Pushes and Pulls

1. Pushes and pulls are forces. E.g. lifting, bending, and twisting.
2. Forces can
a. Change the speed of an object
b. Change the direction of an object
c. Change the shape and size of an object.
3. Weight is the force of gravity due to the pull of the earth. It acts towards the centre of
the earth.
4. Weight depends on how strong the gravity is (which depends on the size of an object).
That’s why things weigh 6 times less on the moon.
5. Objects in space are weightless because there is no gravity.

Stretching a spring

6. The extension of a spring is directly proportional to the stretching force – Hookes

Law. It applies for metal wires and girders.
7. Stress/Strain = Elasticity
8. Hookes Law only applies to the limit of proportionality.
9. After the elastic limit, the spring is permanently deformed and a small weight will
increase its length a lot.

Measuring Forces

10. A spring balance can be used to measure the weight of an object or the strength of a
push or a pull.
11. The unit of weight is Newton. 10 Newtons = 1Kg.
12. Weight = Mass * g (10 on earth)
13. Weight is more on the poles that in the equator.

Mass and Inertia

14. Mass is the amount of matter in something and it is measured in kilograms. It is the
same in all places.
15. Every object needs a force to get it to move and another force to stop it once its
moving. This reluctance to move or stop is called inertia.
16. Inertia depends on the mass of an object
17. The greater the mass, the greater the inertia, the greater the force needed to make it
move.
18. In Experiment 11.8, the card files away because the card has a force applied on it but
the coin remains still because there are no forces acting on it.
19. If an object is moving a force is needed to stop it. Their inertia tends to keep them
moving.
20. If a car stops suddenly, the inertia of the passengers cause them to move forwards
towards the windshield. The seatbelts exert large forces on them to stop them.
21. When your car turns around a corner, the inertia of your body makes you travel
straight on. You sway in your seat. Fortunately your seat exerts forces on you which
pull you around the corner with the car.
22. Newtons first law of motion summarizes these: If the forces on a mass are balanced,
then
a. If at rest, remain at rest
b. If moving, remain moving in a straight line at the same velocity.

Circular Motion

23. The force which acts towards the centre and keeps a body in a circular path is called
the centripetal force.
24. The Moon is held in orbit around the earths because the centripetal force is provided
by the earth’s gravity.
25. If the string in experiment 11.10 breaks then the cork travels in a straight line because
the forces acting on it are balanced. The centripetal force is provided by the string
pulling inward on the cork. Because the force was greater that the string can bear it
breaks.
26. The same idea is used in a spin dryer. The clothes are spun very fast in a metal drum
and are held in the orbit by the drum. The water can leave through the holes in the
drum and travels in a straight line.
27. A car on a bend is held by the friction of the tyres. The centripetal force needs to be
greater if the car travels faster, gains mass, or if the curve is tighter. The Frictional
force is exerted inwards by the road on the car’s tyres so providing the centripetal
force needed to keep its curved path.
Questions

1a. When a spring is pulled, the extension is directly proportional to the stretching force
(called Hookes law)
b. Weight is the force of gravity due to the pull of the earth.
c. Weights and other forces are measured in Newtons (N).
d. Here on earth, the pull of gravity on a mass of 1 kg is 10 N.
Weight is measured by a spring balance and varies from place to place.
e. Newtons first law of motion says: every mass stays at rest or moves at a constant speed
unless a resultant force acts on it.

2. 4*10 = 400N.

3.a. 60*10 = 600N.

b. 600/6 = 100N
c. 60Kg, mass is the same in all places.

4a. .30-20 10 cm
b. 5 cm

5. a 50mm
Load (N) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Length (mm) 50 58 70 74 82 90 10 125
2
Extension mm 0 8 12 24 32 40 52 75

Extension: Load

80
70
60
Extension mm

50
40 Extension mm
30
20
10
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Load N
c.

d. The Length given when the load is 2 is wrong; it should be 72 so that the extension is
16.

e. When then load is 5 N, it is the elastic limit.

f. 2.75N

g. 86mm

6. He should pull the cloth very quickly. By pulling the cloth very quickly, no force is
applied to the cups and therefore, due to their inertia, they stay still.
 Load: Sag

7000
6000
5000
4000
Load

3000
2000
1000
0
1 2 3 4 5 6
Sag
7. a.

b. 3200 N should bring about an extension 6.4 cm.

c. 4500N brings about an extension 9cm.
d. 2600N
e. More, Steeper graph.

8. No the convict wouldn’t be able to escape because

Yes he would be able to lift the ball more easily on a prison on the moon because the
moons gravity is six times less than the moon, so the ball would weigh six times less.

Yes he would be able to jump higher for the same reason.