FORCES AND

INTERACTIONS
Notes and
worksheets
SPECIFICATION – YOU NEED TO KNOW
EVERYTHING
NOTES
Learning objective: This topic explores the interactions (forces) between objects that can
change their shape or the way they are

moving.

Resources for reference: Support

Physics textbook page 2 – page 6
BBC website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zthdgdm/revision/4
Physics specification: Topic 3.1, Page 13

FORCES AND INTERACTIONS

A force results from pushing or pulling an object. There are two types of forces: non-contact and
contact forces.

1. Types of forces
Non-contact forces

Non-contact forces are forces that act between two objects that are not physically touching each
other. Examples of non-contact forces include Magnetic force, gravity, electrostatics, and
magnetism.

Magnetic forces

Electrostatic forces
Contact forces

Contact forces are forces that act between two objects that are physically touching each other.
Examples of contact forces include: friction, air resistance, normal force, and tension force.

Example of the normal force

An object at rest on a surface experiences a normal contact force. For example, a book on a
table

Example of tension force

An object that is being stretched experiences

a tension force. For example, a cable holding a ceiling
lamp.

Example of a force of friction

Friction is a force that opposes the motion of any two surfaces in contact with each other when
they slide or try to slide across each other. Air resistance is a form of friction.

A force is a vector quantity

2. Scalar and vector quantity

Scalars are quantities that have magnitude only. Vectors are quantities that have direction as
well as magnitude.

A vector quantity may be represented by an arrow. The length of the arrow represents the
magnitude and the direction of the arrow represents the direction of the vector quantity.

Scalar quantity Vector quantity

Distance(m) Displacement(m)
Speed (m/s) Velocity(m/s)
Time(s) Acceleration(m/s2)
Mass(kg) Force (N), Weight (N)
Momentum

NB!! Students should be aware that distance, speed, and time are examples of scalars and
displacement,
velocity, acceleration, force, and momentum are examples of vectors.

3. RESULTANT FORCE – the sum of the forces acting on an object.

One object can be acted upon by one or more forces, we use a free-body diagram to illustrate the
forces acting on the object.

Note the following:

 If the forces are equal, the length of the arrows are equal.
 If the two forces are not equal the length of the two arrows would not be equal.

Balanced and non–balanced forces.

If the forces acting on the object are EQUAL and OPPOSITE– the forces are BALANCED and
the resultant force is ZERO.
If the forces acting on the object are NOT EQUAL and OPPOSITE – the forces are not balanced
and the resultant force is NOT ZERO.
Taken from your physics textbook – Read page 4

Taken from your physics textbook – Read page 5

EXTRA READING

Taken from your physics textbook – Read page 6

4. WEIGHT AND MASS

What is the difference between weight and mass?
The difference between mass and weight is that mass is the amount of matter in a material, while
weight is a measure of how the force of gravity acts upon that mass.

Weight is the force acting on an object due to gravity. The weight of an object depends on the
gravitational field strength at the point where the object is. The weight of an object can be
calculated using the equation:
weight (N) = mass (kg)x gravitational field strength(N/kg)
w =m x g where g =10kg/N

Extra reading: Taken from your physics textbook – Read page 8

NB!!! students
will not be
expected to
know the value
of g; it will be
given in any
examination
items.

Support: read more

5. Forces and elasticity
When more than one force is applied to an object it may cause a change in the shape of the
object, by stretching, bending or compressing. After elastic distortions, an object returns to its
original shape when the forces are removed. After inelastic distortions, an object does not return
to its original shape.

Hooke's law
Extension and compression
Extension happens when an object increases in length, and compression happens when it
decreases in length. The extension of an elastic object, such as a spring, is described by Hooke's
law:
force = spring constant × extension

This is when:
 force (F) is measured in newtons (N)
 spring constant (k) is measured in newtons per meter (N/m)
 extension (e), or increase in length, is measured in meters (m)

Limit of proportionality
Spring constant (k)is a measure of the stiffness of spring up to its limit of proportionality or
elastic limit. The limit of proportionality refers to the point beyond which Hooke's law is no
longer true when stretching a material. The elastic limit of a material is the furthest point it can
be stretched or deformed while being able to return to its previous shape. Once a material has
gone past its elastic limit, its deformation is said to be inelastic.

The higher the spring constant, the stiffer the spring. The spring constant is different for
different elastic objects. For a given spring and other elastic objects, the extension is directly
proportional to the force applied. For example, if the force is doubled, the extension doubles.
This works until the limit of proportionality is exceeded.

When an elastic object is stretched beyond its limit of proportionality, the object does not return
to its original length when the force is removed. In this instance, the relationship between force
and extension changes from being linear, or directly proportional, to being non-linear.

Non-linear extension occurs more in some materials than others. Materials like clay or putty
usually show non-linear extension.

Force-extension graphs
Linear extension and elastic deformation can be seen below the limit of proportionality.
Non-linear extension and inelastic deformation can be seen above the limit of proportionality.
The limit of proportionality is also described as the 'elastic limit. The gradient of a force-
extension graph before the limit of proportionality is equal to the spring constant.

6. Energy stored in the spring

A force applied to an elastic object such as spring will result in the object stretching and storing
elastic potential energy.
The elastic potential energy stored can be calculated using the equation:

elastic potential energy = 0.5 × spring constant × (extension)2

This is when:

 elastic potential energy (Ee) is measured in joules (J)

 spring constant (k) is measured in newtons per metre (N/m)
 extension (e), referring to the increase in length, is measured in metres (m)
7. Required practical:
Investigate the relationship between force and extension for a spring.

We will do this practical in class. Scan the QR code and read more about this practical.
Please watch YouTube videos to see how this practical is conducted. We will discuss it in class
before doing the experiment.
Past papers
Scan the QR code for practice questions. Each week you will be given a worksheet and selected
questions to work on.
https://www.savemyexams.co.uk/igcse/physics/edexcel/-/pages/topic-questions/