Free Body Diagram

Front

What is a Free Body Diagram?

Back

A graphical representation used to visualize the forces acting on an object.

Front

What does a tension force do?

Back

It pulls objects towards each other, often seen in ropes or cables.

Front

What is the normal force?

Back

The force exerted by a surface to support the weight of an object resting on it, acting perpendicular to the surface.

Front

What is weight force?

Back

The force due to gravity acting on an object, calculated as mass times the acceleration due to gravity (W = mg).

Front

What is frictional force?

Back

The force that opposes the motion of an object in contact with a surface.

Front

What is static friction?

Back

The frictional force that prevents two surfaces from sliding past each other.

Front

What is kinetic friction?

Back

The frictional force acting between moving surfaces.

Front

What is the role of air resistance in free body diagrams?

Back

Air resistance is a type of friction that opposes the motion of objects moving through air.

Front

How do you determine the net force acting on an object?

Back

By vectorially adding all the forces acting on the object, considering their directions.

Front

What happens to the forces in a free body diagram when an object is at rest?

Back

The net force is zero, meaning all forces are balanced.