External Forces

Definition

External forces are any forces acting on an object that originate from outside the object itself. These forces can influence the object's motion, causing it to accelerate, decelerate, or change direction. Understanding external forces is crucial in the context of Newton's First Law of Motion, which describes an object's tendency to maintain its state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced external force.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. External forces can be contact forces, such as friction or tension, or non-contact forces, such as gravity or electromagnetic forces.
2. The presence of an external force is necessary to overcome an object's inertia and cause it to change its state of motion.
3. When the net external force on an object is zero, the object will maintain its state of rest or uniform motion, as described by Newton's First Law.
4. The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net external force acting on it, as described by Newton's Second Law of Motion.
5. Understanding the role of external forces is crucial for analyzing and predicting the motion of objects in a variety of physical systems and applications.

Review Questions

• Explain how external forces are related to Newton's First Law of Motion.
  • According to Newton's First Law of Motion, an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will remain in motion, unless acted upon by an unbalanced external force. This means that external forces are necessary to overcome an object's inertia and cause it to change its state of motion. If the net external force on an object is zero, the object will maintain its current state, whether that is rest or uniform motion.
• Describe the different types of external forces and provide examples of each.
  • External forces can be classified into two main categories: contact forces and non-contact forces. Contact forces are those that require direct physical interaction between objects, such as friction, tension, or normal forces. Examples of contact forces include the force of your hand pushing on a book, or the force of a table supporting a book placed on it. Non-contact forces, on the other hand, are forces that can act on an object without direct physical contact, such as gravitational, electrical, or magnetic forces. Examples of non-contact forces include the force of gravity acting on an object, or the force between two electrically charged particles.
• Analyze how the presence or absence of external forces affects the motion of an object, considering both Newton's First and Second Laws.
  • According to Newton's First Law, an object will maintain its state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced external force. This means that if the net external force on an object is zero, the object will continue to move at a constant velocity or remain at rest. However, if an unbalanced external force is applied to the object, it will cause the object to accelerate, as described by Newton's Second Law. The acceleration of the object will be directly proportional to the net external force and inversely proportional to the object's mass. Therefore, the presence or absence of external forces is a crucial factor in determining an object's motion, as it can either maintain its current state or cause it to change its velocity or direction.

Related terms

Newton's First Law of Motion: Also known as the Law of Inertia, this law states that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will remain in motion, unless acted upon by an unbalanced external force.

Inertia: The property of an object that resists changes in its state of motion. Inertia is directly related to an object's mass, with more massive objects exhibiting greater inertia.

Unbalanced Forces: When the net sum of all forces acting on an object is non-zero, the forces are considered unbalanced. Unbalanced forces are responsible for causing changes in an object's motion.