hand too? The moment you stopped pushing, the force on your hand
disappeared. Whenever two objects interact, each object experiences a force from the other. As
soon as the interaction ceases, the two objects no longer experience the force. 5.4 What Are the
Different Types of Forces? 5.4.1 Contact forces In many situations, we find that to apply a force on
an object, physical contact is necessary between our body and the object. This contact can be direct,
such as using our hands or other body parts, or indirect, such as using a stick or rope. Forces of this
type which act only when there is physical contact between the objects are called contact forces.
Muscular force An example of contact force is muscular force. When we perform any physical
activity, such as walking, running, lifting, pushing, jumping, or stretching, the force is caused by the
action of muscles in our body. The force resulting due to the action of muscles is known as muscular
force. Muscular force occurs when muscles contract and elongate while doing any activity. Animals,
birds, fish, and insects use muscular forces for movement and survival. Fig. 5.3: Use of muscular
force by living beings 66 Curiosity — Textbook of Science for Grade 8Chapter 5 — Exploring Forces
Humans used the muscular force of some animals to carry out many tasks for a long time. Fig. 5.4:
Use of muscular force of animals to assist with human tasks Ever heard of ... Muscular force plays an
important role in many functions inside our body too. This force helps us chew food and push it
through the alimentary canal during the process of digestion. The expansion and contraction of our
heart muscles allows the blood to circulate in our body — a process essential for survival. Friction A
ball rolling on a flat ground stops on its own after some time. If we stop pedalling our bicycle on a
flat road, it slows down and comes to a stop. If the road is rough, it stops sooner than on a smoother
road. You must have come across many such experiences. What causes the change in the speed of
objects in such situations? We have learnt earlier that a force is essential to change the speed of an
object. However, in all these situations no force appears to be acting on the objects, yet their speed
gradually decreases and they come to a stop after some time. Is it possible that some force is indeed
acting on them? Which force is that? Is there any other contact force? 67 Activity 5.3: Let us
investigate z Take an object with a flat base (such as an empty lunch box/ geometry box/ a
notebook) and place it on a table or floor. z Gently push it and observe. Does it stop after travelling
some distance? Is there a force acting on it which brings it to rest? z Now repeat by pushing the
object in the opposite direction. Does it stop again after travelling some distance?Fig. 5.5: Friction
acts between two surfaces and opposes the motion of the object. On pushing, the object stops after
sliding a certain distance. This must be due to a force acting between the surfaces of the sliding
object and the table or floor which are in contact. This force must be acting on the object in a
direction opposite to its direction of motion. This force is what brings the object to a stop. The force
that comes into play when an object moves or tries to move over another surface is called the force
of friction or simply friction. Friction always acts in a direction opposite to the direction in which the
object is moving or trying to move. The force of friction is a contact force since it arises due to two
surfaces in contact. Friction arises due to the irregularities in the two surfaces in contact. Even
surfaces which appear smooth, have a large number of minute irregularities (Fig. 5.6). When placed
in contact, the irregularities of two surfaces lock into each other and oppose any effort to move one
surface over the other. Does this mean that the force of friction will be greater if the surfaces are
rough? Fig. 5.6: Friction between two surfaces due to irregularities Activity 5.4: Let us explore z Try
Activity 5.3 again, but this time place the same object on different surfaces, such as glass, cloth,
wood, ceramic tile, and sand. z Does the object stop after travelling the same distance as in Activity
5.3? z Does the object stop at the same distance on all surfaces? For different surfaces, the object
stops after moving different distances so we can say that the force of friction depends upon the
nature of the surfaces in contact. Friction is greater on rough surfaces. A step further Does the force
or friction act only if the objects are moving on solid surfaces? What about objects moving through
liquids and gases? Air, water, and other liquids also exert force of friction on the objects moving
through them. Hence the objects, such as aeroplanes, ships, boats, or high-speed trains are designed
with specific shapes to reduce the force of friction due to the air or water around them. 68 Curiosity
— Textbook of Science for Grade 8Chapter 5 — Exploring Forces Is it essential for an object applying
force on another object to always be in contact with it? 5.4.2 Non-contact forces There are forces
whose effect can be experienced even if the objects are not in contact. These forces are called non-
contact forces. Let us learn about non-contact forces. Magnetic force Do you remember learning
about magnets in the chapter ‘Exploring Magnets’ in Curiosity, Grade 6? We learnt that a magnet
attracts objects made of magnetic materials. When two magnets are brought close to each other,
like poles (North–North, South–South) repel each other while unlike poles (North–South) attract
each other. In an earlier chapter of this book, we also learnt about electromagnets which behave like
magnets. Attraction and repulsion between objects are also a form of push and pull, that is, a force.
