4-Forces, Vectors and Moments As Level

Free-body diagrams
Free body diagrams are useful for modelling the forces that are acting on an object
where each arrow:
Is scaled to the magnitude of the force it represents

Points in the direction that the force acts
Is labelled with the name of the force it represents
Draw free-body diagrams for the following scenarios:
a) A picture frame hanging from a nail
b) A man fishing in a stationary boat
c) A car accelerating along a road
Two forces in a straight line
?
Two forces at right angles
?
Combining Vectors with a
Vector Triangle
Coplanar forces can be represented

by the resultant of any two vector
triangles
Forces are in equilibrium if an object

is either
At rest
Moving at constant velocity
In equilibrium, coplanar forces are

represented by closed vector
triangles
An inclined plane, or a slope, is a flat surface tilted at an angle, θ
The weight of the object is vertically downwards and the normal (or reaction) force, R is always vertically up from the
object
The weight W is a vector and can be split into the following components:
W cos (θ) perpendicular to the slope
W sin (θ) parallel to the slope
-If there is no friction, the force W sin (θ) causes the object to move down the slope
-If the object is not moving perpendicular to the slope, the normal force will be R = W cos (θ)
Centre of Mass
The centre of mass of an object is the point at which the weight of the object may be considered to act
The position of the centre of mass of uniform regular solid is at its centre
For example, for a person standing upright, their centre of mass is roughly in the middle of the body behind the
navel, and for a sphere, it is at the centre
Centre of Mass
The centre of mass of an object is the point at which
the weight of the object may be considered to act
The position of the centre of mass of uniform regular solid is

at its centre
For example, for a person standing upright, their centre
of mass is roughly in the middle of the body behind the
navel, and for a sphere, it is at the centre
For symmetrical objects with uniform density, the centre of
mass is located at the point of symmetry
Stability
The position of the centre of mass of an object affects its stability
An object is stable when its centre of mass lies above its base
The wider base an object has, the lower its centre of mass and it is more stable
The narrower base an object has, the higher its centre of mass and the object is more likely to topple over if pushed
Finding the Centre of Mass
When an object is suspended from a point, the object will always settle so that its centre of mass
comes to rest below the pivoting point
This can be used to find the centre of mass of an irregular shape:
What is a Moment?
A moment is the turning effect of a force
Moments occur when forces cause objects

to rotate about some pivot
The moment of a force is given by

Moment (N m) = Force (N) ×
perpendicular distance from the pivot (m)
The SI unit for the moment is Newton

metres (N m). This may also be Newton
centimetres (N cm) depending on the units
given for the distance
The Principle of Moments
The principle of moments states:
For a system to be in equilibrium, the sum of clockwise moments about a point must
be equal to the sum of the anticlockwise moments (about the same point)
In the above diagram:

Force F2 is supplying a clockwise moment;
Forces F1 and F3 are supplying anticlockwise moments
Hence: F2 × d2 = (F1 × d1) + (F3 × d3)
Couples
A couple is a pair of equal and opposite coplanar forces that acts to produce rotation only
A couple consists of a pair of forces that are:
Equal in magnitude
Opposite in direction
Perpendicular to the distance between them
Couples produce a resultant force of zero, so, due to Newton’s Second law (F = ma), the object does not accelerate
The size of this turning effect is given by its torque
Unlike moments of a single force, the moment of a couple doesn’t depend on a pivot
The moment of a couple is equal to:
Force × Perpendicular distance between the lines of action of the forces
Torque
The moment of a couple is known as a torque
The torque of a couple can be calculated with the following equation
τ = Fd
Where:
τ = torque (N m)
F = one of the forces (N)
d = perpendicular distance between the forces (m)
Applying a torque on a bicycle Applying a torque
wheel tangentially to cause on a bicycle wheel
maximum rotation. with an angle.
Applying a torque
on a bicycle wheel
towards the point
of rotation.

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Free-body diagrams

Is scaled to the magnitude of the force it represents

Coplanar forces can be represented

Forces are in equilibrium if an object

In equilibrium, coplanar forces are

The position of the centre of mass of uniform regular solid is

A moment is the turning effect of a force

Moments occur when forces cause objects

The moment of a force is given by

The SI unit for the moment is Newton

In the above diagram:

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