Forces- Resultant Forces

• What are free body diagrams used for?

  To find the resultant force on an object
• What do free body diagrams represent?

  All the forces acting on a particular object
• How are forces represented in free body diagrams?

  Using force arrows
• What does the length of the arrows in a free body diagram indicate?


  The magnitude of the force
• What forces act on a plane in flight?

  Thrust, drag, weight, and lift
• Why do forces in different directions affect the resultant force?

  Some forces cancel each other out
• How do you calculate the resultant force in vertical components?

  By subtracting opposing forces
• What is the resultant force when there are equal forces acting up and down?

  Zero newtons overall
• What happens to the resultant force if air resistance equals thrust?

  The horizontal resultant force is zero
• What does it mean if both horizontal and vertical components are balanced?

  The object is in equilibrium
• What are the steps to find the resultant force using free body diagrams?

  1. Identify all forces acting on the object.
  2. Represent forces with arrows showing direction.
  3. Measure the magnitude of each force.
  4. Calculate resultant force by considering horizontal and vertical components separately.
  5. Determine if the object is in equilibrium or accelerating.