Force is a push or pull upon an object resulting from the object's interaction with another object. It is a vector quantity, which means it has both magnitude and direction.
Types of Forces
Gravity: The force that attracts objects towards each other. It gives weight to objects and is responsible for keeping planets in orbit around the sun.
Friction: The force that opposes the motion of one object moving past another. It can be static, sliding, rolling, or fluid friction.
Applied Force: A force that is applied to an object by a person or another object.
These laws describe the relationship between an object and the forces acting on it.
First Law (Law of Inertia): An object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
Second Law (Law of Acceleration): The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. F = ma
Third Law (Action-Reaction): For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Units of Force
The standard unit of force is the newton (N), named after Sir Isaac Newton. One newton is equal to the force required to accelerate a one kilogram mass by one meter per second squared.
Calculating Force
The formula to calculate force is F = ma, where F is the force, m is the mass of the object, and a is the acceleration.
Study Tips
Understand the different types of forces and their effects on objects.
From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.