Introduction to Force
You cannot see force? We cannot put it on a weighing scale and measure force. So how do children at the middle school level understand this rather abstract topic?
If we were to describe force, in simple words, force is a push or a pull on an object. Force is exerted when one object acts upon the other object. When this interaction stops, the force also stops.
Did you know gravity or gravitation is the force acting between matter and this natural force pulls everything down towards Earth?
Force is around us and our day-to-day activities require us to use force. Here are some examples
Force exerted while swimming
When one goes for a swim, the swimmer moves his body through water and pushes the water back so that he can swim forward. The swimmer uses his arms and legs to work his way to the other end of the pool. Here the forces in play are; drag, lift, thrust, buoyancy, and gravity.
- The buoyancy force is better understood as follows; the water pushes the swimmer upwards, equivalent to the volume of water displaced by the swimmer. Therefore, for the swimmer to stay on the surface of the water, its buoyancy force must be equal in magnitude to the gravitational force.
- When the swimmer moves forward, he pushes water back creating a drag. The drag force is different for different swimmers depending on the person’s size, speed, and body shape.
- The thrust force balances the swimmer’s drag force thereby enabling him to continue swimming. The swimmer simultaneously uses his feet to kick water and his hands to pull water, this motion balances out each other.
Force while playing a game of Golf
There is a lot of science behind just ‘swinging the club and hitting the ball’ in a game of golf. The art of perfecting a proper swing, cannot ignore the rules of physics that play an equally important role in helping the ball reach the hole. Let us understand how things work:
- When the golf club is swung correctly, it hits the golf ball and the impact of the force is passed on from the club to the ball. Remember it is ideal that the center of the mass of the club head should interact with the ball for a good shot.
- But when the force is offset from the center of the club head, that means if the club doesn’t hit the ball from the center of its head, then the impact is not properly applied. The club head will excessively rotate and cause vibration thereby deviating the ball from its correct path and not allowing it to travel far.
- It is essential that the center of the club head hit the ball at its ‘sweet spot’ with the exact force, for it to travel the appropriate distance.
Push and Pull Force
Push force: When a body at rest is pushed upon by an external force, the object moves away from the person pushing the object. For example; kicking a ball, pushing a trolley, moving a loaded box, pushing a child on the swing, etc.
Pull Force: A pull is exerted when the object moves towards you or a person pulling the object. For example; opening a door, pulling a box towards you, pulling a toy train, etc.
Interesting Facts about Force and Motion
Forces can cancel out
In a tug of war when two teams are pulling the rope in the opposite direction the team which exerts a greater force, pulls the rope towards themselves. But what happens when two teams exert the exact same force? If the forces are balanced, the rope remains as it is in its position and there is no movement.
Force is useful
We use force while walking on the road, to lift objects, and to throw a ball. We exert pull force and push force in our daily lives, over and over again. Gravitational force ensures that we don’t fall off the Earth’s surface and that we are grounded at all times.
Magnetic Force
The opposite ends of two magnets will bring each close to the other through magnetic force, while the similar ends will repel the magnets and push them apart.
Calculating Force
There is a formula to calculate force using Newton’s Second Law of Motion. The formula is as under: f = m x a (Force = mass * acceleration)
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