Can you recall that a magnet could exert force on another magnet or a magnetic material without
being in contact with it? Activity 5.5: Let us test z Take two ring magnets and a wooden stick. z While
holding the stick in a vertical position over a wooden table, insert one ring magnet onto the stick
(Fig. 5.7). z Now insert the second ring magnet above it such that the like poles of the two magnets
face each other. Does the second magnet stay floating above the first magnet? z Try pushing the
second magnet down gently. Do you feel a force on it? z Now, reverse the poles of both the
magnets. Does the second magnet still remain floating? We find that a magnet can exert force on
another magnet without being in contact with it. The force exerted by a magnet on another magnet
or a magnetic material is called magnetic force. Since a magnet can exert a force from a distance
without being in contact it is called a non-contact force. Are there more such forces which act from a
distance? 69 Fig. 5.7: Force between two ring magnetsElectrostatic force Activity 5.6: Let us
experiment Fig. 5.8: Charged plastic scale attracting small paper pieces z Take a plastic scale or a
plastic straw, a piece of polythene, and small pieces of paper. z Rub plastic scale/straw vigorously
with polythene. z Do not touch the rubbed part with your hand or any metal object. z Now, bring it
close to the small pieces of paper placed on a table, taking care not to touch the paper pieces (Fig.
5.8). Do you notice something surprising? The paper pieces get pulled towards the plastic
scale/straw and stick to it when it is brought close to paper pieces. Why does this happen? When
two objects of certain materials are rubbed together, electrical charges build up on their surfaces.
These charges are called static charges as they do not move by themselves. The object that acquires
static charges is said to be a charged object. A charged object attracts, that is, exerts a force on
uncharged objects made of certain materials, such as small pieces of paper. This force comes into
play even when the bodies are not in contact. Let us do another activity with objects made of
different materials. Activity 5.7: Let us experiment (a) (b) Fig. 5.9: (a) Two uncharged balloons; (b)
Two charged balloons repelling each other 70 z Take two balloons, a length of thread, and a woollen
cloth. z Inflate two balloons and hang them in such a way that they do not touch each other as
shown in Fig. 5.9a. z Rub both balloons with the woollen cloth and release them. Be careful not to
touch the rubbed balloons with your fingers. What do you observe? We observe that the balloons
move away from each other as if they are repelling each other (Fig. 5.9b). z Now bring the woollen
cloth used for rubbing the balloons close to one of the rubbed balloons. What happens? They move
towards each other as if they are attracting each other. What do we infer from these observations?
Curiosity — Textbook of Science for Grade 8Chapter 5 — Exploring Forces We found that the two
similarly charged balloons repel each other whereas a charged balloon and the woollen cloth (with
which the balloon was rubbed) attract each other. Does this indicate that the charge on the balloon
is of a different kind from the charge on the woollen cloth? Does it mean that there are two kinds of
electrical charges? 71 Since the balloons were charged in the same way, we can say that they have
acquired similar charges. As the similarly charged balloons repelled each other, we can infer that
similar (like) charges repel each other. Both the rubbing object and the rubbed object get charged
but they acquire opposite kind of charges. Their attraction shows that opposite kind (unlike) of
charges attract each other. The two kinds of static charges are said to be ‘positive’ and ‘negative’.
