4.

Introduction to
Forces
Textbook Page 72 - 95
Key

Worksheet Copy down Activity

the Notes
4.1 Forces around
you
Textbook Page 74 - 82
L Know the difference
between contact and
non-contact forces

Can describe balanced

and unbalanced forces
Look at the picture on the next slide &
List as many forces as you can see and where it is
 1

8 2
3

4
5

7
6
 1. Air resistance

2. Gravity
3. Kinetic

8. Electrostatic
4. Push
5. Pull

7. Buoyancy
6. Magnetic
forces
T What is a force?
• A force is a push or a pull

• Can be balanced (EQUAL) or unbalanced forces (UNEQUAL)

Types of Forces
• Some forces require contact (touch), called contact forces

• Other forces do not require contact called non-contact

forces (GEM)
L
Can identify and describe
the 8 different types of
forces
/4
The 8 Different Types
of Forces Worksheet
The 8 Different Types of Forces
1. Pushing Force
A force to move an object forward
2. Pulling Force
Is a force to move an object towards you
3. Gravitational Force (GEM)
• A force that pull objects toward the centre of the
Earth

• Is a non-contact force
4. Friction
Friction occurs when two surfaces in contact
move past one another

Friction is a force that can stop or slow things

down
5. Electrostatic Force (GEM)
• Is a force between particles that are caused by their charges
that may cause the objects to attract or repel

• Is a non-contact force 
5. Electrostatic Force
• Objects has got equal numbers of
positive and negative particles
(neutrally charged)

• When the objects rub against one

another, the negative particles can be
transferred from one object to another
Simulation: Woollen Jumper &
Balloon
• As one object loses the negative particles, it becomes more positive
• The other object that gains the negative particle, becomes more
negative
• Charged objects pull on other uncharged objects and may either push
or pull on other charged objects.

• Simulation:
• https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/legacy/balloons
• https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/balloons-and-static-electricity/
latest/balloons-and-static-electricity_en.html
Why do we get static shocks?
• It happens all the time, whenever two objects rub together.

• When there is a lot of contact, a lot of electrons get transferred, and

the amount of charge builds up result in static shock
Van De Graaff Generator
6. Magnetic Force (GEM)
A force that exists between two magnets caused by their magnetic
field

A magnet is an object or device that produces a magnetic field.

Magnet attracts objects made of Ni, Fe and Co

Is a non-contact force
Magnetic Field
• The region around a magnet where it has a magnetic effect is called
its magnetic field.
Unlike poles - Attract
Like Poles - Repels
What do you think the magnetic
field would look like?

N S

S N
7. Buoyancy
The force that causes objects
to float if it is less dense than
water
What is density?
• Matter is anything that has mass or takes up space
• Atoms are the building blocks of all matter
• Density refers to how much particles are packed inside the matter
 Eureka! It’s Buoyancy!
• TED-ED Link:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijj58xD5fDI

Eureka!
More Archimedes Videos (Optional)
• Link: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0
v86Yk14rf8

• Link: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1
6HDJNoXQII
8. Air resistance
Is a friction force between the air and a moving object

Sky diving
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur40O6nQHsw
How to Increasing Air Resistance?
Can increase air resistance by:
• Increasing surface area (SA) = more air resistance

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/
add_gateway_pre_2011/forces/fallingrev1.shtml
How to reduce air resistance?
• Having streamlined bodies/shapes to reduce the resistance to the
air/water
Real Life Examples: Cars
• Air flows smoothly over the
car

• Air does not flow smoothly

over the car
 Balanced forces
• Forces that are equal in size but opposite in direction

• Cause no change in motion (movement)

Standstill
Unbalanced forces
• The forces are not equal

• Forces that cause a change in the motion (movement) of an object in

the direction of the larger force
Activity: Balanced or Unbalanced forces?
Activity: Balanced or Unbalanced forces?
What do forces do to objects?
• Start motion (movement)

• Stop motion

• Speed motion

• Slow down motion

• Change the direction of motion

• Change the shape of an object

Example 1: Bicycle
• Unbalanced force

• Speeding up
Example 2 : Bicycle
• Balanced force

• Constant speed
Example 3: Bicycle
• Unbalanced force

• Slowing down
Measuring Forces
• Forces are measured in Newtons (N)

• Named after Sir Issac Newton

• Forces can be measured using a scale

with a spring
How much is a Newton?
Force to lift an apple 1N
Force to lift a 1kg of apples 10N
Force you exert by sitting on a chair 500N
Force needed to launch space vehicle 33,000,000N
Spring
• The spring can stretch or be compressed when a force acts on it

• The bigger the force, the more the spring would stretch or be
compressed.
Spring
• The spring is squashed or compressed
when a pushing force acts on it
Spring
• The spring can stretch when there is a
pulling force
Activity: Push or Pull?
Converting Units
If the scale is in kilograms, If the scale is in grams, divide by
multiply by 10 to get Newtons 100 to get Newtons

Kg × 10 g ÷ 100
Quiz
I have 3.5kg of potatoes, convert this to newtons.
3.5 × 10 = 35 N
I have 2,400g of apples, convert this to newtons.
2400 ÷ 100 = 24 N
Newton’s Laws
 Newton’s 1st Law
Object will remain at rest or move at a constant speed unless acted on
by an unbalanced force

