BLOCK 1 GENERAL PHYSICS

Topic 1.5 : FORCES

Subtopic : Effects of forces
By Zainul Arfeen 1
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Force
Force is a push or a pull.
Force can change the size, shape and motion of a body.
Unit of force is NEWTON (N).
Force can be measured with a spring balance.

Examples: Friction, weight, air resistance, electrostatic

force, magnetic forces, Tension, Upthrust and Normal
Contact force.
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Newton’s first law of motion
If the forces acting on a body is balanced, then
If it is at rest, it will continue to stay at rest.
If it is moving, it will keep on moving at a constant
speed in a straight line.

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Balanced forces
If the forces acts on a body is balanced:
it stay at rest

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or
it moves with constant speed.

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If the forces acts on the body is balanced, then the
resultant force is zero.
Example 1:

Resultant force = 6000 − 6000 = 0 N

Example 2:

Resultant force = 500 − 500 = 0 N 8

Newton’s second law of motion
The acceleration of the body is directly proportional to the
direction of force applied and inversely proportional to the mass of
the body.

The greater the mass of an object, the smaller acceleration it is

given by a particular force.

The force, mass and acceleration can be combined into

the following equation:
Force = mass × acceleration
F = ma

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Unbalanced forces
Unbalanced forces causes
a stationary body to move

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Or
a moving body to change its velocity

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If the forces acts on a body is unbalanced , then
there will be a resultant force.
Example 1:

Resultant force = 5000 − 1500 = 3500 N

The forces act on a car is unbalance, so it accelerates
because forward force is greater than backward force.
Example 2:

Resultant force = 6000 − 2000 = 4000 N

The forces act on a car is unbalance, so it decelerates
because backward force is greater than forward force. 12
Example question
A block of mass 20 kg is pushed along a road with a force
of 30 N. The frictional force is 10 N.

What is the acceleration of the block?

Ans: F = ma
a=? a = F/m = 20/20
F = 30 – 10 = 20N a = 1m/s2
m = 20kg

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Friction
Friction is the force which opposes motion. i.e., stopping
force
It always acts opposite to the direction of travel.

Friction can be reduced by adding lubricants.

e.g. lubricating oil, grease.

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Cause of friction
Molecules in materials have a tendency to stick to each
other when materials are pressed or rubbed together.

Nature of the surface: rough surfaces have more

friction due to up’s and down’s which catch each other.

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Advantages of friction
Friction helps us to walk
Friction helps us to hold the objects
Friction helps us to stop a moving object.
Disadvantages of friction
Machine parts rub together and become lose
Shoes and clothes wear and tear
It heats up the moving parts and some energy is
wasted in the form of heat.

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Effects of friction on the motion of a vehicle
Tyre surface
If the vehicle is having more tyre surface, then the
frictional force acting on it will be more.
If tyre surface of vehicle is less, then the frictional
force acting on it will be less.

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Road conditions
If the road is having rough surface, the frictional
force will be more.

If the road is having smooth surface, the frictional

force will be less.

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Thinking distance (How far object travels just before
brake applied.)
If the vehicle is having more tyre surface, thinking
distance will be less.
If the vehicle is having less tyre surface, thinking distance
will be more.
If the road is having rough surface, thinking distance will
less.
If the road is having smooth surface, thinking distance
will be more.
If the vehicle has more mass or loaded, thinking distance
will be more.
If the vehicle has less mass, thinking distance will be less.
If the vehicle travels with high speed, thinking distance
will be more. 19
Free fall
When an object is released near to the surface of the Earth, it falls under the
influence of gravity. This is known as free fall.
▪ The acceleration of free fall or acceleration due to gravity is denoted by g.
▪ The acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s2.
▪ This is true in the absence of air resistance.

The experiment below shows, all the air has been removed from the tube.
Both feather and lead ball dropped from same height and reaches bottom of
the tube at the same time. This is because all the objects in the absence of air
resistance, accelerates towards the earth at same rate that is10m/s2.

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FALLING OBJECTS WITH AIR RESISTANCE

TERMINAL VELOCITY

When any object falls through air, due to the gravitational force or
weight the object will exerts a resistive force. This resistive force
increases as the object moves faster. Resistive force acts in the
opposite direction to which the object is moving. And after some
time the resistive force and weight of the object becomes equals,
so the object moves with constant speed, this is known as terminal
velocity.

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 Consider a parachutist jumping from
aircraft.

When the parachutist jumps from the aircraft,

his speed increase downward due to weight of
his body or gravitational force

As his speed increases his air resistance will

also increases in the opposite direction of
fall.

After sometime air resistance will be big enough

to balance the parachutist’s weight. At this
point the forces are balanced so his speed
becomes uniform - this is called terminal
velocity.

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 When he opens his parachute the air
resistance suddenly increases and the
speed decreases.

After some time again air resistance

decreases until it balances his weight. The
parachutist has now reached a new, lower
terminal velocity.

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 Speed-time graph of a parachutist is shown below…

acceleration Parachute opens – diver

speed
decreasing slows down
Speed
increases…

Terminal
velocity
reached…

Time

New, lower terminal Diver hits the ground

velocity reached

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CORRECT ANSWER IS C

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CORRECT ANSWER IS D

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CORRECT ANSWER IS D

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CORRECT ANSWER IS A

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CORRECT ANSWER IS C

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 ELASTIC
DEFORMATION

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Elasticity
❑Materials bodies which get stretched on the application
of a force and regain its original length and shapes on the
removal of the deforming force are called elastic bodies.
This property of the material bodies is known as
elasticity.
❑Length of the body before applying the stretching force is
called unstretched length.