The force exerted by a charged body on another charged body or an uncharged body is called
electrostatic force. It is a non-contact force. A step further When the charges move, they constitute
an electric current in an electrical circuit. It is the same current which makes a lamp glow or
generates a heating effect or a magnetic effect. Gravitational force Activity 5.8: Let us observe z Take
a ball and throw it vertically upwards. Does it come down? z Now throw it again, but this time
harder. Does it still fall back down to the ground? Think about different situations around you where
any object thrown up in any direction, finally falls or comes back to the ground or floor. Fig. 5.10:
Some objects falling towards the EarthWhy do all the objects fall towards the Earth? Is there any
force which acts on them? What exerts this force? Since all the objects fall towards the Earth, it
means the Earth attracts (pulls) them. The force with which the Earth attracts objects towards itself
is called the gravitational force. The gravitational force exerted by the Earth is also called force of
gravity or simply gravity. Since the gravitational force acts without contact with the object it attracts,
it is a non-contact force. Gravitational force is always an attractive force, unlike magnetic force or
electrostatic force, which can either be attractive or repulsive. (a) (b) Fig. 5.11: (a) Dropping an
object from a height; (b) Throwing an object vertically upwards Does the Earth pull every object
with equal force? You might have noticed that when an object is dropped from a height, it takes a
straight vertical path downwards before touching the ground (Fig. 5.11a). When an object is thrown
vertically upwards, the object moves up straight, slows down, stops momentarily at the top, and
then takes a straight vertical path downwards (Fig. 5.11b). While going up, the speed of the object
goes on decreasing till the object comes to a stop, its direction of motion changes and while coming
down the speed goes on increasing. We say that the object undergoes a vertical motion when it
moves in a vertical direction under the influence of the gravitational force. 5.5 Weight and Its
Measurement The force with which the Earth pulls an object towards itself is called the weight of
the object. The weight measures how strongly an object is pulled by the Earth. Since the weight is a
force, it is measured in the same unit as that of force. Therefore, SI unit of weight is also newton (N).
72 Curiosity — Textbook of Science for Grade 8Chapter 5 — Exploring Forces Let us now try to find
out if the Earth pulls every object with equal force. Activity 5.9: Let us explore z Take a spring and a
few objects of different masses, such as a pencil box, a tiffin box, and a small stone. z Hang one end
of the spring from a nail. From the other end, hang an object and observe the spring. Does the spring
stretch? z Now hang the other objects, one by one and notice the stretch in the spring each time. Is
the stretch caused by each object the same? When an object is hung from a spring, the spring
stretches due to the force applied on the object by the Earth. We find that the stretch caused in the
spring is different for different objects. This indicates that the Earth pulls different objects with
different forces, that is, the weight of different objects is different. Can we use the spring to measure
the weight of an object? (a) 73 A step further (b) Fig. 5.12: (a) A hanging spring; (b) Two different
objects hung from the spring A spring balance is a simple device used to measure weight (force). It
consists of a spring fixed at one end, with a hook attached at the other end. When we hang an object
from the hook, the spring stretches, and the amount of stretching gives the weight of the object.
There is a scale on the balance which is marked to show the weight (force) in newton. Usually, there
is also another scale to show the corresponding values of mass in gram (g). These values have been
marked with the assumption that the spring balance is used on the Earth, with the Earth’s
gravitational force attracting the object. Let us learn to measure the weight using a spring balance.
But first, let us familiarise ourselves with a spring balance the way we did with thermometer earlier
(in the chapter ‘Temperature and Its Measurement’ in Curiosity, Grade 6). Activity 5.10: Let us
observe z Look at the spring balance shown in Fig. 5.13 carefully. What is the maximum weight it can
measure? The maximum weight it can measure is 10 N. Thus, this scale has a range of 0 to 10 [Link].
