PH1011 Physics: Catalog of 9 Forces

Type of
Force

When to include
this force

How to draw
this force

Equation for this

force

Third Law action-reaction

Normal
contact
force

Whenever
object A and
object B
touches

Draw it normal
(perpendicular)
to the point of
contact

No equation.
Typical
notation: or
!

A touches B, force is on
B

Whenever there
are masses

Draw it pointing
from one
objects centre
of gravity (CG)
to the other
objects CG

Static: Draw it
opposite to the
anticipated
direction of
motion

Static: ! =
! ! . Note that
this ! is the
max value that
the rough
surface can
provide.

Weight or
gravitation
force

Friction
(2 types:
Static and
Kinetic)

Whenever the
contact
surfaces are not
smooth. We
quantify the
roughness by
static coefficient
! or kinetic
coefficient ! .

Kinetic: Draw it
opposite to the
direction of
motion

B touches A, force is on
A

A attracts B,
force is on B
B attracts A,
force is on A

Kinetic:
! = ! !

A rubs against B, force is

on B
B rubs against A,
force is on A
f s = s FN

f k = k FN

Note the above

are not laws!

Upthrust
or
Buoyancy

Whenever an
object is
partially or fully
submerged in a
fluid (liquid or
gas)

Draw it opposite
to the weight of
the object and it
acts at the CG
of the displaced
fluid

Archimedes
Principle:
=
where is the
density of the
fluid, is the
volume of the
displaced fluid

Fluid B is displaced by
object A, force is on A
Object A displaces fluid
B, force is on B

Drag

Whenever an
object is moving
in a fluid (liquid
or gas)

Draw it opposite
to the direction
to the direction
of motion

Low speed:
=

Fluid B rubs against

object A, force is on A

High speed:
= !

Object A rubs against

Fluid B, force is on B

where and
are some
constants and
the above are
not laws

Spring
Force

Tension

Electric
Force

Magnetic
force

Whenever
something is
compressed or
stretched

Draw the force

pointing
towards the
equilibrium
position

Hookes law:
=
(within limits)

Whenever an
inextensible
string/rope is
taut

Draw the force

such that a
string/rope
always pull

No equation.
Typical
notation: or !

Whenever there
are charges

Depending on
whether we
have attraction
(draw towards)
or repulsion
(draw away)

Lorentz force
law: ! =
where is the
charge of the
object and is
the electric field
the object is in

Charge A attracts/repels
charge B, force is on B

Use Flemings
left hand rule

Lorentz force
law: ! =
or ! =

Magnetic field A acts on

current B, force is on B

Whenever a
current is in a
magnetic field

Spring B is stretched/
compressed by object A,
force is on A
Object A stretches/
compresses spring B,
force is on B

String B pulls object A,

force is on A
Object A pulls string B,
force is on B

Charge B attracts/repels
charge A, force is on A

Current B acts on
magnetic field A, force is
on A