Theme A — Space, Time and Motion
A.2 Forces and Momentum — IB Physics SL Revision Notes & Topical Questions
5 min read 11 parts Lesson 11 of 41 1 quiz
Curriculum Equation Key قوانين الرقم الهيدروجيني والاتزان الأيوني - pH & Acid-Base Equilibrium FormulasFast Exam Solution
pH = -log[H⁺] | pOH = -log[OH⁻] | pH + pOH = 14 | [H⁺][OH⁻] = 10⁻¹⁴
Word Equation & Conditions: الرقم الهيدروجيني = -لوغاريتم تركيز أيون الهيدروجين | pH + pOH = 14
Location & Specifications: الاتزان الأيوني، كيمياء 3 ثانوي، التحصيلي، و AP Chemistry.
Lesson summary
A.2 Forces and Momentum — IB SL Notes — IB PHYSICS SL notes: Apply Newton's laws of motion, identify contact and field forces, and use momentum, impulse and circular-motion ideas to analyse how bodies interact.Free-body diagram — it shows one body only, with every force on it dra…
- Translational equilibrium
- Resultant force
- Second law
- What the symbols mean
- Normal force FN
- Surface friction
Part 1 of 9Forces and free-body diagrams
Forces and free-body diagrams
Free-body diagram
- Free-body diagram it shows one body only, with every force on it drawn as a labelled arrow from the point of action.
- Arrow lengths show relative size.
Translational equilibrium
- Translational equilibrium the vector sum of the forces is zero.
Resultant force
- Resultant force the single force with the same effect as all the forces on a body combined.
Part 2 of 9Newton's laws
1
First law
- First law a body stays at rest or moves with constant velocity unless a resultant force acts.
- A resultant force is needed to change the velocity, not to keep an object moving.
2
Second law
- Second law the resultant force equals the rate of change of momentum, F = Δp/Δt.What the symbols mean: F = force (N) · Δt = time the force acts (s) · Δp = change in momentum (kg m s−1); FΔt is the impulse (N s)
- For constant mass this becomes F = ma.
3
Third law
- Third law when A exerts a force on B, B exerts an equal and opposite force of the same type on A.
- The pair acts on different bodies, so the forces do not cancel.
Part 3 of 9Contact forces
Normal force FN
- Normal force FN it acts perpendicular to a surface.
Surface friction
- Surface friction static Ff ≤ μsFN and dynamic Ff = μdFN.
Elastic restoring force
- Elastic restoring force it follows Hooke's law, FH = −kx.
Viscous drag
- Viscous drag on a small sphere it follows Stokes' law, Fd = 6πηrv.
Buoyancy
- Fb = ρVg, where ρ is the fluid density and V the volume of fluid displaced.
Part 4 of 9Field forces
Gravitational force
- Gravitational force the weight Fg = mg acts on mass.
Electric force
- Electric force it acts on charge.
Magnetic force
- Magnetic force it acts on moving charge or current.
No contact
- No contact field forces act at a distance.
Part 5 of 9Momentum and impulse
Linear momentum
- Linear momentum p = mv is a vector with unit kg m s−1 or N s.
Impulse
- J = FΔt equals the change in momentum and the area under a force–time graph.
Longer collision time
- Longer collision time it gives a smaller average force for the same change of momentum, as in crumple zones and airbags.
Part 6 of 9Collisions and explosions
Conservation of momentum
- Conservation of momentum the total momentum of an isolated system is conserved in every collision and explosion.
Explosion from rest
- Explosion from rest the total momentum stays zero.
| Feature | Elastic collision | Inelastic collision |
|---|---|---|
| Momentum | Conserved | Conserved |
| Total energy | Conserved | Conserved |
| Kinetic energy | Conserved | Not conserved |
| Typical example | Collisions between gas molecules | Vehicles that crumple or stick together |
1Perfectly inelastic
- Perfectly inelastic if the bodies stick together the loss of kinetic energy is the greatest possible.
2Kinetic energy and momentum
- Ek = p2/2m, useful for bodies with the same momentum.
Part 7 of 9Circular motion
Angular velocity
- ω = 2π/T = v/r.What the symbols mean: ω = angular frequency (rad s−1) · f = frequency (Hz) · T = period (s)
Centripetal acceleration
- Centripetal acceleration a = v2/r = ω2r = 4π2r/T2, directed to the centre.What the symbols mean: a = centripetal acceleration towards the centre (m s−2) · v = speed (m s−1) · ω = angular speed (rad s−1) · r = radius (m)
Centripetal force
- F = mv2/r = mω2r, the resultant of real forces such as tension, friction, gravity and the normal force.What the symbols mean: F = centripetal force towards the centre (N) · m = mass (kg) · v = speed (m s−1) · ω = angular speed (rad s−1) · r = radius (m)
- It is not an extra force, and it does no work because it is perpendicular to the velocity.
Part 8 of 9Solving force problems
1
Isolate the body and draw its free-body diagram.
2
Choose axes, usually along and perpendicular to the motion.
3
Resolve forces into components along the axes.
4
Apply ΣF = ma along each axis (a = 0 for equilibrium and a = v2/r towards the centre for circular motion).
5
For collisions, equate the total momentum before and after, using signs for direction.
Part 9 of 9More from the specification
1Free-body diagram
- Free-body diagram shows all forces acting on a single object, drawn as arrows from a point with length showing magnitude
2Normal reaction
- Normal reaction the contact force perpendicular to a surface, balancing the weight component into the surface
3Circular motion
- Circular motion an object moving in a circle at constant speed has changing velocity, so it accelerates towards the centre
4Centripetal force
- Centripetal force the resultant of forces acting towards the centre, F = mv2/r, not a separate force
5Angular and linear speed
- Angular and linear speed angular speed omega = 2 pi/T, and linear speed v = omega r where r is the radius of the circle
6Normal reaction
- The contact force perpendicular to a surface.
7Reaction force
- Force from a support pushing up on an object.
8Fluid resistance
- Drag force from a fluid opposing motion.
Key terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Resultant force | The single force with the same effect as all the forces acting on a body combined |
| Linear momentum | The product of mass and velocity; a vector |
| Impulse | The product of force and the time for which it acts; equal to the change in momentum |
| Elastic collision | A collision in which total kinetic energy is conserved |
| Inelastic collision | A collision in which total kinetic energy is not conserved |
| Centripetal force | The resultant force directed towards the centre of a circular path |
| Angular velocity | The angle swept out per unit time, ω = Δθ/Δt |
| Coefficient of friction | The ratio of the frictional force to the normal force between two surfaces |
Avoid these mistakes
1
Thinking a resultant force is needed to keep a body moving — it is needed only to change the velocity.
2
Treating third-law pairs as acting on one body — they act on different bodies.
3
Calling centripetal force an extra force — it is the resultant of the real forces towards the centre.
4
Saying kinetic energy is always conserved in collisions — only in elastic collisions.
5
Saying resultant force causes velocity — it causes acceleration.
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