Physics: Forces 4
Overview
In this topic, pupils build on their knowledge of forces, a fundamental part of Physics, from KS3. Pupils will discover the impact of Isaac Newton on our understanding of forces, how centre of mass and moments are used in engineering, through to predicting the elasticity of materials based on the work of Robert Hooke. Pupils should also review the keywords from previous Forces topics in Year 7, 8 and 9.
The main SMSC/Personal Development content of this topic includes: PD2 – Developing and deepening pupils’ understanding of mutual respect and tolerance (team and or group work).
PD17 – Willingness to reflect on their experiences.
PD20 – Use of hinge point questions and/or exam questions as useful indicators of pupils’ outcomes. Balance outcomes with first-hand assessment of pupils’ work.
The main UN Rights of a Child covered are No. 13 – Sharing thoughts freely and No. 28 – Access to Education
Example Key Words
Momentum
Moving objects have a tendency to keep moving. This is called momentum; it depends on how big (the mass) and how fast (the velocity) of the object are.
Moment
The turning effect of a force. A longer lever exerts a greater moment as does a larger force.
Resolving Forces
Any force will have a horizontal and vertical component. Splitting a force into these two components is called resolving.
Equilibrium
If the clockwise moments are equal to the anticlockwise moments, the system is in equilibrium.
Resultant Force
The overall force acting on an object. This should have a magnitude and direction.