What Is Force

Ramos, Romel D.
BEED-GenEd IV – A
What is Force?
Forces only exist as a result of an interaction. A force is a push or pull upon an object resulting
from the object's interaction with another object. Whenever there is an interaction between two
objects, there is a force upon each of the objects. When the interaction ceases, the two objects no
longer experience the force.
Contact forces
Contact forces are those types of forces that result

when the two interacting objects are perceived to be
physically contacting each other. Examples of contact
forces include frictional forces, tensional forces, normal
forces, air resistance forces, and applied forces.
Action-at-a-distance forces
Action-at-a-distance forces are those types of forces that result

even when the two interacting objects are not in physical contact
with each other, yet are able to exert a push or pull despite their
physical separation. Even when your feet leave the earth and you are
no longer in physical contact with the earth, there is a gravitational
pull between you and the Earth.
Contact Forces
Frictional Force
The friction force is the force exerted by a

surface as an object moves across it or makes an
effort to move across it. The friction force often
opposes the motion of an object. Friction results from
the two surfaces being pressed together closely,
causing intermolecular attractive forces between molecules of different surfaces.
Types of Friction
Static Friction
Static friction acts on objects when they are

resting on a surface. For example, if you are
hiking in the woods, there is static friction
between your shoes and the trail each time you
put down your foot. Without this static friction,
your feet would slip out from under you, making
it difficult to walk.
Sliding Friction
Sliding friction is friction that acts on objects

when they are sliding over a surface. Sliding friction
is weaker than static friction. Sliding friction can be
useful. For example, you use sliding friction when you
write with a pencil. The pencil “lead” slides easily
over the paper, but there's just enough friction
between the pencil and paper to leave a mark.
Rolling Friction
Friction that acts on objects when they are

rolling over a surface. Rolling friction is much
weaker than sliding friction or static friction.
Fluid Friction
Fluid friction is friction that acts on objects that are

moving through a fluid. A fluid is a substance that can
flow and take the shape of its container. Fluids include
liquids and gases. If you've ever tried to push your open
hand through the water in a tub or pool, then you've
experienced fluid friction. You can feel the resistance of
the water against your hand.
Tension Force
The tension force is the force that is transmitted

through a string, rope, cable or wire when it is pulled
tight by forces acting from opposite ends. The tension
force is directed along the length of the wire and pulls
equally on the objects on the opposite ends of the wire.
Normal Force
The normal force is the support force exerted upon an

object that is in contact with another stable object. For
example, if a book is resting upon a surface, then the
surface is exerting an upward force upon the book in order
to support the weight of the book. Normal force is exerted
horizontally between two objects that are in contact with
each other. For instance, if a person leans against a wall,
the wall pushes horizontally on the person.
Air Resistance Force
The air resistance is a special type of frictional force that acts

upon objects as they travel through the air. The force of air
resistance is often observed to oppose the motion of an object. This
force will frequently be neglected due to its negligible magnitude
Applied Force
An applied force is a force that is applied to an

object by a person or another object. If a person is
pushing a desk across the room, then there is an applied
force acting upon the object. The applied force is the
force exerted on the desk by the person.
Spring Force
The spring force is the force exerted by a compressed or

stretched spring upon any object that is attached to it. An
object that compresses or stretches a spring is always acted upon by a force that restores the
object to its rest or equilibrium position. The magnitude of the force is directly proportional to
the amount of stretch or compression of the spring.
Action-at-a-Distance Forces
Gravitational Force
The force of gravity is the force with which the earth,

moon, or other massively large object attracts another object
towards itself. By definition, this is the weight of the object.
All objects upon earth experience a force of gravity that is
directed "downward" towards the center of the earth.
Electrical Force
An electric force is an attractive or repulsive force

between two charged objects. Electric forces are
attractive when two objects have opposite charges and
repulsive when two objects have like charges. The
strength of the electric force between any two charged
objects depends on the amount of charge that each object
contains and on the distance between the two charges.
Magnetic Force
Force attraction or repulsion that arises

between electrically charged particles because of their
motion. The magnetic force between two moving charges
may be described as the effect exerted upon either charge
by a magnetic field created by the other.
Mass vs. Weight
Mass
The mass of an object refers to the amount of matter that is contained by the object. Mass is
related to how much stuff is there The mass of an object (measured in kg) will be the same no
matter where in the universe that object is located. Mass is never altered by location, the pull of
gravity, speed or even the existence of other forces.
Weight
The weight of an object is the force of gravity acting upon that object. The weight of an
object (measured in Newton) will vary according to where in the universe the object is. Weight
depends upon which planet is exerting the force and the distance the object is from the planet.
Weight, being equivalent to the force of gravity, is dependent upon the value of g - the
gravitational field strength. On earth's surface g is 9.8 N/kg (often approximated as 10 N/kg). On
the moon's surface, g is 1.7 N/kg.

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Ramos, Romel D.

Contact forces are those types of forces that result

Action-at-a-distance forces are those types of forces that result

The friction force is the force exerted by a

Static friction acts on objects when they are

Sliding friction is friction that acts on objects

Friction that acts on objects when they are

Fluid friction is friction that acts on objects that are

The tension force is the force that is transmitted

The normal force is the support force exerted upon an

Air Resistance Force

The air resistance is a special type of frictional force that acts

An applied force is a force that is applied to an

The spring force is the force exerted by a compressed or

The force of gravity is the force with which the earth,

An electric force is an attractive or repulsive force

Force attraction or repulsion that arises

Mass vs. Weight

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