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Cornell Notes 3.2 Addition of Forces. November 22, 2011 Pages 85 & 87. The force vector. A force vector has units of newtons (its magnitude), but also includes enough information to tell the direction of the force. Positive and negative numbers indicate opposite directions.
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Cornell Notes 3.2 Addition of Forces November 22, 2011 Pages 85 & 87
The force vector • A force vector has units of newtons (its magnitude), but also includes enough information to tell the direction of the force. • Positive and negative numbers indicate opposite directions.
Addition of vectors • It is sometimes helpful to show the strength and direction of a force vector as an arrow. • When drawing a force vector, you must choose a scale. If 1 cm = 1 N, how many newtons of force does this line represent?
Adding force vectors • To figure out if or how an object will move, we look at ALL of the forces acting on it. • Four forces act on a plane: • weight • drag (air friction) • the thrust of the engines, and • the lift force caused by the flow of air over the wings.
Net Force • The sum of all the forces on an object is called the net force. • The word net means total but also means the direction of the forces has been taken into account. In what direction will this plane go?
Forces in the Same Direction • When two forces act on an object in the same direction, the two forces add to each other. 20 N 60 N 40 N
Forces in the Opposite Direction • When two forces act on an object in opposite directions, the two forces cancel each other out. 20 N -20 N - 40 N
Equilibrium and Normal Forces • When the forces are balanced, the net force is zero. • When the net force on an object is zero, we say the object is in equilibrium.
Equilibrium and Normal Forces • A normal force is created whenever an object is in contact with a surface. • The normal force has equal strength to the force pressing the object into the surface, which is often the object’s weight.
Addition of Vectors • How do you keep track of many forces with different directions? • Draw a free-body diagram that contains the objects, like a book on a table.
Solving Equilibrium Problems • For an object to be in equilibrium, all the forces acting on the object must add to zero. • Do not mix forces in the horizontal (left-right) direction with forces in the vertical (up down) direction. What is the sum of the forces acting on this block?