Understanding Force and Its Types

Force

• A push or pull that causes an object to change its motion or shape
• Measured in Newtons (N)
• Can be contact force (e.g. friction, normal force) or non-contact force (e.g. gravity, electromagnetic force)

Types of Forces

• Gravity: a force that attracts objects with mass towards each other
• Friction: a force that opposes motion between two surfaces in contact
• Normal force: a force exerted by a surface on an object that is in contact with it, usually perpendicular to the surface
• Tension: a force exerted by a stretched string or wire
• Air resistance: a force that opposes the motion of an object through the air

Pressure

• Force per unit area
• Measured in Pascals (Pa) or pounds per square inch (psi)
• Formula: Pressure = Force / Area (P = F / A)

Factors Affecting Pressure

• Force: increasing the force increases the pressure
• Area: decreasing the area increases the pressure
• Surface type: rough surfaces can increase pressure due to increased friction

Types of Pressure

• Atmospheric pressure: the pressure exerted by the weight of the atmosphere on the Earth's surface
• Hydrostatic pressure: the pressure exerted by a fluid (liquid or gas) on an object
• Gauge pressure: the difference between the pressure of a system and atmospheric pressure

Force

• A push or pull that causes an object to change its motion or shape, measured in Newtons (N)
• Can be classified into contact forces (e.g., friction, normal force) and non-contact forces (e.g., gravity, electromagnetic force)

Gravity

• A force that attracts objects with mass towards each other

Friction

• A force that opposes motion between two surfaces in contact
• Increases with the normal force between the surfaces and the surface roughness

Normal Force

• A force exerted by a surface on an object that is in contact with it, usually perpendicular to the surface
• Equal to the weight of the object when it is on a horizontal surface

Tension

• A force exerted by a stretched string or wire
• Can be calculated using the force and displacement of the string or wire

Air Resistance

• A force that opposes the motion of an object through the air
• Depends on the object's shape, size, and velocity

Pressure

• Force per unit area, measured in Pascals (Pa) or pounds per square inch (psi)
• Calculated using the formula: Pressure = Force / Area (P = F / A)

Factors Affecting Pressure

• Force: increasing the force increases the pressure
• Area: decreasing the area increases the pressure
• Surface type: rough surfaces can increase pressure due to increased friction

Types of Pressure

• Atmospheric pressure: the pressure exerted by the weight of the atmosphere on the Earth's surface
• Hydrostatic pressure: the pressure exerted by a fluid (liquid or gas) on an object
• Gauge pressure: the difference between the pressure of a system and atmospheric pressure

Learn about the concept of force, its measurement, and the different types of forces including gravity, friction, and normal force.