Units of Force

Units of Force

Force Definitions

• Force is a push or pull that tends to cause an object to change its movement or shape.
• Weight is the force on an object due to gravity. It is calculated as the mass of the object multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity.
• The fundamental unit of force in the International System of Units (SI) is the newton (N).
• Friction is the force that opposes motion. It acts in the opposite direction to the way an object wants to slide.

Calculating Force

• Force can be calculated using Newton’s second law: Force = mass x acceleration.
• Gravity is a force which attracts two objects towards each other. On Earth, all objects are pulled downwards by gravity, and this force is experienced as weight.
• The resultant force is the sum of all forces acting on an object. If the forces are balanced, the resultant will be zero.

Force and Motion

• When forces are balanced, an object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will continue moving with the same speed and in the same direction.
• Unbalanced forces cause a change in motion. If the forces on an object are unbalanced, its motion will change, and it could speed up, slow down, or change direction.

Effects of Forces

• Forces can change the shape of an object. This is often known as a deforming force.
• An object may return to its original shape after the deforming force has been removed or it may remain distorted. This depends on the elastic properties of the material.

Remember, force is a vector quantity. This means it has both magnitude and direction, which becomes important when dealing with multiple forces on a single object. If forces are at angles, you’ll need to use trigonometry to solve problems.