Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Chapter 4 - Forces in Action
- Force, Mass and
Weight
- Mass - Physical property depending on
the amount of matter an object has
- A net force (N) acting on the
object makes it accelerate in
the direction of the force
- Mass is constant, but weight can
vary. Weight is also a force
- Centre of Mass
- C.O.M - A point through which any externally applied force
produces straight line motion but no rotation
- The total weight of an object, acts through a point called
the centre of gravity, coinciding with the C.O.M
- To find the C.O.G, hang the object freely, e.g
with a clamp stand. Using a plumb line,
draw lines vertically down from multiple
points, until they overlap at the C.O.G
- Free Body
Diagrams
- Each force vector is represented by a labelled
arrow, which is drawn to the same scale
- Component of the weight down the slope is
responsible for acceleration down the slope
- Normal contact force also = mgcosΘ
- For a trolley on a ramp, using
a=f/m, where f=mgsinΘ,
acceleration is independent of
the mass (as m cancels out)
- Drag and terminal
velocity
- An object moving through a fluid (Air or liquid) experiences a Drag force, a
frictional force opposing the motion of the object
- The magnitude depends on speed, shape,
texture of the object and the medium
- Greater Cross sectional Area
results in greater drag
- Drag is directly proportional to
speed squared
- At the instant he falls, no air resistance. Force = W, [a=g]
- Speed and therefore Drag increases,
meaning net force decreases [a=(mg-D)/m]
- At T.V, Drag is equal and opposite to
weight. No Acc, constant speed. [a=0]
- Moments and
Equilibrium
- The turning effect of a force
about some axis or pivot
- Moment = Force x Perpendicular distance of the
line of action of force from the axis or pivot
- Moment = Fx (Units Nm)
- It must be perpendicular distance
- Principle of moments = For a body in rotational
equilibrium, the sum of anticlockwise moments about
any point is equal to the sum of clockwise moments
about the same point
- Couples and
Torques
- A couple is a pair of equal and opposite forces
acting on a body but not in a straight line
- The moment of a couple is known as a torque
- Torque of a couple = One of the forces X perpendicular
seperation between the forces = fd
- Triangle of forces
- Arrows are drawn end to end,
to represent the three forces
- The triangle is closed because the net force
is zero and so the object is in equilibrium
- Density and pressure
- Density is the amount of mass per unit volume
- For density you need to know the mass and volume. This can be measured, e.g
with a ruler or measuring cylinder for liquids, along with a measuring scale. For
irregular solids, volume is worked out through displacement
- Pressure is the normal force per unit area
(Units Nm^-2, or Pascals (pa))
- P=Hpg and Archimedes principle
- Fluid pressure does not depend on C.S.A, and it also shows that
presure is directly proportional to depth
- Upthrust is the upward buoyant force exerted on
a body immersed in fluid, due to differences in
pressure on the top and bottom of an object
- Archimedes principle - The upthrust exerted on a body
immersed in a fluid, either fully or partially submerged, os
equal to the weight of the fluid that the body displaces
- For a floating object, Upthrust = Weight of the object.
If it sinks, Weight>Upthrust