An object at rest will An object in motion Unless acted on by

remain at rest…. will move at a an unbalanced
constant speed… force
Newton’s 2nd Law
The more force, the more acceleration
Or
The Force experienced by an object is proportional to its
mass × acceleration
Newton’s 3rd Law
For every action, there is an equal and opposite
reaction
Reaction Action
 Homework

 Read 4.1 Forces around you pg. 74

- 79

 4.1 Check 1,3-8 pg. 82

4.2 Frictional Forces
LKnow what frictional force
is and its advantages &
disadvantages
/4
Science Textbook p83-
88
What is friction?
Friction occurs when two surfaces in contact move past one another
Activity: Identify the 2 surfaces
that Friction is occurring between

Friction between the Use friction to Friction between the

tyres of a car and the create fire bottom of your shoe
road and the ground
 Activity: Identify the 2 surfaces
that Friction is occurring between

Friction occurs when you Use friction to warm Use friction to light a
move things on the hands match
ground
Friction
• Friction is a force that can stop or slow things down

• Why is this useful?

• Prevents us from slipping or falling down

• Friction is an example of a contact force

Friction
• Friction opposes motion (i.e. that can stop or slow things
down)

• Can produce heat

• Causes wear and tear

Why does friction occurs?
• Occurs because surfaces are not completely smooth

• There are tiny bumps on a surface

Factors affecting Friction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybpFEB6Mt88
Friction & Surfaces

The more smooth a surface is, The more rough a surface is, the
the less bumps there are = more bumps there are =
Size of Friction
The size of the friction depends on the mass of the object and
also the type of surface
Reducing friction
• Friction can be reduced with a
lubricant (a substance)

• Use ball bearings – to reduce friction

between the wheel and the axle

• Rolling objects meets with less friction

than sliding one
Real-life Example: Tyres
Which tyre do you think you need
to replace and why?
 Homework

 Read 4.2 Frictional Forces pg. 83-

86

 4.2 Check 1-3 pg. 87

4.3 Gravitational Forces
 Race Against Time
(2min Challenge to copy down the notes)
L
Understand how gravity
affect objects on the
surface of the Earth
/4
Gravity
• Is the force that pulls object
toward the centre of the Earth

• Gravity is a non-contact force

• This prevents things from falling

off Earth

• All objects fall at a rate of 9.8m/s2

• Can act over a huge distance
Gravitational Force
Keeps all the planets in orbits (pathway) around the sun
Gravity on the moon
• The moon has less mass than Earth
• Therefore it has less gravity
• As a result, jumping on the moon would take a little longer to reach
the ground

Check how gravity affect your weight on the Moon

• https://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weight/
The Earth & the Moon
The gravitational force
between the Earth and the
moon keeps the moon in
orbit
History of Gravity
• Sir Issac Newton suggested that gravity is the force of attraction
between objects
Mass vs. Weight
Mass Weight
• The mass of the object is the • Weight is the measure of the
amount of matter in it pull of gravity on the planet

• This does not change • Weight is a Force and is

measured in Newtons
• Measured in kg or g
• Weight = mass in kg (m) multiply
acceleration of gravity (g)
Scale
• Our scale should really show Newtons and
not kilograms

• The scale show an estimate of our mass

• Multiply mass (kg) by 9.8 to get Newtons

• E.g. your mass is 48kg on Earth, your mass

will still be 48kg in space however, your
weight can be different
In a state of free fall, which
will fall faster to the ground
– bowling ball or a feather?
Brian Cox visits the World’s
largest Vacuum

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E43-CfukEgs
Why do heavier object fall faster?
(air present)
• Heavier object have more inertia and are more capable of overcoming
air resistance more than lighter objects.

• Therefore, if you drop 2 objects from a high altitude, than the heavier
object would hit the ground first.
In a Vacuum (= no air resistance)
• Both the bowling ball and the feather would hit the ground at the
same time

Why?
• Because there is no air resistance, only gravity
• Because both objects accelerate at the same rate towards Earth at
9.8m
• The mass of an object does not matter – heavy or light
Example (Air present)
• 2 huge boulders of the same weight and size was thrown off a cliff

• One boulder with a parachute

• One boulder without a parachute – would hit the ground first because
there is less air resistance

• Gravity is exerted by all objects with mass.

• Objects with a greater mass have a greater gravitational pull
 Homework
Read 4.3 Gravitational forces pg. 89

4.3 Check 1-3 pg. 93

Main Ideas pg. 94

No Review
Why do heavier object fall faster?
(no air is present)
• The mass of an object does not matter – heavy or light

• Because accelerate at the same rate towards Earth at 9.8m - if in a

vacuum

• When things fall on Earth – depends on 2 things

• Surface area – More S.A = More air to push it upward thereby fall
slower
• Air resistance
Why did the bowling ball fell to the
ground faster than the feather? (Air)
• Newton's first law states that an object will remain at rest or move at a constant
speed in a straight line unless it is acted on by an unbalanced force.

•  Inertia comes from mass. Heavier object have more inertia and are more capable
of overcoming air resistance more than lighter objects.

• Inertia is the tendency of an object to stay at rest or preserve its state of motion
(Newton’s first law)

• Therefore, if you drop 2 objects from a high altitude, than the heavier object
would hit the ground first.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEs9J2IQIZY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn34mnnDnKU