net force

Front

What is net force?

Back

Net force is the overall force acting on an object when all the individual forces are combined. It determines the object's motion.

Front

How do you calculate net force when forces are in the same direction?

Back

Add the magnitudes of the forces together. For example, 15 N right + 15 N right = 30 N right.

Front

How do you calculate net force when forces are in opposite directions?

Back

Subtract the smaller force from the larger force. For example, 15 N right and 10 N left results in 5 N right.

Front

What is an unbalanced force?

Back

An unbalanced force occurs when the total forces acting on an object are not equal, causing the object to accelerate.

Front

Give an example of an unbalanced force.

Back

A baseball that has been thrown to home plate is an example of an unbalanced force.

Front

What is a balanced force?

Back

Balanced forces occur when two forces acting on an object are equal in size and opposite in direction, resulting in no change in motion.

Front

What is the normal force?

Back

The normal force is the support force exerted upon an object that is in contact with a surface, acting perpendicular to the surface.

Front

What is weight force?

Back

Weight force is the force exerted by gravity on an object, calculated as mass times the acceleration due to gravity (W = mg).

Front

What is frictional force?

Back

Frictional force is the force that opposes the motion of an object when it is in contact with another surface.

Front

What happens to an object when the net force is zero?

Back

When the net force is zero, the object remains at rest or continues to move at a constant velocity.