Units of Force
As force has both magnitudes and direction, so it is a Vector quantity.
The direction of the force can simply be represented with the help of an arrow whereas to represent the magnitude of the force, some measuring units are required. So the standard units of force are as follows:
- Force can be expressed in Newton (N), in the standard international system of the unit (SI unit).
- While, in dyne, in the centimeter gram second system of unit (CGS unit).
Note: In the SI base unit, Newton is equivalent to Kg m/s2
Force – Definition, Effects, Types, Sample Problems
In our everyday life, it is observed that some effort is required to put an object in a rest state into motion or to stop a moving body. it is experiencing this as a muscular effort and say that we must push or pull on an object to change its state of motion. The concept of force is based on this push, hit, or pull only.
Hence, Force can be defined as a push, pull, or hit on any object that brings a change in its state of motion. A force is exerted on one object by another.
e.g,: When a box is pushed, it moves forward and changes its state of motion, hence we can say that when a force was applied to the box in the form of a push, it changed its state from rest to motion. Similarly, suppose a box is tied with a rope and is pulled by a person, then the box will change its state of rest and will start moving in the direction of the pull. This is another example of Force.
A force is being applied to the box in the form of a push
Force can also change the shape and size of any object. The greater the force is applied, the more the changes will be observed in the shape and size of any object.
e.g:, When a force is applied to a spherical rubber ball, it changes its shape from spherical to oblong.
Another example can be of a rubber spring, as when a force is applied to a spring in the form of a pull, it gets expanded and hence changed its shape.
Due to the application of force, the shape of a ball got changed
In this way, the force has many applications in our everyday lives such as the force due to one’s foot pushing on the pedal when riding a bicycle, the force applied of the bat by the ball. A general case for the existence of the normal force is when a person stands on the ground i.e. the ground exerts a force on the person that is equal in magnitude to the person’s weight.