FORCE

A PUSH OR PULL ON AN OBJECT

 What are the forces acting on the Box??

Applied Force
Normal Force
(Bob pushing)

Frictional Force

Gravitational Force
FORCE
• Direction MATTERS so we use VECTORS!
• Measured in Newtons (N)
• Different types of forces:
 Gravity
 Normal
 Friction
 Applied
 Tension
 Spring
 Air Resistance
 Magnetic
FORCE OF GRAVITY
• Was MATHEMATICALLY discovered by Isaac Newton
• Gravity is a force that acts on a mass
• This PULL force that keeps us on earth
• Occurs throughout the entire universe!
GRAVITY IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
Gravity pulls us toward
the center of the earth

Gravitational attraction Gravitational

between the Earth and attraction between
Moon the Earth and Sun
GRAVITY IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
• Mass and gravity are related to each other
• EVERYTHING with mass has its own gravity!
• Something with LARGER MASS will have GREATER GRAVITY
• Gravity from large masses PULL small masses towards it
ACCELERATION OF GRAVITY
• A free falling object will ONLY have the
force of gravity acting on it

• ANY object on EARTH will fall

DOWNWARD at a rate of 9.8 m/s2

• This downward rate is called the

acceleration of gravity (g)
 Normal

WEIGHT Applied
MASS Friction
• Is a DOWNWARD FORCE that depends on
gravity
Gravity
• Is NOT constant (the same) throughout our
entire universe
Normal
• We use POUNDS (lb.) to measure weight
Applied
• In physics, weight is measured in NEWTONS (N) Friction
• Its formula with units is…
Weight (N) = Mass (kg) x Acceleration of Gravity (m/s2) Weight
FRICTION
• It’s the FORCE that SLOWS an object down!
• Is the RESISTANCE between two SOLID SURFACES that are in CONTACT with
each other
• A smoother surface will have less friction than a rough surface
AIR RESISTANCE
• Is similar to friction except it is NOT between two solid objects
• Air resistance occurs when an object is moving through air
• It depends on the SPEED of the object and its SURFACE AREA
NEWTON’S THREE LAWS OF MOTION
1. An object at rest will stay at rest and an object in
motion will stay in motion UNLESS an unbalanced Weight
outside force acts upon it.

Thrust – is a force that moves a rocket through the air

and space

When the Thrust force is GREATER than the Weight

force – the rocket will move up! Thrust
NEWTON’S THREE LAWS OF MOTION
2. The acceleration produced by a force is directly
related to the force. Lift
Acceleration

Drag

AERODYNAMIC FORCES are created as a rocket flies

through the air Weight
Thrust
If all the aerodynamic forces acting on the rocket are
added up – this will equal the MASS * ACCELERATION!
NEWTON’S THREE LAWS OF MOTION
3. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

The exhaust from the rocket fuel combustion creates a

backwards force on the rocket
An EQUAL and OPPOSITE reaction to the exhaust force is
THRUST!
Thrust

Exhaust from rocket fuel

combustion Thrust!