Results

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

1. Define and explain what a force is
2. List and describe the main kinds of forces
3. Explain the effects of a force

• Identify when forces are balanced vs unbalanced.
• Determine the sum of forces (net force) on an object with more than one force on it.
• Predict the motion of an object with zero net force.
• Predict the direction of motion given a combination of forces.

saac Newton (1642–1727) was a natural philosopher; a great thinker who combined science and philosophy to try to explain the workings of nature on Earth and in the universe. His laws of motion were just one part of the monumental work that has made him legendary. The development of Newton’s laws marks the transition from the Renaissance period of history to the modern era. This transition was characterized by a revolutionary change in the way people thought about the physical universe. Drawing upon earlier work by scientists Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler, Newton’s laws of motion allowed motion on Earth and in space to be predicted mathematically. 

Short Physics tutorial on Forces. On completion you will be able to 

1. Define and explain what a force is
2. List and describe the main kinds of forces
3. Explain the effects of a force

Determining how fast something will be traveling upon impact when it is released from a given height. 

In this chapter, you will learn why it is important to identify a reference frame in order to clearly describe motion. For now, the motion you describe will be one-dimensional. Within this context, you will learn the difference between distance and displacement as well as the difference between speed and velocity. Then you will look at some graphing and problem-solving techniques.

In this chapter, we’ll use vectors to expand our understanding of forces and motion into two dimensions. Most real-world physics problems (such as with the game of pool pictured here) are, after all, either two- or three-dimensional problems and physics is most useful when applied to real physical scenarios. We start by learning the practical skills of graphically adding and subtracting vectors (by using drawings) and analytically (with math). Once we’re able to work with two-dimensional vectors, we apply these skills to problems of projectile motion, inclined planes, and harmonic motion.

Plotting projectile displacement, acceleration, and velocity as a function of time.

• Determine how each parameter (initial height, initial angle, initial speed, mass, diameter, and altitude) affects the trajectory of an object, with and without air resistance.
• Predict how varying the initial conditions will affect a projectile’s path, and provide an explanation for the prediction.
• Estimate where an object will land, given its initial conditions.
• Determine that the x and y motion of a projectile are independent.
• Investigate the variables that affect the drag force.
• Describe the the effect that the drag force has on the velocity and acceleration.
• Discuss projectile motion using common vocabulary (such as: launch angle, initial speed, initial height, range, time).

Visualising position, velocity and acceleration in two-dimensions for projectile motion.