Resultant Forces

• What is a resultant force?

  A single force equivalent to multiple forces
• How do you calculate the resultant force acting in a straight line?

  Subtract the smaller force from the larger force
• What is a Freebody diagram used for?

  To show forces acting on an object
• What is a force?

  A push or pull acting on an object
• What are forces classified as?

  Vector quantities
• What two characteristics do vector quantities have?

  Magnitude and direction
• If a man pushes a box with 20 Newtons to the right and friction is 10 Newtons to the left, what is the resultant force?


  10 Newtons to the right
• How do you find the resultant force when multiple forces act in different directions?

  Calculate total forces in each direction
• What is the resultant force on a car with a driving force of 10,000 Newtons and friction of 9,000 Newtons?

  1,000 Newtons to the left
• What does it mean when forces are balanced?

  The resultant force is zero
• What does a Freebody diagram represent?

  Forces acting on an object as arrows
• In a Freebody diagram, what does the length of the arrow represent?

  The size of the force
• What is the term for the upward force acting on an airplane?

  Lift
• What forces must be balanced for an airplane flying at constant altitude?

  Weight and lift forces
• How do thrust and drag forces relate when an airplane is moving at constant velocity?

  They must be balanced
• What are the steps to calculate resultant forces?

  1. Identify all forces acting on the object.
  2. Determine the direction of each force.
  3. Calculate total forces in each direction.
  4. Subtract the smaller total from the larger total.
  5. The result is the resultant force.
• What are the key components of a Freebody diagram?

  • Object represented as a point
  • Forces drawn as arrows
  • Length of arrows indicates force size
  • Direction of arrows indicates force direction
• What is the significance of constant velocity in relation to forces?

  • Indicates balanced forces
  • No net force acting on the object
  • Forces acting in opposite directions are equal