Most kids are proficient in identifying the four different types of forces during exams – gravitational, magnetic, elastic spring and frictional force. However, they get stumped when they are asked about the various effects of forces.
What Are Effects Of Forces?
- Move a stationary object: Imagine a ball just sitting there. It won’t move until a force acts on it, like a kick from your foot. That applied force sets the ball in motion!
- Slow down a moving object: A rolling ball will eventually stop because of frictional force acting against its motion.
- Make a moving object move faster: If you’re already rolling a ball and give it another push in the same direction, it speeds up!
- Change the direction of a moving object: That curveball a pitcher throws? That’s a change in direction caused by the force of their hand.
- Change the shape of an object: Think about squeezing a lump of clay. The force you apply changes its shape.
What are Newton’s three laws of motions and how are they related to the effects of forces?
First Law of Motion
The first law or ‘law of inertia’ states that if an object is at rest or moving in a straight line, it will remain at rest or remain moving in that same direction unless it is acted upon by an external force.
What does every Primary Science student need to know about this?
Your child should know about balanced and unbalanced forces! When the forces acting on an object are balanced or equal, the object remains at rest.
Imagine your pencil case resting on the table. All the forces acting on it are balanced – the force of gravity pulling it down is equal to the force of the table pushing it up. This means the resultant force acting on it is zero, so it remains at rest. If you gently pushed the pencil case, you’d be applying a net force, causing it to move.
Second Law of Motion
Newton’s second law states that the all objects have mass; so if an object is moving, then it has momentum – it has its mass in motion. It also states that the mass in motion depends on the object’s speed and its mass.
What does every Primary Science student need to know about this?
This is related to the effects of forces. When a greater force is applied, the object will demonstrate one of the effects of forces e.g. change in speed.
Third Law of Motion
Also known as the ‘law of action and reaction,’ the third law states that when two objects interact, the force they apply to each other is equal and opposite in direction.
Congrats! Now you know the three laws of motion and the five effects of forces. Ready for more? Click here for a quick 5 minute self-assessment!
