Forces and Free Body Diagrams

Front

What is a force?

Back

A force is a push or pull acting upon an object due to its interaction with another object.

Front

What is a free body diagram?

Back

A free body diagram is a graphical representation used to visualize the forces acting on an object.

Front

What is the normal force?

Back

The normal force is the force exerted by a surface that supports the weight of an object resting on it, acting perpendicular to the surface.

Front

What is friction?

Back

Friction is a force that opposes the motion of an object, acting parallel to the surface of contact.

Front

What are contact forces?

Back

Contact forces are forces that occur when two objects are in physical contact with each other.

Front

What are non-contact forces?

Back

Non-contact forces are forces that act on an object without physical contact, such as gravitational force.

Front

What is net force?

Back

Net force is the vector sum of all the forces acting on an object, determining its acceleration.

Front

How do you calculate net force?

Back

Net force is calculated by adding all the forces acting in one direction and subtracting the forces acting in the opposite direction.

Front

What is the role of gravity in free body diagrams?

Back

Gravity is represented as a downward force acting on an object, equal to its weight.

Front

What is inertia?

Back

Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion.