Forces and Free Body Diagrams Practice

Forces and Free Body Diagrams

• A sled being pulled with increasing speed experiences various forces that can be depicted in a free-body diagram.
• Free-body diagrams illustrate forces acting on an object with arrows indicating direction and magnitude.

Contact Forces

• Types of contact forces include:
  • Applied force: Direct push or pull on an object.
  • Friction: Opposes motion between surfaces in contact.
  • Air resistance: Force opposing the motion of objects through air.
  • Tension: Force transmitted through a rope or cable.
  • Normal force: Perpendicular force exerted by a surface counteracting gravity.

Scenarios for Free-Body Diagrams

• A toy car pushed across a table at constant speed shows balanced forces: applied force equals friction.
• A girl in a basket being pulled indicates increasing speed, suggesting the applied force exceeds resistance forces.
• A gymnast hanging on a bar experiences gravitational force downward and tension force from the ropes upward.

Forces in Specific Situations

• Air resistance acts upward against the downward force of gravity, impacting falling objects.
• An apple attached to a ceiling by a string has gravitational force downward and applied force when pulled.
• A box being pulled at constant speed indicates net forces are balanced, and friction opposes the applied force.

Understanding Forces

• The net force is the sum of all forces acting on an object, determining its acceleration.
• SI unit for force is the newton (N), linking force to mass and acceleration (F=ma).

Examples of Motion

• An acorn falling shows increasing speed due to gravity, with air resistance affecting the net force.
• A tennis ball falling without air resistance demonstrates free-fall, solely governed by gravitational force.
• A pet rock pulled to the left with increasing speed illustrates unbalanced forces, resulting in acceleration.

Visualization Tools

• Simplified diagrams, known as free body diagrams, assist in visualizing forces, allowing easier analysis of motion-related problems.