5.13: A spring balance and close-up of its scale Let us now try to find the smallest value of weight
that can be measured by the spring balance. Activity 5.11: Let us calculate z Look at the spring
balance shown in Fig. 5.13 and note down the following: { How much is the weight difference
indicated between the two bigger marks? The weight difference indicated between 0 and 01 N or
between 01 N and 02 N is 1 N. { How many divisions (shown by smaller marks) are there between
these two bigger marks? There are 5 divisions between these marks. { How much weight does one
small division indicate? One small division can read 1 N 5 = 0.2 N. So, the smallest value that the
spring balance can read is 0.2 N. Now using this method, calculate the smallest value of weight that
can be measured with the spring balance given to you. Your school laboratory may have spring
balances for which the range and the value of the smallest division may be different. It is, therefore,
always necessary to look carefully at the spring balance (or any other instrument) you are about to
use. Let us now learn how to measure weight using a spring balance. Activity 5.12: Let us measure z
Take a spring balance and a few objects. Keep in mind that the objects should not be heavier than
the maximum value of weight the spring balance can measure, otherwise it may get damaged. z
Suspend the objects one by one from the hook (Fig. 5.14). Read the scale for weight carefully and
record your observations in the Table 5.2. Table 5.2: Measuring weight using a spring balance [Link].
1. 2. Fig. 5.14: Object suspended from a spring balance Object Pencil Box Partially filled water bottle
Weight (N) 74 Curiosity — Textbook of Science for Grade 8Chapter 5 — Exploring Forces You can
repeat Activities 5.10 to 5.12 for the mass scale shown on the left side on the spring balance (Fig.
5.13) to measure the mass of an object. A step further The mass of an object can be measured
indirectly by measuring its weight (using a spring balance) or by comparing its weight with the
weight of an object of a known mass (using a beam balance). Since the weight of an object remains
almost the same everywhere on the Earth, so for all practical purposes it is acceptable to weigh an
object to find its mass. 75 As we have learnt earlier (in the chapter ‘Materials Around Us’ in
Curiosity, Grade 6), mass is the amount of matter in an object and is measured in grams (g) or
kilograms (kg). Its value remains the same at every place. Weight, on the other hand, is the
gravitational force with which the Earth (or another planet) pulls an object. Since gravitational force
can vary very slightly from place to place on the Earth (and can be very different on different
planets), weight can change, but mass does not. What is the difference between weight and mass? A
step further The gravitational force of different planets on an object is different. Thus, the weight of
an object is different on different planets, as shown in the following table, even though its mass
remains the same. Planet Earth Mass of the object 1 kg Weight of the object 10 N Moon Mars Venus
Jupiter 1 kg 1 kg 1 kg 1.6 N 3.8 N 9 N 1 kg 25.4 N A step further In everyday life, particularly for the
goods we commonly use, we are more interested in the amount of matter in an object (its mass),
rather than the force applied by the Earth upon it (its weight). However, though while the units of
mass are used, instead of the term mass, the term weight is typically used. For example, it is said
that the weight of the wheat bag is 10 kg. But in scientific use, this is not correct and it is important
to use the correct terms with their correct units, even if every day language is more casual.5.6
Floating and Sinking If we place some objects on water, some of them float, while others fall to the
bottom. The gravitational force of the Earth is acting on all objects, then why don’t all objects fall to
the bottom? While taking out water from a bucket filled with water using a mug, do you notice that
the mug feels lighter when it is inside water? Let us try to understand this. Activity 5.13: Let us
investigate Fig. 5.15: Plastic bottle in water z Take an empty plastic bottle (with its lid closed tightly)
and a bucket full of water. z Push the bottle in the water (Fig. 5.15). Do you feel an upward push?
Release the bottle. Does it bounce up? You would have felt an upward push and the bottle bounces
back to the surface of the water. This indicates that water applies a force on the bottle in the upward
direction. In fact, all liquids apply a similar force. The force applied by a liquid on an object in the
upward direction is known as upthrust or buoyant force. When an object is placed in a liquid, the
gravitational force due to the Earth acts on it downwards. But a buoyant force is applied on it by the
liquid in the upward direction. If the gravitational force is more than the buoyant force, the object
sinks, but if the two forces are equal, the object floats. One of the factors on which the buoyant
force depends upon, is the density of the liquid. You will learn about density in a later chapter of this
book.``