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❑Length of the body after applying the stretched force is
called the stretched length.

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❑Difference between the stretched and the unstretched
length of the body is known as extension.

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Hooke’s law
A material obeys Hooke’s Law if, the extension is directly
proportional to the stretching force within the limit of
proportionality.

Extension – load graph

The table below shows how the extension of s spring
varies with force applied (load).
Load /N 0 1 2 3 4 5
Extension /mm 0 10 20 30 40 58

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The extension – load graph shown below is plotted the
information given on the table

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• OX is the region where Hooke’s law is obeyed, that is
extension is directly proportional to the stretching force.
• X is the point of limit of proportionality. (The point
beyond which the extension of an object is no longer
proportional the load producing it is called limit of
proportionality.)

• E is its elastic limit. Up to E, the spring behaves elastically

and returns to its original length when the load is
removed. Beyond E the spring will not regain its original
length when the stretching force is removed and the
spring is left permanently stretched hen the load is
removed.

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Spring constant of spring can be calculate by using
formula:
Force = spring constant × extension (F = Ke)
Spring constant of this spring is:
K = F/e = 2 / 20 = 0.1 N/mm

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Example question:

A spring of original length 3.0 cm is extended to a total length of

5.0 cm by a force of 8.0 N.
(a) Calculate the spring constant of the spring.
Ans: extension = 5 – 3 = 2 cm
F = Ke
K = F/e = 8/2 = 4N/cm

(b) Assuming the limit of proportionality of the spring

has not been reached; calculate the force needed extend it
to a total length of 6.0 cm.
Ans: extension = 6 – 3 = 3cm
F = Ke = 4 × 3 = 12N

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 BLOCK 1 GENERAL PHYSICS
Topic 1.5 : FORCES
Subtopic : Turning effect of forces
By Zainul Arfeen 50
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Moment
Turning effect of a force about a pivot is
called moment.
Everyday examples of moment
Opening a door

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Losing and tighten nut using spanner or wrench

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 Moment of a force can be calculated by
using the formula:
Moment of a force = force × perpendicular distance from pivot

m=F×d

Unit of moment is Newton meter (Nm) or

Newton centimeter (Ncm)

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The moment of a force can be increase:

• by applying higher force

• increasing perpendicular distance from pivot

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Worked example
A boy losen the nut using 0.25 meter long
spanner. He applied 50N of force on the
spanner. Calculate the moment of a force
produce.
Ans: moment = F × d
moment = 50 × 0.25 = 12.5 Nm

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Conditions for equilibrium
When a beam is balanced, we say that is in
equilibrium. If an object is in equilibrium:
• the force on it must be balanced (no
resultant force)
• the turning effects of the forces on it must
also be balanced (no resultant turning
effect).

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Principle of moment
If an object is in equilibrium: the sum of
the clockwise moments about any point is
equal to the sum of the anti-clockwise
moments about that point.

total clockwise moment = total anti-clockwise moment

F×d=F×d 59
Worked example:

The diagram shows a uniform half-metre rule

balanced at its mid-point.

What is the weight of the metal block?

Ans: F × d = F × d
F × 20 = 100 × 15
F = 100 × 15 / 20 = 75 N 60
Centre of gravity (centre of mass)
Centre of gravity (mass) of a body is the point
about which the entire weight (mass) of the body
seems to act.

• The centre of gravity may be regarded as the

point of balance.

• The centre of gravity of a body is in the same

position as its centre of mass.

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• The centre of gravity of regular and uniform
(made all of the same material) objects are at
their geometrical centers’.

C,G
C.G

• For a uniform ruler, C.G is at the centre and when

supported at this point it balances and when
supported at any other point it topples.

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 Finding center of gravity of irregular shape
lamina
You are provide with
• Irregular lamina
• Thread and a bob
• Nail clamped in a stand

Procedure:
Make three hole A, B and C on the lamina. First hang it on
the point A, so that it can swing freely on a nail clamped in a
stand. To locate the vertical line through A tie a plumb line
to the nail as shown above.

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• When the plumb line comes to the rest, draw line of
plumb line by using ruler and pencil. Mark it as line AD as
shown below.

❑Then repeat the same procedure with point B and C,

Where the line AD, BE and CF intersect is the center of
gravity of the lamina as shown below.

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What is the position of centre of mass of the
tractor?

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Stability
Ability of returning its original position after pushed and
then released is stability of an object.

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Stability can be increased by
• Lowering the centre of gravity of the object
• Increasing the base area of the object

Racing cars low centre of gravity and

a wider wheel base for higher
stability

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Which of the following glass is more
stable?

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A

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C

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B

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C

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D

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Circular motion
When any object is moving in a circular path, then
the object is in circular motion.

Objects are moving in circular path due to constant

force acting towards center of the circle. This force
is called centripetal force.

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The centripetal force will increase:
If the mass of the object increased
If the speed of the object increased
If the radius of the circle reduced.

The planets are orbiting around the sun due to

constant gravitational force acting towards the sun

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The satellites are orbiting around the earth due to
constant gravitational force acting towards the earth.

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The electrons are orbiting around the nucleus due to
constant electrostatic force acting towards nucleus of
the atom.

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A

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B

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C

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C

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 BLOCK 1 GENERAL PHYSICS
Topic 1.5 : FORCES
Subtopic : Scalars and Vectors
By Zainul Arfeen 93
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