Forces, motion and energy
Forces
A push or a pull. The unit of force is the newton (N). and their effects are all around us. They keep us firmly rooted to the ground, they make us move and they stop us slipping and sliding. Forces are vital to life and the All the energy and matter that exists..
However, forces only do three very simple things. They change:
- the shape of an object
- the direction of an object
- the speed of an object
If you crumple up a piece of paper, you have changed its shape. If you throw the paper ball, you have changed its The distance travelled in a fixed time period, usually one second.. If you ask a friend to bat it away, they have changed its Information to give the direction of travel, or the direction of a force, for example, a speed of 20 m s-1 to the left, or a force of 15 N to the right..
Force is measured in the unit called Newtons \((N)\) 鈥 named after the first scientist to quantify forces, Sir Isaac Newton.
We can measure force using a special piece of equipment called the Newton Balance.