(FOM) Forces of Motion Module Overview

Forces of Motion Module Overview

image with cyclist, people in vehicle, sign of men at work, and kids playingHave you ever ridden in a car? Of course you have! Therefore, you already know the basic principles of force, motion, and acceleration. In this module, you will not just talk about speed as fast or slow but will look at how to calculate speed. You will also learn how to calculate acceleration. Not only will you be calculating motion, but you will also be applying Newton's three laws of motion to everyday situations. For instance, why do you wear a seatbelt? Why should you wear a helmet when biking or skateboarding? How can knowing Newton's three laws help you be a better athlete? You will discover that applications of Newton's three laws are surrounding you in many different areas of your life. In addition, you will study different forces including gravitational forces. Upon completion of this module, you will know that mass and weight are not the same thing and why. You will also discuss how work can be made easier and more efficient as well as calculate how advantageous it is to use a simple machine to do work. You will see that this module is packed full of information that is applicable to your everyday life.

Essential Questions

  • How can motion be observed, described, measured, and represented?
  • How can each of Newton's 3 Laws be applied to everyday life?
  • Why does your hand hurt after punching a wall when you are the object applying force?
  • What is the relationship between mass and force?
  • What is the difference between mass and weight?
  • How can work be made easier and more efficient?

Key Terms

  1. Force – an action that can change the motion of an object. A push or a pull is an example of a force.
  2. Newton - the unit used to measure force
  3. Net Force – the combination of all of the forces acting on an object.
  4. Balanced Force – forces that are opposite in direction and equal in size, cause no change in motion, and the net force equals 0.
  5. Unbalanced Force - forces that are not opposite and equal. Forces that cause a change in motion.
  6. Motion - the act or process of changing position or place.
  7. Newton's 1st Law – states that an object at rest will stay at rest unless it is acted upon by an unbalanced force. An object in motion will continue to move in the same direction and with the same speed unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
  8. Newton's 2nd Law – states that the acceleration, a, of an object is directly related to the net force, F, applied to the object and inversely related to the mass, m, of the object. Shown by F = ma
  9. Newton's 3rd Law - states that forces occur as equal and opposite pairs. For every action force, there is an equal and opposite reaction force.
  10. Acceleration - is found by dividing the change in the velocity of the object by the change in time
  11. Velocity - a measure of speed in a given direction
  12. Speed – the distance an object moves per unit of time
  13. Inertia - the tendency of an object to resist a change in motion
  14. Mass – the amount of matter in an object
  15. Weight – the force due to gravity. Equal to the product of the object's mass and the acceleration of gravity (w = mg). At the surface of Earth, the acceleration of gravity is 9.80 m / s² which is the constant used in the equation for g.
  16. Gravitational force – a force between any two objects. The strength of the force is related to the mass of the objects and the distance between them.
  17. Terminal velocity – occurs when the force of air resistance becomes large enough to balance the force of gravity. At this instant in time, the net force is 0 Newtons; the object will stop accelerating.
  18. Frictional forces – work against motion
  19. Work - is the transfer of energy when an applied force moves an object over a distance. For work to be done the force applied must be in the same direction as the movement of the object and the object must move a certain distance. (W = Fd)
  20. Joule – the unit used to measure work
  21. Simple Machines – machines that work with one movement. The 6 simple machines are lever, pulley, inclined plane, wedge, screw, and wheel and axle.
  22. Effort Force – the force applied to a simple machine
  23. Resistance Force – the force exerted by the machine
  24. Mechanical advantage – is the number of times a machine multiplies the effort force

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