GR 6 ICS 2022-2023 SCIENCE

Mod K: Unit 1
Lesson 1: Introduction to forces

● Definition: Forces are pushes or pulls.

They can:
• Change the shape or the size of an object.

• Change the speed of things that are moving (make them move faster or slower).

• Change the direction of a moving object.

● The unit for measuring force is Newton (N), and the tool used to measure it
is a spring scale.

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GR 6 ICS 2022-2023 SCIENCE

● Types of forces:
There are 2 types of forces.
● Contact
● Non- contact which are also known as distant forces.

❖ Contact forces: They need to touch the thing that they are affecting.
They are:

✔ Push
✔ Pull

✔ Friction

• Friction is a force caused by two things rubbing together, which opposes the
motion of the acting force. Friction effect is less when the object is being moved
across a smooth surface like ice.

✔ Air Resistance

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GR 6 ICS 2022-2023 SCIENCE

❖ Non- contact forces don’t require any touch. They include:

✔ Static electricity

✔ Magnetism

✔ Gravity

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GR 6 ICS 2022-2023 SCIENCE

● Gravity ( which represents gravity pulling your body weight down 🡪

weight = mass x gravity )

Example: if your mass is 56 kg, then your weight:

o On earth = mass x earth’s gravity = 56 kg x 10 m/s2 = 560 N
o On Moon = mass x moon’s gravity = 56 kg x 1.6 m/s2 = 90 N

● Vectors are usually used to represent all forces acting on an object. Vectors
have a magnitude (quantity) and a direction.

❖ Diagram of forces acting on an object.

● Example 1: As you are sitting on the chair, there are 2 forces acting:

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GR 6 ICS 2022-2023 SCIENCE

✔ Your weight

✔ An opposite force applied by the

chair on you, which is equal to your
weight called normal force.

✔ The person is not falling or moving

since the two forces are balanced so
they cancel each other.

● Example 2: 2 people are pushing a

box with the same strength in
opposite directions. The box will not
move since the 2 forces are equal.

● Forces are 2 kinds:

❖ Balanced forces:
Balanced forces are forces that cancel each other out. Balanced forces do not
change the speed of something which is moving or they keep the object in
place if it wasn’t moving like examples 1 & 2 mentioned above.

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GR 6 ICS 2022-2023 SCIENCE

❖ Unbalanced forces:
Unbalanced forces: They exist whenever a net force acts on an object.
This can cause it to start moving, stop moving or change direction.

● Net force:
► Net force: the combination of all forces acting on an object.
► This determines if an object moves and in which direction.

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GR 6 ICS 2022-2023 SCIENCE

Net force = 125 – 75 = 50 N to the

left.

✔ Speed is the distance an object travels in a certain amount of time. For

example, 20 m/s.

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GR 6 ICS 2022-2023 SCIENCE

✔ Velocity is the speed in a certain direction for example 20 m/s North.

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GR 6 ICS 2022-2023 SCIENCE

✔ Acceleration: It is a change in velocity over a period of time.

o If the object’s speed increases, we say it is accelerating. (Positive value:

0.5 m/s2). For example, a car was moving at 30 m/s and then started
moving at 60 m/s.

o If the object’s speed decreases, we say it is decelerating. (Negative value: -0.5 m/s2).
For example: A car was moving at 80 m/s and then slowed down to 30m/s)